Rainbow shark and plants

I was planning on getting a rainbow shark for my planted 75 gallon tank, but I was told that it would destroy my plants. I was hoping any members that have had experience with rainbow shark can comment on if their plants got eaten.

I have Amazon swords, jungle val, bacopa, and hygrophila corymbosa siamensis.

I plan to supplement the rainbow shark diet with zucchini, peas, and spinach. I'm not sure if the veggies will help keep the shark from eating the plants or not

 

If you feed them enough it might be less encouraged to eat your plants. They are mainly a vegetarian. But to be safe I'd try harder leafed plants like anubias. Swords would probably be okay because their roots and leaves are so vast.

 

Thanks for the comment. I'm not really looking to replant my tank, it's quite established at this point. If the plant eating will be an issue then I'll just have to find a different fish to get other than the rainbow shark.

In the information I found online I couldn't find a definitive answer on if the plant eating would even be a problem. Some sites said yes, others said no, others said only if fed wrong. Have you had experience one way or the other?

 

I have never had an issue with any of the rainbow sharks I have kept eating my plants? They have lived in tanks with amazon swords, valisneria, java fern, anacharis, water lettuce, dwarf salvinia, hornwort and guppy grass. I think the guppy grass may have been nibbled on by the sharks but it was guooy grass, it grows so rapidly who care? I was pulling that stuff out of the tanks by the handful every week anyhow.

Make sure there are some sinking pellets in your rainbow shark's diet so that they are being fed and not having to compete with the other upper dwelling tank inhabitants, as some rainbow sharks are fairly shy, especially when they are small, and you should be fine.

 

I have never had an issue with any of the rainbow sharks I have kept eating my plants? They have lived in tanks with amazon swords, valisneria, java fern, anacharis, water lettuce, dwarf salvinia, hornwort and guppy grass. I think the guppy grass may have been nibbled on by the sharks but it was guooy grass, it grows so rapidly who care? I was pulling that stuff out of the tanks by the handful every week anyhow.

Make sure there are some sinking pellets in your rainbow shark's diet so that they are being fed and not having to compete with the other upper dwelling tank inhabitants, as some rainbow sharks are fairly shy, especially when they are small, and you should be fine.

Thanks, that's reassuring that yours didn't go after your plants. I do have sinking wafers as well.

 

I was planning on getting a rainbow shark for my planted 75 gallon tank, but I was told that it would destroy my plants. I was hoping any members that have had experience with rainbow shark can comment on if their plants got eaten.

I have Amazon swords, jungle val, bacopa, and hygrophila corymbosa siamensis.

I plan to supplement the rainbow shark diet with zucchini, peas, and spinach. I'm not sure if the veggies will help keep the shark from eating the plants or not

My rainbow shark is about a year old and she loves swimming in and nibbling on the roots of my java fern, but never eats it. My angelfish do infinitely more damage during breeding time.

 

I have 3 rainbow sharks, none if them have eaten my plants, they cruise by and nibble off the top of the leaves and move on, they love planted tanks with ample hiding spots.
I feed them mysis shrimp,flakes,algae wafers and carnivore sinking pellets.
They eat all of it and have not once destroyed my plants.
My common rainbow is 2 years old and around 3.5 -4 in. Never eaten a plant.
The 2 albinos are around 5 months to 7 and nope never eaten or destroyed my plants.

 

Thanks everyone for the comments. I've made up my mind that it doesn't sound like I'll have a lot of issues with the shark eating the plants so I think I'll go ahead and get one for the tank.