I've seen this question posed on here many times and there's so much false info going around.
-Your turtle will kill your fish.
-Water is too deep.
-They won't be happy.
-FRT Turtles are the only that work.
I've been keeping turtles with fish for quite sometime. Now nothing is 100%. Every now and then you will come across someone with casualties. For the most part though...if you go about it right it can and will work. I am going to share a few things that have worked for me.
1) Proper species selection. Some are better suited than others.
Musks/Muds - Perhaps the best choice. Unless you start getting rare non-US varieties they stay small, don't bask much, and can't swim super fast (makes catching fish difficult)
Sliders/Painteds - Red Ears are not the best choice. Some of the smaller sliders like Yellow Bellies (males, are better) work well. Painted's are awesome choices. Only consideration with both varieties is they LOVE to bask.
Pink-Belly's - These are SUPER freaking cool. They remain in the water mostly like Musks/Muds and have unreal coloring. Problem: They get rather large like the softshells.
Softshells - Not a terrible choice. 99% aquatic. Just get them small and make sure they're trained. They hardly ever bask and are active. They do get large though. This is a choice that works but dances on the "dangerous" side.
Bad Choices: Alli and Reg Snappers, Chicken turtles, Map turtles, Red Ear Sliders, Mata Matas (ok if all the fish are bigger than it can swallow), Pond Turtles (spotted, blandings; as they require lots of land)
2) Get CB babies to start. Simple as that. Start with small 1-2" Musk/Muds and 2-3" of the other varieties (max). When you start them small they can be trained. A lot of ppl end up getting sub-adult/adults that are WC. They eat fish in the wild, hence they will eat fish in captivity. Babies raised on chow and shrimp will more than likely not know what to do with a fish. If they grow up with the fish they associate them as part of their habitat.
3) Feeding. NEVER EVER FEED LIVE FISH. Don't feed fish period. Now I am sure the bunny huggers will jump in here and say "Well you're depriving turtles of their natural diet!!!!" Ummm no. Unless its a Mata Mata or Alli Snapper and maybe a softshell they don't normally eat fish. They'll try but more than likely fail on the account of fish are usually much faster than turtles (especially Muds/Musks).
-Turtle Diet
-Krill/Shrimp
-Earthworms
-Some fish foods
Most importantly. KEEP THE TURTLE FED.
4) Acclimating. Fish come first THEN turtle. I don't reccomend adding a bunch of fish and turtle at once. Let the fish settle in to their habitat and then add the turtle. Fish are the more delicate of the two. Its funny. In one of my tanks I have a little troop of 4"-5" clown loaches. They prance around the tank. I added a little 2.5" Yellow Belly slider. They are so adapted they actually school with him. Did it right from the get go
5) Don't crowd. Pretty obvious
6) Lots of furniture. Driftwood, logs, and rock caves. Give the fish LOTS of places to hide and the turtle lots of barriers he must navigate around in the event he decides to target a fish. Don't forget the basking area and basking room for the turtle (obviously).
7) Fish choice. You want something that can live in the same temps and habitat as the turtle. Just note a few things:
- No long flowing fins (bad idea)
- No delicate, soft skinned fish (clown loaches are ok if they're acclimated and on the larger side). Bottom sitting catfish = not good.
- Nothing small that the turtle can eat in one shot
- Nothing that will eat the turtle
Let me list some of my successes (and those of others)
Cichlids (CA/SA)
Larger barbs (tinfoils)
Prochilodus (funny watching them clean the turtles)
Plecos (make sure they have a good area to hide)
And so on.
Hope this helps some ppl.
Feel free to post success stories and pics as well.
-Your turtle will kill your fish.
-Water is too deep.
-They won't be happy.
-FRT Turtles are the only that work.
I've been keeping turtles with fish for quite sometime. Now nothing is 100%. Every now and then you will come across someone with casualties. For the most part though...if you go about it right it can and will work. I am going to share a few things that have worked for me.
1) Proper species selection. Some are better suited than others.
Musks/Muds - Perhaps the best choice. Unless you start getting rare non-US varieties they stay small, don't bask much, and can't swim super fast (makes catching fish difficult)
Sliders/Painteds - Red Ears are not the best choice. Some of the smaller sliders like Yellow Bellies (males, are better) work well. Painted's are awesome choices. Only consideration with both varieties is they LOVE to bask.
Pink-Belly's - These are SUPER freaking cool. They remain in the water mostly like Musks/Muds and have unreal coloring. Problem: They get rather large like the softshells.
Softshells - Not a terrible choice. 99% aquatic. Just get them small and make sure they're trained. They hardly ever bask and are active. They do get large though. This is a choice that works but dances on the "dangerous" side.
Bad Choices: Alli and Reg Snappers, Chicken turtles, Map turtles, Red Ear Sliders, Mata Matas (ok if all the fish are bigger than it can swallow), Pond Turtles (spotted, blandings; as they require lots of land)
2) Get CB babies to start. Simple as that. Start with small 1-2" Musk/Muds and 2-3" of the other varieties (max). When you start them small they can be trained. A lot of ppl end up getting sub-adult/adults that are WC. They eat fish in the wild, hence they will eat fish in captivity. Babies raised on chow and shrimp will more than likely not know what to do with a fish. If they grow up with the fish they associate them as part of their habitat.
3) Feeding. NEVER EVER FEED LIVE FISH. Don't feed fish period. Now I am sure the bunny huggers will jump in here and say "Well you're depriving turtles of their natural diet!!!!" Ummm no. Unless its a Mata Mata or Alli Snapper and maybe a softshell they don't normally eat fish. They'll try but more than likely fail on the account of fish are usually much faster than turtles (especially Muds/Musks).
-Turtle Diet
-Krill/Shrimp
-Earthworms
-Some fish foods
Most importantly. KEEP THE TURTLE FED.
4) Acclimating. Fish come first THEN turtle. I don't reccomend adding a bunch of fish and turtle at once. Let the fish settle in to their habitat and then add the turtle. Fish are the more delicate of the two. Its funny. In one of my tanks I have a little troop of 4"-5" clown loaches. They prance around the tank. I added a little 2.5" Yellow Belly slider. They are so adapted they actually school with him. Did it right from the get go
5) Don't crowd. Pretty obvious
6) Lots of furniture. Driftwood, logs, and rock caves. Give the fish LOTS of places to hide and the turtle lots of barriers he must navigate around in the event he decides to target a fish. Don't forget the basking area and basking room for the turtle (obviously).
7) Fish choice. You want something that can live in the same temps and habitat as the turtle. Just note a few things:
- No long flowing fins (bad idea)
- No delicate, soft skinned fish (clown loaches are ok if they're acclimated and on the larger side). Bottom sitting catfish = not good.
- Nothing small that the turtle can eat in one shot
- Nothing that will eat the turtle
Let me list some of my successes (and those of others)
Cichlids (CA/SA)
Larger barbs (tinfoils)
Prochilodus (funny watching them clean the turtles)
Plecos (make sure they have a good area to hide)
And so on.
Hope this helps some ppl.
Feel free to post success stories and pics as well.
