How do I get the tin foil barbs and bala sharks stop feeding on my live plants ? They seem to be treating the plants as their food although I feed them well and they seem to enjoy the dry food that I feed them too.

Many type fo aquarium and pond fishs like to eat algae and water plants a source of their food. If your intention is keep water plant in your aquarium, then you should choose fish that do not eat plant or small fish such as guppy that will not play havoc to your plant.

For example, it is pointless to keep water plant in a koi pond as koi will eat and destroy and eat them in a matter of days, even if you feed them contantly.

Cheers

Tin foil barbs and Bala sharks; I hope you know they will grow to a pretty large size... so I hope u have a big enough tank to accomodate their eventual size.

In short there's no way u're going to keep these 2 species in a planted tank. It's just like trying Silver Dollars in a planted tank too.... it's impossible. They'll shred thru the greens like it was their salad bowl. I suggest u try keeping them in a tank with large smooth river rocks and lots of drift wood, possibly with one of those artificial plastic rock backgrounds to enhance the overall effect. Put in a powerhead to simulate the fast flowing rivers these fish come from and u should have a spectacular display of local M'sian fish.

Perhaps using "tougher" plants may help? How about Anubias barteri or Anubias barteri var nanas?. Many fishes ignore this plant because it's tough and leathery. Besides, it's a low light plant that will probably survive with only 1 FL tube.

Cheers,

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