Keeping fish with turtles?

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

I posted a topic about this earlier, but I didn't get the answer i wanted. My family has a 55 gallon tank with 4 African Cichlids in it(though they're planning on getting more in the futer). My mississilpi map turtle is in a 10 gallon tank and is starting to outgrow it. My turtle is 2 inches long, and the fish range in size from 1 and a half-2 inches long. I was thinking about putting my turtle dock and light in the tank, and my turtle could live with them. I know that people usually don't reccomend this, but there are plenty of hiding spots, and lots of room. Is there anything that I can do that could make the outcome any better? And how big do the fish have to be for my turtle not to be able to eat them(I am aware that he may nip the fish)? Any suggestions? Thanks!!

 

[dmmj]

A turtle will try and eat any size fish, they will take chunks out of the fish as they swim by, the good news is they don't expend a lot of energy doing this, they may chase for a second or two but the quickly lose interest. I would suggest some type of hiding place for the fish, that the turtle can't get into.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Well, for the record, I advise against keeping pet turtles and pet fish in the same aquarium, due to the risk of predation. I also advise against this particular combination, because map turtles are temperate animals, and cichlids are tropical, so although their environmental conditions overlap, they are not completely the same. Moreover, depending on the type of cichlid, both they and the turtle should have a minimum of 75 gallons, and not just 55 gallons. Also, the problem with keeping predator and prey together is, even if the fish don't get eaten, they could still get stressed out in the long run, get sick, and die anyway. Finally, even if the fish live a long time, their behavior might be less outgoing with a predator around. With all those caveats said, if you must do it, here is my advice.

As a general rule, aquarists may be able to get away with keeping predatory animals together with prey animals by keeping the predators well-fed. If the predator is not as hungry, he is less likely to eat his tank mates. That might help.

Also, remember to give your turtle a dry space to bask on as well. Not only do turtles require this anyway, but if he's not in the water, he can't eat the fish.

Finally, make sure there are plenty of hiding spaces, especially those that are large enough to allow the fish through, but not large enough to allow the turtle through. If your African cichlids are mbuna (rock-dwelling lake fish, as opposed to open-water or river fish), then you need to decorate with rocks anyway, which the cichlids naturally use as shelter. If you use volcanic rock with holes in it, or pack them fairly close together, they will form natural caves for your fish that the turtle will have a tough time fitting into, although depending on the crevice, he may be able to stick his head in there.

If your African cichlids are river fish (which tolerate more acidic conditions), you could decorate with driftwood and maybe even plants. This might make for fewer crevices, but it may still provide enough shelter for them to hide in. It will also be more natural for the map turtle, which is also a river animal. Don't pack decorations too tightly, tough, and don't use any rocks or wood with sharp edges, because the turtle and even the fish might get trapped or hurt on them.

Hope that helps. Don't say I didn't warn you.

 

[Neltharion]

When I kept African Cichlids, I had a lot of rockwork and cave like structures. This helped keep the aggression down among the mbuna with a lot of hiding spaces. This might help protect the fish and help them get away when being chased. Be careful though of small crevices that the turtle could get stuck in. Plants in the tank, and keeping the turtle well fed will also help.

For now, the fish are probably safe with turtle, but won't be in the future. Aside from outdoor ponds where the koi or catfish were larger than the turtles, I've never heard of anyone successfully keeping turtles with fish long term; without the fish getting nipped and eventually eaten.

 

[jonathan512]

My biggest dbt is about 2" and my plecos is 4" none of my dbts mess with Oscar the plecos becouse hes so big ,so I'd say the fish would have to be double the size of the turtle to be safe but u can try it out and c how it goes maybe he won't mess with them since they're close to his size ,if he does well then maybe u should move out the fish or turtle .up 2 u

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Yes, we do gave the rocks with holes in them, as well as other hiding spots. My parents don't want to let me put my turtle in there, anyway, but i just bought the guy 2 weeks ago, so I'd rather not have to upgrade already! Also, I don't have room for another large tank in my house. Do you think they're is anything that I can say that could convince them to let me put the turtle in there?

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Yes, we do gave the rocks with holes in them, as well as other hiding spots. My parents don't want to let me put my turtle in there, anyway, but i just bought the guy 2 weeks ago, so I'd rather not have to upgrade already! Also, I don't have room for another large tank in my house. Do you think they're is anything that I can say that could convince them to let me put the turtle in there?

Yes, tell them that fish are very nutritious for turtles!

Sorry, don't mean to be flippant. I don't know how attached your folks are to their aquarium fish. But I think anybody mixing fish and turtles in an aquarium should realize that the turtle may benefit from the mix, albeit to the detriment of the fish.

