The Dallas World Aquarium has a beautiful "flooded rainforest" display where leos and motoros live along side the yellow spotted amazon turtle. They've shared the same aquarium there for years. Has anyone tried this in their home? What about softshelled turtles?
stingray with turtles?
- Thread starter sixpack_ey
- Start date
Well, this is at a really nice public aquarium, so I guess they can afford it. Miguel, the aquarium is huge, probably 12 ft long, 8 ft wide and 3 ft deep. They've been in there ever since I've been going, at least 5 years. They are the healthiest looking rays I've ever seen. Theres limited pictures on thier website. http://www.dwazoo.com/default.html is the home site. Anyways, its an awesome place, if your ever in the area I suggest you go.
I have had a chinese softshell with my rays for years and never had any problems. Chinese softshell only get about 12" compared to florida and other ones that can reach 50lbs and get huge and very aggressive. I think it really depends on the turtle and his behavior. It can be done but my rays were over 14"-20" with a much smaller turtle.
They are often mixed in public aquariums, but I think you would need a pretty large space with very good filtration for it to work out well at home. I would not try it with a sort shell- they tend to be pretty nippy. If I was going to try to mix a turtle with a ray at home I would get a Podocnemis erythrocephala. They are the smallest Podoc (and the prettiest in my opinion), and this genus is pretty herbivorous. If you get a male it should stay a more manageable size. They are CITES listed like all the other Podocs. Legal imports do come in sometimes, but they do tend to have a pretty high price tag, usually $1000-1500.
Just have to remember a single bite from a turtle could be pretty destructive, especially if it doesnt want to let go. Ive seen a red ear clamp on a tail (not tail fin) of a 13" red devil and take out a big chunk. Im sure a ray is much softer and easier to bite through.