Photo Gallery :: Toku of Destruction

[slider_keeper]

So for those of you that always wonder what a turtle can do to plants flake or alive, here you go!



And this isn't even bad about five mins and I will have everything planted again and then he will uproot it again and I will plant it again and he will, well you get the picture lol. I think it is still so worth having over a barebottom

[slider_keeper]

This is the tank after a spot clean and putting everything back in place, don't worry it won't last lol



Heres some of his tank mates











So there is Toku, Rosey Reds, Ghost Shrimp, Guppies, and Chinese Algae Eaters. Oh and I saw a very tiny snail once but haven't seen him in a while so yeah.

[steve]

Are those all fake plants?

[slider_keeper]

the hornwort is live but thats it, he eats everything else. He has already rearranged the fake plants but they aren't floating yet lol. I saw the little snail so I imagine I will have a billion of them in the near future

[halfshell]

I have java fern in mine, and Donnie hasn't bothered it. We'll see how that goes when he's a lot bigger.

[slider_keeper]

just wait soon you won't be able to have plants in the tank

[penelope]

Been there, done that, and gave up!
She destroyed all live plants!
I gave her fake bamboo and she love it! Now she is bored with it, and it looks like she may be trying to eat it. I'll keep an eye on the plants, filter and poop....but geez!
don't they just seem to love destruction?

PS = please lose the gravel/coarse sand

[slider_keeper]

Is that PS for my setup?!

[penelope]

@slider_keeper
Yeah it was - but I'm looking again...it just looked like it falls between gravel and sand. Looking again, it does in fact look much smaller than gravel - sorry, I retract

[slider_keeper]

Yeah, I was like what I have been using play sand for about 5 yrs now and it is the most natural substrate besides mud that you would find in their natural habitat. In fact in the Rio Grande region, where toku's ancestors are from the river basin is primarly sand bottoms. Good looking out, alot of people have used or are using the wrong substrate for thier setups. I was guilty of it too when I started with my first turtle 10 yrs. ago, the mistakes helps us all learn when we correct them;)

[awkward_turtle]

I have java fern in mine, and Donnie hasn't bothered it. We'll see how that goes when he's a lot bigger.

Update: 2 days later all that's left of my java fern are root balls, I'm surprised it lasted that long.

[slider_keeper]

Yep they are masters at eating all the plants. I think to have a planted natural tank you need a very large custom tank. I'm talking at least 500 gallons for any plants to have a chance at survival. But with that much room you should have a natural looking tank like some of the ponds I have seen in my day. The big City Aquariums also have some very natural looking enclosures for turtles. That is what I'm working for on Toku's big tank. The Chattanooga Aquarium comes to mind when it comes to some of the best aquatic turtle enclosures.

[slider_keeper]

I remember seeing the largest snapping turtle of my life there. It was standing on all four like a bulldog on the bottom, looking out the glass at us spectators! It was really a jaw dropping experince for me!

[devilduck]

I zip tied large river to the bases of my fake plants. Seems to work well so far. Even if they are "re-arranged" they still stay upright

[slider_keeper]

I don't mind I spot clean every week to remove veggie debri