Compatible Plants!

[Yellow Turtle01]

I'd love to add some real, live plans to my painted's setup. I've tried before, but of course they died!
Was reading all about it today, and discovered it's a very in-depth science to growing aquatic foliage indoors... with turtles... I'd like to give their water some oxygen and maybe keep it cleaner longer, lower nitrates and algae.
I've read the turtles don't bother with Java Fern and Camboda, and that Red Lugwina (however you spell that!) are reasonable choices.
Now, I also read that many aquatic plants need to 'root' into/onto something. I have very big stones as substrate, about 1'' each. Could plants survive in that?
Any experience you have with what's best to plant, what to plant them in, and 'nutrients' I may need to supplement the water with!

 

[Randi]

It depends on the plant. A lot will prefer gravel or rocks as they will pull nutrients from the gravel bed. I like plants that root in on driftwood since my turtle redecorates. If your turtles' leave substrate alone, you can buy live plant mediums that support growth. I don't supplement my plants with anything except for a bright t5 light. They are growing very nicely. I'm sure you could supplement once a week or so if you wanted. There is a product called flourish and it's a comprehensive fertilizer for plants. I'd use small amounts if any.

I use two types of Java Fern, some Cryptocorne and Anubias. Those are all on driftwood. I also have one plant growing on a rock. I have Java Moss growing on a log. You could bundle the Cabomba with an elastic and shove it into the rocks and see if it holds. Hornwort can sometimes be tasty to them as well. Those two are messy and break off into little bits. I had Red Ludwigia but Tiny ate all of it. He also eats cryptocorne sometimes. All of these plants are easy - requiring low light. You could do moss balls in your tank which float around. Or water lettuce. You have many options. There are more that are safe but I'd try growing these first.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

It depends on the plant. A lot will prefer gravel or rocks as they will pull nutrients from the gravel bed. I like plants that root in on driftwood since my turtle redecorates. If your turtles' leave substrate alone, you can buy live plant mediums that support growth. I don't supplement my plants with anything except for a bright t5 light. They are growing very nicely. I'm sure you could supplement once a week or so if you wanted.

I use two types of Java Fern, some Cryptocorne and Anubias. Those are all on driftwood. I also have one plant growing on a rock. I have Java Moss growing on a log. You could bundle the Cabomba with an elastic and shove it into the rocks and see if it holds. Hornwort can sometimes be tasty to them as well. Those two are messy and break off into little bits. All of these plants are easy - requiring low light. You could do moss balls in your tank which float around. Or water lettuce. You have many options.

Clingy plants would be great, I have bricks they could 'latch' onto They do, for the most part... that's why I bought big rocks, they feel less motivated to move them around... I know they sell liquid things you can add, too
Looked up Cryptocorne, that's a real nice plant, I'd like something like that!
I read about Java Moss, but I'm not sure about floaty plants. I don't have a lot of surface area, but I do have a lot of water area, so submerged plants will hopefully grow great

 

[Randi]

Java Fern will grow really well on a big rock or on wood. Anubias and cryptocorne will do well on wood. You can buy floating anubias. Anubias doesn't like it's roots covered. It dies easy. Cryptocorne could probably be planted in the substrate if it can hold on. The Java moss can be put on a rock or log and will root in. You can try them with your substrate, it may work.

I'm hesitant about adding those fertiziliers with my turtle tank.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Oh, okay, I didn't know the moss could be stationary!
Well, I'll have to do some reading up on those fertilizers things...

 

[Randi]

Yes, you can have it carpet the bottom or you can attach it to rocks/driftwood and have it grow. There are things called moss balls and they float around.

Good luck! There are a lot of plants and many ways to grow them.

 

[ETTB1314]

I think there's no meed for fertilizer or supplements for planta because they would already be absorbing all that ammonia that the turtles have produced. Adding fertilizer and/or supplements would mean adding more ammonia to the tank imo

 

[Randi]

You don't want ammonia in a tank though? It will inhibit respiration in aquatic life and can cause a lot of problems. Your plants will melt away when ammonia is present. Ammonia is present when there is a lack of good bacteria. Once good bacteria builds up enough in a gravel bed, filters, etc, the healthy bacteria eats away at ammonia and therefore should not be present in a healthy tank. 0.25 ppm and lower is recommended. Anything higher will generally cause problems. You also save good bacteria in filter media by not washing it and striping it away unless there is a smell or is not filtering. There is media designed for filters to preserve this bacteria to keep ammonia levels absent.

Yes, there is a cycle - nitrates into nitrites and then nitrites into ammonia.

Nitrates mean an abundance of organic material, fish waste, etc. Nitrites are the by product of that and are quite toxic. Only water changes will help. You must also time your filter changes so you always have a level of good bacteria. Wash your media in tank water so the tap water will not strip the good bacteria. The less you mess with things, I find the more stable the tank. Water changes remain consistent, and the tank stays quite level.

Fertilizers have to do with potassium, iron, trace elements, etc. Which all benefit the plant. Low light plants generally won't require fertilizers. Medium to more advanced plants can require CO2 canisters and fertilizers as well as substrate for them to grow in. Good lighting and proper photo periods as well as clean water will be a great starting point for low light plants. It is harder for plants to synthesize in water compared to being out of water so all of these things will help. If anything I would add CO2 liquid booster by API in the day time and then you can add an air pump at night to better oxygenate the water and it may allow for more growth.

