How to keep plants in place?

I planted a few plants in my 600 litre tank by pouring gravel over them and
pushing rocks against them to keep them in place yet they end up drifting around the tank.
All I have is a large tinfoil barb and a silver dollar. I don't know if they physically remove the plants
or whether they swim through them thereby dislodging them.
Can anyone offer an explanation or some advise?

 

Those fish are plant killers. They will eat every plant in site.

 

@Barrymore: You should give up on the idea of having a planted tank if you have tinfoil barbs and silver dollars they will snack on them for breakfast, dinner and lunch.

 

You might want to try Anubia as I have heard they taste bitter, not that I have tried eating one mind you. But I have seen fish leave it alone.

 

Strange my dad had the stuff in his tank and after one nibble they pretty much left it alone.

 

Thanks guys, I get the message.

 

Can be true about Anubias, I have also read that it is best not to keep them with shrimp, as they give off some chemical that is poisiness to them.

 

I've had a careful look at the plants floating around. They don't appear to have been eaten in any way.
My fish were probably just being destructive.

 

Oh Crap! really?

 

Really @Chongkie I think it was on planetvertabrates I very quickly removed mine.

 

Sorry for the semi thread Hi-Jack...
@HennieRoux, thanks, will take out the Anubias today.

 

I have many Anubias and shrimps in the same tank, no problem, they breed like, well, shrimps....:laugh:

 

Barrymore I tie my anubias and Java with cable ties or fishing gut because my plecos uproot everything .

 

You can also use quick drying super glue (Bostick) works like a charm.

 

Does super glue work under water?

 

Superglue actually use moisture to harden but I would not bring wet superglue NEAR my tanks its proper name is cyano acrolate and it contains very small traces of cyanide not enough to kill you but with fish you simply never know. Why not just separate the roots split them in two groups pop a heavy stone in there and lightly wind some thread around the whole shebang then plant as you normally would.

 

@francoisve I think it depends on what shrimp you have, the common more hardier guys will survive tap water, but Im not taking any chances with my other strains. I suppose it also depends how many Anubias per litre you have?

Suppose more a precaution then anything else.

 

@Barrymore: You don't use it underwater though. What I do is I take the piece of hardscape I want planted take the plants I want to use trim the roots and make sure both surfaces are relatively dry stick a small bit if glue on the roots and glue it were I want it and leave it for a minute or two to dry. Once it is dry it becomes inert. Here is what my pieces of wood look like when I did it a week or two back: