This is why you don't keep turtles with rays!!

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jim barry

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Jun 21, 2006
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U.K
Those of you that know of me may remember i used to keep a chinese soft shell with my rays. I always knew that there was mixed feelings about this and i was never sure whether to keep the turtle or not. Anyway, as the turtle got bigger (around 10" shell) i realised i had a female. For the best interest of the turtle i sold her as i could not give her the basking space she needed to come out of the water and i did not want to chance her becoming egg bound. If it was a male i would probably still have the turtle now as it was such a character and we all missed her when she went. She went to a great new home and the guy gave her all she needed. But i think in doing this the turtle may have become teritorial. As a result the owner came home to this!!
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I could not believe my eyes when i saw thie pics. To think i would have kept the turtle had it been a male. Luckily for the turtle the owner is very forgiving and has provided her a tank by herself.
He lost a wolf fish, a 10" ray and a bass. At first he told me he thought the wolf fish was doing the damage until he found that chewed up. Then realised it was not the wolf but was too late to save the ray.

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Sad,seems like it's pretty much a matter of time before a nice sized turtle starts to clean house in a tank.
 
I used to love watching this turtle swim around the tank and feed with the rays. She never showed any agresion to any of the rays or other fish. But i kept her very well fed and always fed her first, one whole mussel in an effort to keep her busy whilst the rays had their fill. Having said that i did find she was getting harder and harder to satisfy with food. In the couple of months leading up to selling her she would eat the mussel down very quickly then move over to the rays and pinch their food. I guess as she got bigger so did her appitite!
 
So what's the guy going to do with the turtle now?
 
Oh...guess I because I was so aghast at those photos I missed that item.
 
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