Agassizzi eating riccia.

[filio]

Hello everybody. This is my first post, and I will start with a question. I have 2 agassizzi pairs and some Cacatuoides in an 80sm freshly set up aquarium. I tied some riccia to a stone using a net and now all the aggies are taking turns in picking small pieces out of the net and eating them. Everything growing out of the net is being eaten. No other plant is harmed and cacatuoides pay no attention to this one. Do you think I should remove the stone, or maybe they need it for digesting and I should provide them with regular supply?

 

[bigbird]

Morning Filio,
I find that Apsitos in general when feeding graze and pick. My various apistos have not eaten plant matter, however I have noticed that they do vigorously eat snail eggs. Maybe you also have left over food or small worms in the riccia which they wish to feed on. If it is not killing the plant or upsetting your design and looks, then I would say leave it. Do you find anything in the riccia that they might be interested in or maybe they wish to get to the rock to spawn . cheers

 

[Apistomaster]

I think bigbird assessed what is really happening. Apistogramma sp. are basically planktovores and have to pick through fine leaved plants and substrate to find their food in nature and that is what you are witnessing. I have never known of an Apistogramma species to eat plants deliberately.