Habitat - Indoor :: Fake plants: Yay or Nay

[Nettle]

I see lots of plastic plants in other people's tanks. I read somewhere that they might try to eat them and get sick. Can I get them faux foliage or not?.

[SpotsMama]

Plastic plants are great. You can choose plants with sturdy leaves and stems rather than the feathery kind - turtles will be less likely to bite a piece off. Almost everyone on here has some fake plants. Turtles like to rip up and eat live plants so they don't work very well - as decorations (some are great as food.) Usually the turtle tries to bite the plastic plant once or twice then realizes it isn't edible and from then on leaves it alone. Turtles do like to hide in or rest on the plastic plants, and they make the tank more interesting and colorful.

[Cramer]

Yay...unless you find pieces in their poop...then it's a stout nay.

[Starchick]

Yeah, they're fine but pick ones with thick leaves and definitely keep a close eye out for the first week or so. I found bites taken out of one kind of plant and removed it, but I have a different one in there now with no problems. I've heard that you don't want to use the silk kind though, as threads going through a digestive tract can be super dangerous.

[Tenodera]

Yea, so make sure the ones you are getting are PLASTIC, STURDY (with no thin, soft parts)
AND DOESN'T USE METAL WIRES inside the plastic.

I have quite a few in my turtle tanks and my turtle loves sleeping or resting in them.

[marisa]

They're fine. I've always used them, usually in combination with live plants, and the turtles can always tell the difference, especially after they've tried to bite them and have gotten nowhere. Don't get plants with tiny pieces (fake anachris comes to mind) that could be eaten if they broke off, and if the plant is going to be submerged, make sure there's no wire in it that could rust (or remove the wire).

I use plastic because they're easier to clean, but some people do use the cloth ones make for aquariums and I've never heard of anyone having a problem with them (again, none with small pieces or wires). I don't think they'd last as long as the plastic ones, though.

[Nettle]

Thanks! Now my turtles won't be quite so naked.