 

[ETTB1314]

Thanks for that info Randi. I don't really know a lot, cuz I was basically just sharing what I had learnt in school XD

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

You don't want ammonia in a tank though? It will inhibit respiration in aquatic life and can cause a lot of problems. Your plants will melt away when ammonia is present. Ammonia is present when there is a lack of good bacteria. Once good bacteria builds up enough in a gravel bed, filters, etc, the healthy bacteria eats away at ammonia and therefore should not be present in a healthy tank. 0.25 ppm and lower is recommended. Anything higher will generally cause problems. You also save good bacteria in filter media by not washing it and striping it away unless there is a smell or is not filtering. There is media designed for filters to preserve this bacteria to keep ammonia levels absent.

Yes, there is a cycle - nitrates into nitrites and then nitrites into ammonia.

Nitrates mean an abundance of organic material, fish waste, etc. Nitrites are the by product of that and are quite toxic. Only water changes will help. You must also time your filter changes so you always have a level of good bacteria. Wash your media in tank water so the tap water will not strip the good bacteria. The less you mess with things, I find the more stable the tank. Water changes remain consistent, and the tank stays quite level.

Fertilizers have to do with potassium, iron, trace elements, etc. Which all benefit the plant. Low light plants generally won't require fertilizers. Medium to more advanced plants can require CO2 canisters and fertilizers as well as substrate for them to grow in. Good lighting and proper photo periods as well as clean water will be a great starting point for low light plants. It is harder for plants to synthesize in water compared to being out of water so all of these things will help. If anything I would add CO2 liquid booster by API in the day time and then you can add an air pump at night to better oxygenate the water and it may allow for more growth.

The Nitrate cycle always has me going in circles!
I'm sure I have a lot of nirates and nitries in my tank, what I'm concerned about is potassium and iron, because the water is 100% filtered, and I don't add any 'special things' to the gravel.

 

[Randi]

Just do a water change if concerned. Only way to lower those two.

I'd recommend getting the plants first, putting them how you want them and see how they do without intervention. Java Fern requires almost no light to grow so these easy plants will be a test. If you notice browning of the leaves or melting, then there is a lack of something. It could be as simple as lighting.

 

[Yvonne G]

(I'm tagging @Yellow Turtle01 just for the heck of it)

 

[Tatergirl09]

View attachment 115320 It depends on the plant. A lot will prefer gravel or rocks as they will pull nutrients from the gravel bed. I like plants that root in on driftwood since my turtle redecorates. If your turtles' leave substrate alone, you can buy live plant mediums that support growth. I don't supplement my plants with anything except for a bright t5 light. They are growing very nicely. I'm sure you could supplement once a week or so if you wanted. There is a product called flourish and it's a comprehensive fertilizer for plants. I'd use small amounts if any.

I use two types of Java Fern, some Cryptocorne and Anubias. Those are all on driftwood. I also have one plant growing on a rock. I have Java Moss growing on a log. You could bundle the Cabomba with an elastic and shove it into the rocks and see if it holds. Hornwort can sometimes be tasty to them as well. Those two are messy and break off into little bits. I had Red Ludwigia but Tiny ate all of it. He also eats cryptocorne sometimes. All of these plants are easy - requiring low light. You could do moss balls in your tank which float around. Or water lettuce. You have many options. There are more that are safe but I'd try growing these first.

Randi, I'm looking at the picture you posted. Loving you're turts home! what filtration system are you using?

 

[Randi]

Thank you Currently I'm using three forty gallon aqueon filters positioned one on both ends and one in the middle, for a forty gallon tank. Next week I will be switching to a canister filter as the filters I currently use don't pick up a lot off the bottom. I'll let you know how the canister works.

 

[brynjar]

I've been toying around with live plants and turtles now for a while trying to figure out something, heres some keypoints so far.

I keep 5 Emy Orbicularis, juveniles. - These guys leave java fern alone. But afther a while the plants take damage. I rotate my java's and have a seperate plant tank. I also kept cold water lillies with them, survives still by covering the roots but new shots get taken. Hornwoorth, egeria densa and the like dont survive long. Only thing i could keep alive exept turtles was a pleco - with plenty of cover.

I keep 1 Reeves, 3 yrs - no plant has survived this guy, tried alot. He has a bonsai ginseng on his land area, which thrives, it doesnt stand in water, it gets water whenever i change water. 1-2 times a month cirka i change water.

I keep 2 Musk, 8 yrs - nothing has survived my 2 little destroyers. Not even duckweed. I have not tried java, crypt nor anubias yet though.

I keep 1 alligator snapping turtle, 7 yrs - hornwoorth goes well for a while but gets chopped up after a while, he doesnt eat them though

 

[Sara G.]

Slightly unrelated but has anyone tried temple plant with their turtles?
I have a lot of it growing in my pea puffer tank but I don't know if it's turtle safe.
Also water hyacinths are awesome, I know they're surface plants but my gals LOVE them. Meaning they don't last more than 2 days! O_O
I haven't bothered with plants in their tank because I know my two RES will devour them.
I had a moss ball in there once.....needless to say, it's gone now. I had to take it out for fear they'd eat the strange middle part.

 

[Paschendale52]

I ordered a dozen water hyacinth plants the other day for my 75 gallon tank. As it turns out..... thats waaaaay too much. 7 of them or so are now sitting in a spare water tub, waiting for the time to sub them in. The turtle love them, but they're just too big to eat before they grow back. Its a lot of fun at feeding time to see the turtles climbing out of the water onto the plants to jump over them to get at the food.