Collard Greens

[Paschendale52]

A couple of weeks ago I put a couple of collard green leaves into my aquarium (I'm sure someone here suggested it, but I don't recall who) and I have to say they are really enjoying it. They collards take about two days to get fully hydrated and then they just sink to a couple inches under the surface, floating by the stalks. It really has created a place that my turtles like to swim inside/hang out on top of. The guppies in there seem to appreciate the cover as well. They sleep every night either floating on the collards or the water hyacinth, but seem to prefer actually hanging out and walking on the collards.

Has anyone else tried this out?

 

[Moozillion]

Hey, that's really cool!!!
Do your turtles eat the collards or just climb on them?
What kind of turtles do you have?

 

[gabby.santana]

I was told collard greens are not good for tortoises I don't know if they are good for your water turtles. Maybe a more experienced member can explain more accurately

 

[Paschendale52]

They don't eat them, nor do the fish. They only ever climb on them and sleep on them. I have Southern Painted Turtles. : )

 

[dmmj]

is it just the green? Do they get wilted in the water? Have you tried something like water lettuce?

 

[Paschendale52]

is it just the green? Do they get wilted in the water? Have you tried something like water lettuce?

Its just the leaves, they don't really wilt or turn colors. After a couple of weeks they will have a couple of holes in them here and there, probably from the fish nibbling very slowly. I havn't tried water lettuce, but I have water hyacinth in there and its been eaten up pretty substantially.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My plecostemus fish eat them sometimes. I use a weighted clip to make them sink.
I've also seen guppies nibbling, however, I can't say about aquatic turtles. My Redfoot clan get some every now and again.

 

[Paschendale52]

What kind of a weight do you use? I've only ever tied fishing line around a rock to sink things.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Aquarium stores sell them. They are weighted plastic clamps/clips.
Like the ones that hold potato chip bags closed. Some have weights and some have a suction cup to stick on the glass.

 

[turtlemanfla88]

That is pretty cool. I have a FLA snapper and a FLA softshell that I raised with two yellow bellies and they all eats pellets and sometimes I saw the snapper and soft shell eating fruit, greens that I put in there for the yellow bellies.