Are you looking to enhance your turtle tank with some greenery but unsure which plants to choose?
Ideal plants for turtle tanks include anubias, java fern, java moss, water sprite, hornwort, moneywort, and amazon sword, known for their hardiness and minimal maintenance requirements.
Read on if you want more detailed information about each plant, why you should have plants in your turtle tank, and what the best fake plants are for your tank.
Benefits Of Having Plants
- Natural Filtration: Plants act like living filters, absorbing harmful chemicals and nitrates from the water, which can help reduce algae growth and keep the tank water clean and clear.
- Hiding Spots and Rest Areas: Like in their natural habitat, turtles enjoy the shelter and security plants provide. These green havens offer a perfect spot for a little turtle time-out.
- Supplementary Diet: Some aquatic plants can be a great addition to your turtle’s diet, offering them a nibble of nature. It’s a tasty treat part of their natural foraging behavior.
- Oxygenation: Plants release oxygen into the water through photosynthesis, which is crucial for your turtle’s health. More oxygen means a happier, more active turtle.
- Stress Reduction: A well-planted tank can mimic a turtle’s natural environment, reducing stress and promoting natural behaviors.
- Aesthetic Appeal: Let’s not forget that a lushly planted tank is beautiful. It adds a vibrant, lively touch to your space, making the tank a home for your turtles and a focal point of your decor.
Live Plants Vs. Fake Plants
Live Plants
Live plants are champions at improving water quality by absorbing nitrates and providing oxygen through photosynthesis. They offer an authentic environment for your turtles, mimicking their natural habitat and encouraging normal behavioral patterns. Plus, some live plants can double as a fresh, nutritious treat for turtles, like a green snack.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainwater. Live plants require their care—proper lighting, nutrients, and the right water conditions to thrive. Some turtles might see these plants as an all-you-can-eat buffet, which could mean more frequent replacements and adjustments to your tank setup.
Fake Plants
Fake plants offer convenience and durability. They can’t be eaten, don’t require specific lighting, and won’t wilt or need replacement due to nutrient deficiencies. However, fake plants can still provide hiding spots and reduce the tank’s barrenness, making it more visually appealing without the hassle of plant maintenance.
However, what you gain in convenience, you lose in natural benefits. Fake plants don’t contribute to the water’s oxygen levels or filter out impurities. They can also, over time, become less visually appealing due to algae buildup, requiring cleaning to keep them looking fresh.
Best Live Plants For Turtle Tank
Anubias
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Slow
- Lighting: Low to Medium
- Buy It On Amazon
One of the coolest things about Anubias is its versatility. You can attach it to rocks, driftwood, or decorations. It’s like the interior design of aquascaping—you can place it just about anywhere, and it’ll look great.
Anubias is also low maintenance, thriving in a wide range of lighting conditions, from the dim corners of your tank to the more brightly lit areas. It’s like that easy-going friend who’s cool with whatever plan you throw their way.
Plus, its slow growth rate means you don’t constantly trim and tidy up, making it ideal for seasoned aquarists and those new to the game.
Java Fern
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Medium
- Lighting: Low to Medium
- Buy It On Amazon
This plant doesn’t need to be buried in the substrate. Instead, you can attach it to rocks, driftwood, or decorations. It’s like the plant equivalent of a great wall art—it doesn’t take up floor space and spruces up the place.
Java Fern thrives in various lighting conditions, from the dimly lit nooks to the brighter spots of your tank, making it quite the adaptable roommate. It’s not fussy about water conditions, which is great news for you and your turtles.
Java Moss
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Lighting: Low to High
- Buy It On Amazon
This plant doesn’t demand much light, making it suitable for various tank settings, from the shadowy corners to the more illuminated spots. Plus, it’s not picky about water parameters, thriving in various conditions.
Setting up Java Moss is a breeze. You can attach it to rocks or driftwood or let it float freely, creating a dynamic, ever-changing landscape in your tank. Over time, it’ll naturally anchor itself, weaving through your tank’s features and providing an evergreen touch to the aquatic scenery.
Water Sprite
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Very Fast
- Lighting: Medium to High
- Buy It On Amazon
This plant is celebrated for its rapid growth and adaptability, thriving in various lighting conditions from low to bright. It’s pretty flexible in how you can grow it, too—plant it in the substrate or let it float freely on the water’s surface.
