Can a turtle be a tank mate
- Thread starter Dave Merlau
- Start date
-
- Tags
- tank mates turtle
I saw a close to 3ft pacu forsale a couple of days ago.
Guess they get 3ft on average if im not mistaken.
Im currently building a 1600 gallon tank with the intentions of keeping Pacu... but ppl adviced me to better not keep them because they get HUGE.
Guess they get 3ft on average if im not mistaken.
Im currently building a 1600 gallon tank with the intentions of keeping Pacu... but ppl adviced me to better not keep them because they get HUGE.
In my experience you can keep Kinosternidae (musk and mud turtles) species with fish without much trouble. There's always a risk that the turtle will get nippy, but these species are far more interested in carrion (non-living food) or invertebrates than fish. Trionychidae (soft-shell turtles) are a different story.
Kinosternids are also a better fit for a fish tank because they don't need a terrestrial basking area. Most of these species will readily perform heliothermy (if they need to warm up) by floating on the surface and exposing their shell to the heat source. You'll need a relatively calm tank... probably one run on vertical sponge filters or undergravel filters rather than external filters and that doesn't have aggressive fish... fish can also kill a turtle after all.
Kinosternids are also a better fit for a fish tank because they don't need a terrestrial basking area. Most of these species will readily perform heliothermy (if they need to warm up) by floating on the surface and exposing their shell to the heat source. You'll need a relatively calm tank... probably one run on vertical sponge filters or undergravel filters rather than external filters and that doesn't have aggressive fish... fish can also kill a turtle after all.
How long does it take to get that large? I've never seen a captive pacu that large. I might have to start planning yesterday
It doesn't matter if people have raised captive Pacu to that size or not. The photos tell you how large this fish is supposed to get if he's well cared for. What matters is what size your tank should be to keep a Pacu.
MFK has multiple posts you can easily find in a search from people who own (owned) Pacu's in the 20-32+ inch range.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/pacu-growth-rate.256545/
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/pacu-growth-rate.116817/
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/pacu-growth-rate.252273/
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/can-i-get-tank-size-for-red-belly-pacu.394031/
You will find people who raised pacu from 2" to 16-18" inside of one year.
Last edited:
