# Need Plant Advice



## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

I just bought some of my first plants: cryptocaryne, anubias, moneywort, green ozebt (an amazon sword I'm told) and a fern. One store clerk told me I should leave the little "pot" they are planted in on and another store clerk told me I take the little pot of as soon as I get them home. I am not sure which I should do. I am willing to pot them with soil and fertilizer if that would be better and would like suggestions on what kind. Turtles may uproot anything with an anchor but I have plant anchors too.

I am setting up a 75 gallon so they are just sitting in pails right now with de-chlorinated water and liquid plant food. The tank will have 18" uv light, 40 watt basking light for a turtle, a few tetras and sand bottom. I don't want to add anything else right now but it will be in a room with indirect light. I also have some plants that look like anacharis in a small tank with tetras a little closer to the window that are surviving for the last few months just on sunlight.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Take them out of the pots, Remove the rockwool that is around the roots carefully. take off as much as you can.


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## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

Thanks


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

Removing the pot, does a few things... Foremost is getting rid of the rockwool, it also allows the plant to grow more, spread roots, and runners etc.
The Anubias should not be "planted" they do best if they are secured to driftwood or pourous rock.
When you pull off the rock wool (basically insulation) don't be afraid if some roots break off. Use tweezers to get as much as possible, then rinse off the rest.
It is very likely that your Turttle will eat all the roots, especially the Anubias. So try and build a rock barricade around it to protect it. It will also try and dig up much of the other plants, what I have done is put the plants in place and position rocks around them so my turtle couldn't dig them up. Some plants like my swords didn't have a chance, he pushed everything away and ate the roots.
So if your talking about the lead/zinc anchors, they won't deter a turtle.
Plus it's recommended to remove those from the plants, due to any chance of the metals leeching.
In another option you can also remove plants from the pots, remove all the rockwool, and then re-pot using gravel, sand, and or peat moss. And then place pot in your tank.


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## enthusiast (Jul 17, 2011)

I always kept my plants in the pots...they're easier to transplant if you ever need to move them/dig them up, & it would seem to me if theres a chance the turtle will eat the roots of it, why wouldnt you keep it in the pot for protection?

just my thoughts


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

Because you don't want fiberglass insulation in your tank.
Like you most likely do want to live in an asbestos lined house.
Tiny free floating particles in the water, and the turtle will end up tearing up the pot and the rockwool, possibly ingesting very bad stuff. 
Yes, there are some people that do not remove the pots, buy it is highly recommended to remove the rockwool.


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## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

I have a mud turtle that is mostly carnivorous so I think at least half the plants should make it but she also loves to dig around looking for snails and bugs and it sounds like roots are better tasting. I think I will try potting 2 plants and covering 2 in rocks. I could probably put the plants in a pot and then cover the roots with rocks to keep them more protected from the turtle on the outside of the roots. Then I could cover the top of the pot with moss or sand. If that works I could then cover the pots in rock to look better. Maybe I will leave my anubias in the pail until I see what works best since that is my favorite plant.

I saw something floating in the plant pail and couldn't figure out what it was and now see it is pieces of the rockwool so I'm glad I took it off. I'm sure my turtle would have made a mess of that - everything new gets bitten and taste tested.

Thanks for the help


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

This is Tito, our mud/musk/stinkpot turtle...
He loves to dig and eat roots, not all plants but certain ones are always getting uprooted.
You'll just have to experiment and learn.
They LOVE raw shrimp (keep shell on). I hand feed ours, they also like large carnivore pellets, that I drop in or feed with tweezers. We also put in a bunch of ghost shrimp, for natural foraging, and he will even eat slow or dead feeder fish (so watch out for certain fish... even though this type of turtle is not typically a fish eater they are opportunistic).
Here are a couple links I've found very helpful....
ATP - Care Sheet: Stinkpot (Common Musk)
ATP - Care Sheet: 3-Striped Mud


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Awww,Doc,hes so cute!Look at that face!He looks to be smiling,lol.


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## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

Thanks. Due to ATP Ruby (my turtle) is healthy and happy. I've had her for a year now and I am trying expand to include plants and happy fish. My new tank has a build in fish hide that I think will work well for such a slow turtle. I'll post a picture when I'm done and figure out how to post pictures.


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## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

It worked - too easy


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## Sweetgreenleaf1369 (Jun 24, 2011)

Where did you buy your plants..


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## Brenda (Apr 17, 2011)

Sweetgreenleaf1369 said:


> Where did you buy your plants..


I bought my plants in Calgary, Alberta when I was on holidays. They ranged from $3 to $15 - the expensive ones are beautiful with tons of roots. Otherwise I live up North with virtually no variety of plants.

I would love to know where to buy live plants (or seeds/bulbs) online in Canada if anyone knows of a reputable site.


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## DocPoppi (Mar 4, 2011)

Ruby looks every bit as cute and fun as ours. I got Tito as a rescue. He is so fun and has so much personality. He rarely ever comes out of the water. Just don't get to frustrated as Ruby does her own gardening. Lol
I will PM you a link, that may help you on your quest to get plants in Canada.
Great picture of Ruby, I'd like to see a full pic of the habitat(tank). The little glimpse looks pretty cool.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

That turtle looks like he is posing for that picture.


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