Do healthy fish often get trapped in root balls?

[bettaMagenta]

I've got a bunch of terrestrial plants growing in hanging pots in my tanks, and two of my pothos vines have developed these huge, dense root balls. Now, I know I can trim the roots back, but to be honest, I kind of like the way they're thick and sprawling along the sides and back of the tank. The tank I'm referring to is home to a school of seveflake South American tetras, and they've started spawning. I think the root tangles could actually be a great place for eggs and fry to hide, since seveflakes are a pretty dense species. My only concern is that I don't want any fish getting trapped in there and becoming a snack for my plants.

I figure any healthy fish should be fine, unless it's already weak or stressed and gets chased into the roots.

[coltin]

Healthy fish shouldn't get stuck in plant roots, seems like common sense to me, unless they're being chased in there or something's wrong with 'em.

[TankWarrior]

I understand your concern, Magnum. I'd exercise caution with trimming those roots - it might harm the plant. I've seen small fish get stuck in thick moss, so I keep that type of growth trimmed.

[graye]

I've never had issues with healthy fish getting caught in plant roots. In my experience, we've used nets to catch fish in the wild, and the roots of land plants were actually a hindrance to the nets, not the fish. The roots were so dense, they'd often damage the nets, but the areas where the roots were exposed by erosion were actually prime habitats for the fish. I've tried to replicate this in my tank, but I've yet to achieve the same level of density in my plant roots. I have seen dying fish hide in moss and other plants, but healthy ones seem to avoid getting caught.

[TwinTankman]

I lost one fish to a mass of roots from a java fern. The fish pushed into the tangled root mass and then could not back out as the roots caught in his gill flap. He was not ableyto swim out of the mass by going forward. When I did not see it for a couple of days and I went looking for it. This was a P. nicholsi male which is a small African riverine cichlid.

I trim the roots on anubias and Java ferns in my tanks. My plants grow huge. When I bought new rooted plants I always trimmed the roots a bit. I know for land plants which I did for many years before getting into fish and doing plants in tanks.




If done properly, root pruning can improve the plant's growth and oveflakel health. This is especially true with container plants that can become “pot-bound,” with the roots girdling around the inside of the pot. This also means those roots can't take up enough nutrients and water to support the plant.