[Am5687]

Hello everyone I am new to planted tanks and have come here to learn and figure out what to put in my tank. I am currently working on what will be a never ending project for a turtle tank. Hopefully as I learn more about these plants I can contribute more to this forum.

 

[greenguppy]

Welcome to tpt, what kind of turtle(s) will you be keeping?

 

[Am5687]

Its a yellow bellied slider. The plan is 5-10 stems of anacharis on one side 5-10 stems of hownwort on the other side with Java fern under but along the edge of his basking platform and Java moss on the floor. Eventually I would like to start a planted cherry shrimp tank to drop some in as cleaners and to keep the turtle active and as a snack. I plan on starting setting the new tank up this weekend and adding the plants in a week or two then the turtle in a couple weeks to give the plants some time to attach themselves.

 

[greenguppy]

I thought turtles ate plants mebbe I am wrong.

 

[Am5687]

They do that’s why it will be a never ending project. While this species is young it will be more carnivorous that’s the reason I want to add the shrimp if I can get his tank stable. As they get older the become less carnivorous and like plants become the main source of food. He will eat the anacharis now so I will have more growing so I can replace it when the plant in his tank gets to beat up. Turtles are not to fond of the hornwort and Java fern so they won’t get eaten but with him swimming in them they will get beat up so I will need backups of them. With the Java moss I’m not sure if he will eat that but these turtles do dig so I’m hoping if I leave some of the bottom with just the sand and gravel hopefully he will dig there and if I can get the shrimp in they can hide there.

 

[Plinkploop]

Lol I have a yellow bellied (yellow eared) and a red eared. The yellow belly avoids eating most plants and sticks with the controlling the guppy colony population. I, currently, don't have my turtle tub planted, just floaters, but at one point I did have a ball using hydroponic containers and marginal plants had success with rushes and reeds. My red eared eats everything except hornwort and water lettuce. I fully agree this will be a never ending process, on top of eating vegetation turtles LOVE to dig up anything you plant in the substrate. If you're going with java ferns you're going to want to tie them to something that's not easily accessible to the turtle, but expect that they will try to tear it out. Oscars and turtles, in my experience, have the same rate of plant acceptance lol. Good luck and welcome!!

*Edit- your turtle, most likely, won't eat the moss but will tear it up. This will most likely have it spreading to unexpected areas of your tank. If you don't mind that then just make sure to remove any from the filter when you water change.