Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi, I've got a bit of a problem on my hands - my yo-yos have basically devoured all my plants! I'm thinking of getting some more, but I'm not sure how to introduce them without them getting diseased. I'm not too worried about snails and the like, the yo-yos seem to be taking care of those, but other diseases are a concern for me. It's crazy, I used to have plants spilling out of the tank, then I added 4 yo-yos and now I'm down to one little stalk that's barely hanging on - those loaches are voracious! Any help would be great, I'm still learning the ropes here. Thanks!

If you're looking to restock your tank with plants that can withstand those hungry yoyos, I'd recommend going for some tougher varieties. Java Fern and Anubias are great options - from what I've read, they tend to be left alone by most fish. Crypts and aponogeton are also said to be safe from the loaches' appetite. However, swords, despite being generally resistant to herbivorous fish, seem to be a particular favourite of these loaches. Unfortunately, most stem plants are too delicate and probably won't last long.

boomer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 30, 2023 3:41 am If you're looking to restock your tank with plants that can withstand those hungry yoyos, I'd recommend going for some tougher varieties. Java Fern and Anubias are great options - from what I've read, they tend to be left alone by most fish. Crypts and aponogeton are also said to be safe from the loaches' appetite. However, swords, despite being generally resistant to herbivorous fish, seem to be a particular favourite of these loaches. Unfortunately, most stem plants are too delicate and probably won't last long.

Thanks for the advice. I'm really grateful. So, I've got a better idea of the types of plants that might survive the yo-yos now. What I'm not sure about is how to actually introduce these new plants to the tank. Do I need to give them a clean before adding them in? And if so, how do I do that? I don't want to risk bringing in any diseases or anything.

If they're coming from a snail-free tank with no fish, you can pretty much just pop them straight in. I personally wouldn't bother rinsing them in anything other than a bucket of tap water - I'm not worried about snails and any chemicals that'd kill them would likely harm the plants too. However, if the plants are from a tank with fish, it's probably best to quarantine them like you would with new fish. This way, the plants can get used to any potential fish diseases in your quarantine tank before being introduced to your main tank.

I was under the impression that yo-yos weren't particularly interested in plants. My experience with their smaller cousins, A. sidthimunki, was that they left plants completely alone. I'm not surprised to hear that some plants can withstand their appetite, though.

When introducing new plants to my tank, I always err on the side of caution, especially if they're coming from an unknown source. A two-week quarantine usually does the trick - most fish pathogens will have died off by then, and the risk of infection is significantly reduced. I've tried using peroxide dips in the past, but I've found that they can be just as damaging to the plant as they are to the pathogens.