# SAE eating moss?



## Spider Pig (26 Sep 2008)

Has anyone had any problems with SAE eating moss?

I've been trying to grow moss in my tank for a couple of months now, some as a moss wall and some tied to features. The stuff tied to the features grew very stringy then turned brown and died. The moss in the wall is nice and green but all the fronds that poke through the grid are bare. Initially I thought it was a problem with the moss coming from emersed growth to submerged (the stuff attached to features). But now watching the SAE, they do browse over the wall a lot and I'm beginning to wonder if they are stripping the fronds and so inhibiting growth.

Any one with the same experience or know other moss eating fish, there are a couple of other potential culprits in there.


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## a1Matt (26 Sep 2008)

My SAE's love eating moss.  I only feed my fish every other day, yet I have the fattest SAE's you have ever seen

I have more moss in the tank than they can eat, so the moss survives OK.  
Interestingly my taiwan moss is on driftwood right at the top of the tank and they don't bother with that (as much).  

http://www.aquamoss.net/Articles/Siames ... c-Moss.htm THe chap on aquamoss calls SAE's "swimming pigs" which makes me chuckle


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## ceg4048 (26 Sep 2008)

It's always worthwhile considering the possibility that the plant failed due to malnutrition and was immediately set upon by algae which then attracted the attention of the algae eater. Plants turning brown is almost invariably a result of poor CO2.

Cheers,


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## Ed Seeley (26 Sep 2008)

I've found SAEs love eating moss too.  If it's growing very fast then it can sometimes keep up, but otherwise it will really suffer.  They seem to like the more epxensive types too rather than JM!!!


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## Spider Pig (28 Sep 2008)

I thought it might be a problem with the moss at first but that doesn't fit with the fact that the moss behind the mesh is still green and seemingly healthy.

Looking in at the tank at the moment the few trailing fronds outside the mesh have been stripped.  

Plan on tying the moss to the front of the mesh like LD does. Hopefully with a lot more moss on offer, the damage will be spread out and the rate of growth will be sufficient to keep up. fingers crossed


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