While pellets and commercial food form the base of any pet turtle’s diet, incorporating fresh, safe plants can offer essential vitamins, fiber, and enrichment.

However, choosing the right aquatic plants is crucial. Some plants can be toxic or difficult for your turtle to digest. Here are some of the top picks for safe and edible plants for your aquatic reptile tank, categorized by their care needs:

Low Maintenance:

• Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes): Provides shade, cover, and consumes excess nutrients.
• Duckweed (Lemna minor): Fast-growing floater, good source of protein and fiber.
• Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes): Offers shade, cover, and helps with water quality.
• Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum): Fast-growing floater, offering shade, cover, and a nitrogen source.
• Azolla (Azolla caroliniana): Tiny, free-floating fern, improves water quality and offers protein.
• Water Chestnuts (Eleocharis acicularis): Provides grazing and oxygenates the water.

Moderate Maintenance:

• Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum): Provides hiding spots and grazing, fast-growing, oxygenates water.
• Anacharis (Elodea spp.): Easy to care for, good cover and grazing.
• Water Clover (Marsilea quadrifolia): Attractive, offers visual appeal and food.
• Elodea Bunch Plant (Elodea canadensis): Bushy, offering even more cover and grazing.
• Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana): Stunning with feathery leaves, needs good light and circulation.
• Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis): Versatile, can be grown submerged or emersed, offering cover and grazing in different areas.

High Maintenance:

• Amazon Sword (Echinodorus grisebachii): Beautiful, comes in various sizes and colors, needs moderate to high light and good water quality.
• Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides): Provides excellent cover and grazing, thrives in high light and good flow.
• Crypt Crinum (Crinum thaianum): Unique, requires good water quality and specific nutrients.
• Anubias Nana: Hardy, epiphytic, attaches to rocks or driftwood, low to moderate light.
• Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus): Similar to Anubias Nana, attaches to hardscape, moderate light.
• Red Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea lotus ‘Red Tiger’): Eye-catching, needs high light and a large tank, offers cover for larger reptiles.

Remember:

• Research plant needs and ensure your tank can meet them.
• Monitor your turtle’s behavior and appetite after introducing new plants.
• Remove any plants if your turtle shows signs of illness or discomfort.

Bonus Tip: Include a variety of plant types and textures for a stimulating environment 🙂