Water Sprite spreads out its leaves when floating, forming a protective canopy that offers shade and security for your turtles, much like trees in a forest do for their inhabitants.
One of Water Sprite’s superpowers is its ability to improve water quality rapidly. Its fast growth allows it to absorb significant nutrients and nitrates from the water, helping to control algae growth and maintain a cleaner environment for turtles.
Hornwort
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Lighting: Medium
- Buy It On Amazon
Hornwort can be planted in the substrate or left to float freely, forming dense mats that can be beautiful and functional. Floating Hornwort creates shaded areas in the tank, offering turtles a respite from the bright lights above, much like a leafy canopy in a forest.
Hornwort is a champion when it comes to water purification. It grows rapidly, absorbing excess nutrients and nitrates from the water, which helps to keep algae in check and maintain a cleaner, healthier environment for your turtles.
Moneywort
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Lighting: Medium
- Buy It On Amazon
Moneywort is like the lush, green treasure of the aquatic world, adding beauty and functionality to your turtle tank. Its bright green, coin-shaped leaves lined up along sturdy stems provide a striking contrast to the more common frilly or broad-leafed aquatic plants.
This versatile plant is quite hardy and capable of thriving in various lighting conditions, from moderate to bright. It’s also adaptable, growing well both fully and partially submerged, making it an excellent choice for tanks with varying water levels or turtle basking areas.
Amazon Sword
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Medium
- Lighting: Low to Medium
- Buy It On Amazon
This plant’s appeal lies in its large, sword-like leaves, which can provide excellent cover and hiding spots for turtles, mimicking the dense vegetation of their natural habitats. It’s like giving your turtles their private jungle to explore, offering them a sense of security and privacy within the tank.
Amazon Sword is relatively easy to care for but appreciates a nutrient-rich substrate to anchor its roots and support its substantial growth. It’s a bit of a light lover, thriving in moderate to bright conditions, which encourages its lush, vibrant foliage to expand and flourish.
Best Fake Plants For Turtle Tank
- Silk Plants: Silk plants move gently in the water, mimicking the graceful sway of real plants. They’re gentle on your turtles’ skin, reducing the risk of scratches or injuries during underwater explorations.
- Plastic Plants with Broad Leaves: Opt for designs replicating broad-leaf plants like Amazon Swords or Anubias. These provide ample cover and resting spots for turtles, and their sturdy base ensures they stay put even with the most curious of turtles poking around.
- Floating Fake Plants: To mimic the look of floating plants like Water Lettuce or Frogbit, fake versions can add depth and layers to your tank’s aesthetic. They also offer the added benefit of providing shade and hiding spots for your turtles, much like their real counterparts.
- Suction Cup Plants: These are incredibly versatile, allowing you to attach them to the tank’s glass walls or even the underside of the tank lid. They’re great for creating vertical greenery, giving your turtles an enriched environment that encourages natural climbing and basking behaviors.
- Decorative Plant Mats: These can be placed along the bottom of the tank or attached to the sides, providing a lush backdrop that requires zero substrate. They’re especially handy for covering up less appealing tank equipment, seamlessly blending it into your aquatic scene.
Here are some of my recommendations:
Plants To Avoid For Turtle Tank
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum): While beautiful, Peace Lilies are toxic if ingested by turtles. Their leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause irritation and swelling of a turtle’s mouth and digestive tract.
- Duckweed (Lemna minor): Although not toxic, Duckweed can quickly cover the entire surface of your tank, significantly reducing light penetration and gas exchange. This rapid growth can make managing difficult and lead to poor water quality.
- Azolla (Fairy Moss): Similar to Duckweed, Azolla can grow rapidly and cover the water’s surface, blocking light and reducing oxygen levels, negatively affecting your turtle’s environment.
- Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata): Known for its invasive qualities, Hydrilla can quickly fill a tank, making it hard for turtles to navigate through the water. Once established, it’s also difficult to control.
- Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth): While often used in ponds for its beauty and water-cleaning properties, Water Hyacinth can grow too large for indoor tanks and might overwhelm the space, potentially limiting your turtles’ swimming area.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right plants for your turtle tank can make it a lively, healthy home for your shelled buddies. Go for tough, non-toxic plants like java fern, anubias, or water sprite that can withstand a bit of turtle mischief and don’t need too much fuss. Remember to dodge sharp plants that grow too wild or might make your turtles sick.
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