# Low-light Tank Start up Questions (Duckweed, anacharis, hornwort)



## ajdelosr (Jul 11, 2010)

Hi All,
I was thinking of starting up a tiny planted tank for the purpose of growing plants to feed my newly acquired red ear slider. I wanted to grow them in a separate tank so that my turtle wouldn't eat all the plants at once, to control his feeding.

My questions I guess is should I do to start a tank up. I'm looking at no bigger than 10 gallons, 5 or less would be ideal, as I'd only be looking to grow the previously mentioned duckweed, anacharis, and hornwort. The pruning would go towards meal time. Do I need to inject co2? Do I need special substrate? I'd like a low maintenance tank as it's only purpose will really be to help feed my turtle and as something else to look at.

Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

having co2 would defeat the purpose of low tech tank, and are you sure you turtle will eat the duckweed, I used to have a lot around a pound and I threw it in the turtle tank with 2 red ear sliders they never touched it.


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## ajdelosr (Jul 11, 2010)

I thought it would be worth a shot to try as they say you should introduce them to as many different foods as possible when they're young. If not, I figured that a low-tech planted aquarium would not cost much anyways.

Regarding these plants, would I need to have special substrate like flourite and the other things I've been reading? What substrate, lighting and equipment could I get away with?


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

keep the cost low, your duckweed and hornwort is naturaly a floating plant no substrate needed just use whatever you have or go bare bottom and plant your anacharis in a plastic cup with some small stones or gravel/sand to keep it down, as for lights your plants are not light depending so anything will do.


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## ajdelosr (Jul 11, 2010)

Good to know, I'll probably just section off part of the tank for the plants to grow without mr turtle being able to get to it. As a sidenote... Anyone have duckweed, anacharis, or hornwort that they wanna give away? I can pick up. East/north end of Toronto (scarborough) preferred, Markham and pickering as well since they're close by.


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## cliff (Aug 30, 2010)

I've got a bunch of duckweed you can have if you pick up (Finch/Islington)


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

If you're going to grow floating plants, you don't need an aquarium -- use a plastic tub or tray or whatever.

If you want to keep the 'farm' in the turtle tank, you could try a plastic basket with some styrofoam to help it float high enough that the turtles can't clamber into it, or set it on something. The plants will flourish on turtle waste. Surface plants like duckweed get CO2 from the air, which is one reason they grow so fast.

Plants are great for water quality -- the faster they grow, the better. You should have a UVB lamp (reptile lamp) for your turtles' baking area. You can use a desklamp or clamp lamp with a CFL to grow teh plants.

The little local pet supply store near me has a couple of big red ears in a huge tank. I bring them duckweed whenever I go to get cat litter there. The turtles love it.


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