fish with turtles

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
No not really. Turtles are solitary animals. You should keep ONE per setup because:

-Easier to house; smaller tank.
-Two turtles can get aggressive, even from feeding hype.
-If one gets ill, so does the other...means twice the vet bill.
-Stress from other turtle can cause one to stop eating.

I appreciate that you want to get into turtles, but please keep only one. So many people buy 4 so they can have a gang called Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Raphael, and it doesn't end well. In multiple turtle setups, the best that can happen is that they tolerate each other. It benefits none of the turtles, as they don't need 'buddies' and it often ends in one being bullied or killed.

Paul
 
paul112;943112; said:
No not really. Turtles are solitary animals. You should keep ONE per setup because:

-Easier to house; smaller tank.
-Two turtles can get aggressive, even from feeding hype.
-If one gets ill, so does the other...means twice the vet bill.
-Stress from other turtle can cause one to stop eating.

I appreciate that you want to get into turtles, but please keep only one. So many people buy 4 so they can have a gang called Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Raphael, and it doesn't end well. In multiple turtle setups, the best that can happen is that they tolerate each other. It benefits none of the turtles, as they don't need 'buddies' and it often ends in one being bullied or killed.

Paul
Click to expand...
plus the huge bio load:)
 
I have a musk turtle (stenotherus) and he does great with my fish. He is slow compared to the average turtle, but still nips fins of the fish. Unless the fish is much larger than the turtle, I don't think it's a good idea. Common musks do not get too big. I have recently aquired mine and he is only 1" long, but he will get up to 4 or 5". These are some of the smallest turtles.

As far as the multiple turtle suggestion, I have seen many tanks with several turtles living happily in them. As long as you have sufficient room and they are of similar size, you should have no problems. Check out this site for info on most turtles (www.austinsturtlepage.com). Let us know what you decide.
 
I would always advise against keeping turtles with fish unless the fish are named Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. I have been keeping turtles for the past 15+ years (many different species) and have tried fish with most of them. The bottom line is if they are too fast they are alright for the time being however even turtles get bored and will bite or chase fish even if they are not hungry. It just isn't worth mixing two things you really like and hoping that they can co-exist, it would be terrible should something happen to either one.
Musk/Mud turtles definitely are some of the "best" canidates for co-habitation with fish as they are not among the greatest swimmers. With that said easy access to the surface (driftwood or submerged "furniture") is vital otherwise drowning is a high risk.
Best of luck to you!
 
Agreed on the softshell part - they are keen on fish. And they don't always do it right away. Sometimes they just let a fish hang out until the turtle decides it's time. But either way, it's just a "meal on wheels" type of deal.
This is true for just about any turtle.
 
my turtle tank http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75730
he has been conexisting with the fish for over a year, but as snappertracker said when they get bored they start chasing fish. Its boring living in a tank of water and rocks. Thats why i experimented with fish. Bullhead cats i had sucess since they come out at night and hide during the day. They are also very quick. I still remember when my friend dropped of 10 of his leftover shinners from fishing. Over night my two turtles killed every one of them. Only ate 2. However the bigger the tank the more swimming room. When i placed them in the 55, i experimented with bluegills. Sunfish are very wary, but need acclimation time. Usually with my turtles, after the first 3days, if the fish is still living, it is fine. They tend to ignore it (unless it becomes sick or dies). However, the other week i placed in a 5 inch chub in the tank. And over night their wasnt a trace.

Best thing is to have hiding places, lots of water, and relatively intelligent and wary fish. (sunfish, small cichlids...i had sucess with convicts)
 
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