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I'm looking to add some live plants that won't get eaten, but won't be deadly when they are tasted.

My typical long-winded bacground below, but I've had a blue green algae issue in Tobi's tank, that I have under control by periodically turning off th tank light--not the basking light. I think plants in the tank will help.

Tobi's a pig, and she tastes everything placed in the tank, even if its inert. I know there are turtle safe foods she won't eat, because I've tried kale a few times and she does little more than a taste. Any other plants she's been offered have been devoured, though.

Tobi's in a 55 gallon with an ATBA. But, there's also another 55 gallon refugium connected to it. So, there's between 90 and 95 gallons of water. I also have a Fluval 406. The Fluval is set up as recommended here. The refugium has about 2 gallons of biomedia in the inflow area and plants, fish, snails, shrimp and a deep sand bed in the main area.

I still do a 20% water change weekly to replace trace elements, but I'm seeing nitrates at 5 ppm before the water change. I know that's great, but it was once that started happening that I started getting the BGA in Tobi's tank. There's been no issue in the refugium, just the main tank. Based on what I can find online, I think it was the low nitrates that pushed it over. I believe that, combined with the greater nutrient concentration in Tobi's tank is causing my problem.

So, I'd like to try plants in the main tank to suck up some of those nutrients and to shade things. However, I'm certain from experience that anything that is even vaguely tasty won't last 5 minutes. Ideally, I'd like something fast growing, not something like Java moss, which I've read turtles don't like.

Any suggestions or insights welcome.

Don't really know much about plants but there are planted tanks that also have bga so I don't think plants will make much of a difference . You could try a 3 day blackout of your tank to kill the bga.

I think you'll just have to experiment since some tufts will just eat anything. But whatever in my tank that is not eaten is ripped apart.

Would surface agitation help prevent growth?

I do not have any real plants in the turtle tank and I don't test my tank for nitrates, but I'm sure they are pretty high. I have occasional bga on the dock where the lamp shines and on the sides of the tank where the most light hits. I just clean it off during a water change.

Since your tank is connected to a refugium they both should have the same water parameters, the only difference is light. Try reducing or finding ways of shielding areas of your tank from light first. Since BGA is actually bacteria you can try killing it with Maracyn?

What type of plants do you have in there now and how are they growing? They maybe starved of nitrates and being outcompeted by the BGA. You can try decreasing your water changes until your nitrates reach over 15-20ppm or dosing macro ferts.

I keep plants in my refugium. I have a grow light under there for them, as they get bigger i trim them to feed the turts.