Cory Cats attacking leaves!

[DevilHanzo]

I have some corys to go in my betta tank to help clean up some of the uneaten food, but they've seemed really curious about the plants that are in there, (some Ludwigia and some moneywort) and I came back from work today to find a whole pile of leaves on the bottom of the tank, and a stem completely bare! I don't think this is the work of the betta since he doesn't have any interest in the plants, so what would make this happen? are they getting underfed? is this normal and expected? are they just trying to be a pain??

[CatfishLover]

i dont know the answer but i have a solution! if your worried about it just get some fake plants and put the real thing in another bowl or soomething and take care of both at the same time

[William]

this can happen however there are another possible explanation. Was the plants new or have you had any rapid changes in temp/ water parameters?

[DevilHanzo]

Not that I know of. Temperature might have gone up a little while I was at work? but everything else was the same when I tested them. It was only one plant, but a lot of leaves off that one. They were all left in a nice neat pile for me to find too. They're cute even when destructive I guess

[jnmrcs]

Will the cory eat plants?

[DevilHanzo]

it doesn't look like they're really trying to eat them, more just stripping the stems of leaves. I guess some of the leaves look like they have some bites out of them, but most of the leaves on the bottom are still whole.

[William]

could be many possible explanations. There just playing. Which can be a pain sometimes ,-)

they see something they think they can eat at the base of the leafes. and so on

[DevilHanzo]

Yeah I figured they might just be playing. They're too adorable to stay mad at when they sit there staring at me on top of their bed of leaves.