Turtle Combo?

[pacu22]

Can I keep a mata mata and a chinese soft-shell both around 5" together? The tank I have is 180 gallons

 

[methos75]

I would say no, The Chinese Softshell needs water much deeper than what is commonly thought of as safe for a Matamata and the Matamata requires water that has a lower PH balance than what might be comfortable for the Softshell.

 

[EricIvins]

I would say no, The Chinese Softshell needs water much deeper than what is commonly thought of as safe for a Matamata and the Matamata requires water that has a lower PH balance than what might be comfortable for the Softshell.

Keeping a Softshell with anything else is just asking for problems.......

However, all the Matas I've brought in from Guyana were caught mid-river, in water atleast 12ft deep as by catch from the Fisherman.......

 

[shenamonster]

i kept my soft shell along with a map turtle pleco and jack dempsey in a tank all together. they were all babies and got along together just fine. especially the two turtles. the only problem was that the pleco sucked on the soft shells outer rim and ever since that day, she started acting weird and distant, and about a month or two later (tops) she passed.
i would think it would be okay to keep the soft shell and matamata together. the mata mata isn't a hunter and doesn't need as big of a space as most others. but it would be better to be safe than sorry.

 

[pacu22]

Thanks for the input! I have the soft-shell in a 180 by himself and was just wanting to save space, but I do have a 60 empty at the moment, I will just use that to be on the safe side.
Thanks again

 

[firebellied man]

Yup! Mata-matas tend to hang out in shallow water. You could do it, but it isn't the greatest combo.

 

[Z Trip]

Yup! Mata-matas tend to hang out in shallow water. You could do it, but it isn't the greatest combo.

Seriously? When will people understand tha this is not true. Mata-matas are commonly found in water over 10 feet deep.... Not shallow at all in my book.

 

[methos75]

Seriously? When will people understand tha this is not true. Mata-matas are commonly found in water over 10 feet deep.... Not shallow at all in my book.

Problem is that in captivity they do seem to do better in shallow water than they do deeper water, I mean seriously in the Wild Common Snappers and Mud turtles can be found in Septic Tanks and open Sewage Ditches, doesn't mean its healthy to keep them in such conditions in captivity.

 

[EricIvins]

Problem is that in captivity they do seem to do better in shallow water than they do deeper water, I mean seriously in the Wild Common Snappers and Mud turtles can be found in Septic Tanks and open Sewage Ditches, doesn't mean its healthy to keep them in such conditions in captivity.

Really? I do beg to differ........

How deep have you kept Matas before?

 

[methos75]

Really? I do beg to differ........

How deep have you kept Matas before?

Well we both know that I am going strictly off what is stated in research about Captive Matamata's and what they seem to respond better to in captivity, every turtle is going to have be a bit different and success in the past doesn't mean that is going to work for the whole. I mean I keep a AST in a deep Water tank which is a big no no too many and he gets along great in it, but that is just him, I know other keepers who have had AST's drown in half the water depth I use. There are no hard and fast rules here, just commonality such as with the Matamata in which most experts like Gurley find are better kept in shallow water