If it were me, I would be upfront about it. I'd tell them that, although there is a risk of the turtle eating the fish, if he doesn't, it could make for a very cool setup.

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Yes, we do gave the rocks with holes in them, as well as other hiding spots. My parents don't want to let me put my turtle in there, anyway, but i just bought the guy 2 weeks ago, so I'd rather not have to upgrade already! Also, I don't have room for another large tank in my house. Do you think they're is anything that I can say that could convince them to let me put the turtle in there?

Yes, tell them that fish are very nutritious for turtles!

Sorry, don't mean to be flippant. I don't know how attached your folks are to their aquarium fish. But I think anybody mixing fish and turtles in an aquarium should realize that the turtle may benefit from the mix, albeit to the detriment of the fish.

My parents honestly don't care about my turtle. They only let me have it because I payed. Lol.

I'm thinking that if I wait a year maximum, then the cichlids will be too big for the turtle to eat. Nipping is a different story, but if I buy a few fish and put them in the tank with him, I can raise him to get used to it.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

My parents honestly don't care about my turtle. They only let me have it because I payed. Lol.

I'm thinking that if I wait a year maximum, then the cichlids will be too big for the turtle to eat. Nipping is a different story, but if I buy a few fish and put them in the tank with him, I can raise him to get used to it.

The trouble is, he's only in a 10-gallon tank now. I have never kept aquatic turtles (only boxies and tortoises, as well as fish and amphibians), but I would think 10 gallons is too small for all but the youngest of turtles. My friend had a medium-sized red-eared slider in a 10 gallon tank for a while, but it didn't live particularly long, and I have to wonder if the small size of the tank had something to do with it. Maybe those with more experience can chime in, but I wouldn't do it.

As for getting him used to fish, I've found animals can get used to a particular individual of a type they would normally eat, but that usually doesn't mean they will generalize to other individuals. In other words, if you turtle tolerates, say, a guppy in his tank (fat chance), he still probably wouldn't tolerate other guppies, let alone fishes from other species.

Also, 10 gallons is so small, there isn't really room for more animals in there. Only small fish, like guppies, which would normally be prey anyway.

The way I see it, this guy will need a bigger tank in the near future. If that has to be the family aquarium, so be it. If not, maybe you can get away with only getting something like a 20-, 29-, or 30-gallon aquarium for now, and upgrade later on. Might even be able to sell or trade in unwanted equipment so you can afford something bigger.

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

I completely agree- 10 gallons is way too small for him to be happy. My friend has two 12-inch sliders in a 30 gallon tank with no light and a dock that is far too small for them, and she's had them for 10 years. I guess she just got lucky, but it really does make me angry what shes done to these animals. Don't even get me started about her other pets! I just really can't afford to buy a separate tank at the moment, to be honest. I am 13 years old. I will save up for a 50 gallon storage bin from Home Depot if I have to. I'm still trying to convince my parents, but you know how they are! I had a dream that my turtle lived on the tank and was fine last night.Lol!

 

[wellington]

At the very least. Buy him a bigger home. A tub from home depot would be good. Get the largest they have. At least that way he will be happy until you can get him in the aquarium, which I also know is a bad idea

 

[ripper7777777]

Yea, I wouldn't put the turtle in with fish I cared about, I have two painted in with mollies and platies and a ton of babies and those little buggers don't ever bother eating or trying to eat any of them, but I'm sure as the turtles get bigger that will change.

I would ask your parents to ask their friends and family for any extra plastic tubs, otherwise check craigslist for a 20 gallon long or larger. Just keep in mind the more he grows the more space he needs.

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Yeah, craigslist has been my friend lately. Lol. I think my turtle would be happier in the 55 gal tank, but I'm not sure if the fish and my parents will be happy! Lol.

 

[Turtleswagg]

i have 4 RES n none of them mess with the plecos i hav le n the RES n plecos get along fine (plecos dont swim much). id put the map in for 30mins-1hour n observe them together but thats jut me

 

[morloch]

Give it time,,, seen it too many times,, you will come home to fish spines! Sorry,,, but it's their natural instinct!

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

So, when my parents aren't home I can just put my turtle in there for a few minutes and see what happens?? Lol.

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

This is the 55 gal tank with the 4 African cichlids.

 

[Turtleswagg]

cool, its like mine

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Cool!

 

[dmmj]

I don't and won't keep pet fish with my water turtles. Even if they don't get eaten, I can't imagine they would live a good life, being chased as food. But it is your choice either way.