Anyone keep RES turtle's with their cichlids?

[Irecruitfish]

I don’t have any videos, but I have a picture.
View attachment 1359813
This was right after I moved him in. It took him a little bit to figure out how to get on his dock. And the water was just a tad too high so the bottom suction cups wouldn’t stay on the glass.

That looks so clean and awesome!! Did you cut open that top tank's bottom? I have an extra 10 gallon which I was considering doing some thing to that extent. My canopy would cover the dock area completely which is the downside in terms of visibility.

By the way have you had any issues with gravel and your turtle? I have a bare bottom because from what I read it's risky to keep turtle and gravel together. I ideally wanted to put gravel as I have tons of it at my house.

 

[MrsE88]

That looks so clean and awesome!! Did you cut open that top tank's bottom? I have an extra 10 gallon which I was considering doing some thing to that extent. My canopy would cover the dock area completely which is the downside in terms of visibility.

By the way have you had any issues with gravel and your turtle? I have a bare bottom because from what I read it's risky to keep turtle and gravel together. I ideally wanted to put gravel as I have tons of it at my house.

Thanks
Actually I made the top glass enclosure from glass I had leftover from making my sump. It’s just a bit smaller then a 10g footprint. And shorter so the light wouldn’t t be too far away.

No issues with gavel. His old 40 had sand and he did fine with that too. But now he tends to eat food before it ever reaches the bottom.
With the exception of the food I put out for the pleco. But that’s on a dish off the rock.
I’m so excited I’ve finally got him eating veggies. He has seriously been living off red wigglers and blood worms because he’s so picky. Now him and the pleco share food.

 

[Irecruitfish]

Thanks
Actually I made the top glass enclosure from glass I had leftover from making my sump. It’s just a bit smaller then a 10g footprint. And shorter so the light wouldn’t t be too far away.

No issues with gavel. His old 40 had sand and he did fine with that too. But now he tends to eat food before it ever reaches the bottom.
With the exception of the food I put out for the pleco. But that’s on a dish off the rock.
I’m so excited I’ve finally got him eating veggies. He has seriously been living off red wigglers and blood worms because he’s so picky. Now him and the pleco share food.

Makes sense! I'm going to give gravel a shot then! My turtle is odd he will eat plant leaves which I dump in there from my other tanks(scrapes) but won't eat any veggies. I just feed turtle pellets and sticks. I hear as they get older veggies are very helpful for shell decay so good thing yours is doing that.

 

[MrsE88]

Makes sense! I'm going to give gravel a shot then! My turtle is odd he will eat plant leaves which I dump in there from my other tanks(scrapes) but won't eat any veggies. I just feed turtle pellets and sticks. I hear as they get older veggies are very helpful for shell decay so good thing yours is doing that.

Both my turtles refuse to eat pellets of any kind. I keep trying, but they are stubborn.
At least yours is eating some greens. That’s good. I’m finding turtles to be more challenging with food then fish are.

 

[Chefken]

I keep a young Mata Mata turtle with a 11" Lent pike, 5 SD two 7" plecos and a huge Syndont cat in my 120 gallon. I have a massive rock structure for the turtle to live on as they do not swim well for a completely aquatic turtle. The catfish live in the rocks as well.....

 

[Irecruitfish]

I keep a young Mata Mata turtle with a 11" Lent pike, 5 SD two 7" plecos and a huge Syndont cat in my 120 gallon. I have a massive rock structure for the turtle to live on as they do not swim well for a completely aquatic turtle. The catfish live in the rocks as well.....View attachment 1359924 View attachment 1359925

Just looked up your turtle and thought you had a typo when you said Mata Mata but that's the actual name haha. Very cool never seen anything like that before.

Like that rock structure. So from a quick read these turtle's do not need to bask out of the water?

 

[Chefken]

Just looked up your turtle and thought you had a typo when you said Mata Mata but that's the actual name haha. Very cool never seen anything like that before.

Like that rock structure. So from a quick read these turtle's do not need to bask out of the water?

they do not bask....only leave the water to lay eggs and mine is far from sexually mature. Full grown are 30-40lbs and 18" across the .carapace

 

[Irecruitfish]

they do not bask....only leave the water to lay eggs and mine is far from sexually mature. Full grown are 30-40lbs and 18" across the .carapace

Nice...I'll have to look around for one. I'm reading hey are pricey. If you don't mind me asking how much was yours when you got it smaller?

 

[Chefken]

Nice...I'll have to look around for one. I'm reading hey are pricey. If you don't mind me asking how much was yours when you got it smaller?

Not cheap. 199-299 is what you will pay plus shipping for a baby.

 

[Irecruitfish]

Not cheap. 199-299 is what you will pay plus shipping for a baby.

Holy! Well I'll pass on this mata mata haha. I ended up with a RES because my son wanted one. Thanks for confirming.