# Congo tetras eating Anubias and Bolbitis



## aquasox (Sep 11, 2005)

These guys are eating my bolbitis, anubias and hyrophila corymbosa compacta...mostly the tips of the leaves, but sometimes almost the entire leaf (anubias). Anybody else have this problem? Solutions?

I feed them once a day at night....maybe I need to feed them more? Or vegetable-based flakes?


----------



## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I read somewhere previously that they do nibble on plants. Buenos Aires tetras as well. It's a shame, since the congos are quite pretty.


----------



## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Feed them some more. Mine are like stomachs with fins attached! I'd give them at least a feed in the morning and one at night at least. They nibble a bit of plants, but not too bad. They don't need vegetable food in my experience, but will eat anything, including Nori sheets for my Ancistrus.
I'm amazed they're eating anubias and bolbotis though, they must be hungry!


----------



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I've had congos in planted tanks for almost 2 years. I've never seen them munching on the plants - not once. Sure it's them? If it is, they must be starving. Anubias generally aren't eaten by anything, even by the worst plant nibblers. Congos are absolutely voracious eaters, much like rainbows. The only one I've ever seen that wouldn't eat was within a few minutes of being dead.


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

it may not be the Congos...do you have any other fish in there?

on another note, regarding anubias not being eaten by anything.....I've tried java fern and anubias in my african cichlid tank and someone (if not all of them) chomp quite heartily on both these plants....


----------



## aquasox (Sep 11, 2005)

I'm sure it's the congos as they are the most recent additions to my tank (other fish are cardinals, SAE's, ottos). The plants were never eaten to that point. I actually saw an old thread in this section with someone having the same problem of them eating the anubias.....hard to believe as these are plants not eaten by herbivorous fish or at least until now hehe


I bought a new can of flakes as the previous one had flakes crunched very small to feed cherry shrimp and fry in another tank....hopefully this will help.

Well they certainly are voracious as water sometimes splashes a foot or two out of my tank when they feed  


I would like to feed them twice a day, but I have to work very early in the morning...maybe I shoud invest in an automated feeder? Anyone know of a good one?


----------



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

You can feed them just flakes but the quantities required might surprise you if you're accustomed to feeding shrimp and cardinals. They really seem to do better on food such as adult brine shrimp, glass worms, krill, even bloodworms and beefheart. Try something more substantial a couple of times per week.

The thing I don't understand is how they can eat this much yet still take 1 or 2 years to reach full size.


----------



## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

I had to get rid of my Congos for that same reason, they constantly chowed the Anubias and they were well fed. I finally got tired of it and found them a new home.


----------



## aquasox (Sep 11, 2005)

I wonder why the like the anubias...did they eat other plants too?


----------

