# Turtle vs Planted Tank



## purebishop (Dec 17, 2010)

Ok, so it isn't really a fish, but there isn't a good section that this post would fit into. I have a turtle in a 29-gallon that really only currently has hornwort. I will be moving him into a 75-gallon soon. My question for you is, how do I set up the 75 to give the plants a chance at survival? Do I set it up and let the plants establish for a few months? Do I put eggcrate in the substrate to prevent him from eating the roots off of everything? Do I abandon all hope? I haven't had much luck in the past, but that was when I put plants into the 29-gallon he already occupied. Here, I have a chance to grow it out first. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.


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## joshvito (Apr 6, 2009)

have you tried anubias attached to rocks and wood?
i haven't had a turtle, but it has worked for me in cichlid tanks.


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## freshyleif (Jan 9, 2008)

What kind of turtle do you have?


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

If it's a herbivore turtle, then you might have to decide on the bitter-tasting plants. Perhaps plants like Java ferns.


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## ayla (Jun 20, 2009)

Yes, what kind of turtle?

If he's already shown a taste for plants, he will shred pretty much anything you put in there, in my experience. This includes most sliders, pond turtles, and many other types commonly kept as pets. Stinkpots can sometimes work for planted tanks.

Your thread caught my eye, I was actually coming to the boards to look at pictures of ripariums. I plan to redo my own 55 gallon turtle aquarium in a riparium style and I'm either going to trim the plants at the bottom where they hang down or put some kind of physical barrier in to prevent the turtle from getting to the hanging leaves. This way, I can have the look of a planted tank, but he doesn't have access to his own private salad bar.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

you will fail miserably....lol, my red ear slidders ate anything and everything i ever dumped into the tank..........................fish, plant, salad, food, bugs:frusty:


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## defiesexistence (Jun 23, 2010)

To add to the list of plants: My painted loved hiding in moss; he'd take a couple noms once in awhile, but it outgrew his attentions. Java fern, R. rotundifolia, and Egeria densa worked for a time. They melted eventually, but they weren't planted. You could try some crypts, like wendtii, balansae? Look for big leaved crypts that are hard to get a mouthful of, and match your conditions. And a sword plant.

Anyhow, your eggcrate idea sounds downright genius, but it won't stop him from pulling plants up by the stem or leaves. Does your turtle tend to dig? Will you breed it in the 75? If not, I don't see a need for the eggcrate. I think getting the plants' roots established would be your best bet, try giving them for at _least_ a month, if not two. Putting rocks around the base of the plant works well, and potting them does too. You could try trolling a turtle forum for other suggestions?


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## regalesse (Jan 28, 2011)

i run a slider rescue in louisiana and my quarantine and my un-adoptables tanks both are planted. my turtles eat anything they can get in their mouth. the only up side is that they have lots to choose from. both tanks are 250 gallons and they each currently house three at 3 inches and the other 4 with ranging sizes of 1.5 to 4 inches. these tanks are high light, heavily planted and overstocked with live mosquito fish, wild sailfin mollies since they breed here in the wild and large populations of minnows. they get the variety they need and the tanks are healthy in all. so to make this to the point it is possible but to have both at the same time you need a large tank and lots of plants.


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