Turtles And Fish

[ston3]

Hello,

I'm getting a couple baby yellow ear sliders soon and I was wondering if they can coexist peacefully with a pleco, red tailed shark, and 2 comet tail goldfish in a 30 gallon planted tank. About how big should the fish be so that they will not be eaten by the baby turtles. I'd say their shells have about an inch and a half diameter.

Thanks,
Winston

 

[connorsbala]

Correct me if im wrong but turtles DO need a basking lamp, otherwise their shells will become too soft. They need land to come out onto as they are semi-aquatic and for them to bask on.
I wouldnt chance it with the fish anyway. It doesnt sound like you have an appropriate setup if you dont have any land at least...
They will also eat your plant too. You ned to supplement plant matter in their diet such as Elodea Densa

 

[CFC]

The only turtle species that is safe to be kept with fish is the Fly River Turtle and even then small fish may be eaten, all other species will bite any fish that come near.

 

[Eclecticoldsod]

Basic answer is no. Big or small, fish = terrapin food...

 

[ston3]

Correct me if im wrong but turtles DO need a basking lamp, otherwise their shells will become too soft. They need land to come out onto as they are semi-aquatic and for them to bask on.
I wouldnt chance it with the fish anyway. It doesnt sound like you have an appropriate setup if you dont have any land at least...
They will also eat your plant too. You ned to supplement plant matter in their diet such as Elodea Densa

I'm getting one of those attachments that makes land and it will be well lit. They're really small turtles and I plan on making lots of caves and hiding spots for the fish.

 

[connorsbala]

You can try and get us to say what you want to hear..but the long term answer is no.
Do what you want but we are saying that you SHOULDNT..

 

[Eclecticoldsod]

Hi, ston3. I have been where you are coming from – probably a long time before you were born. Tiny terrapins look wonderful – and are wonderful – but they don't remain 'small' for very long!
If you look after them properly, before you can say: “Oh bugger...!” they are eight inches long, and have outgrown any tank you can provide for 'em..
In America, I could return them to the creek when they got too big – in Britain, I had to give them to the zoo... These are not 'tank creatures' for very long...

 

[ston3]

Thanks for all the help guys and girls

 

[connorsbala]

Its okay...we arent trying to be harsh, just sabing you the agro and heartbrake of having to buy a new tank and losing your fish!

 

[Buslady]

Hello,

I'm getting a couple baby yellow ear sliders soon and I was wondering if they can coexist peacefully with a pleco, red tailed shark, and 2 comet tail goldfish in a 30 gallon planted tank. About how big should the fish be so that they will not be eaten by the baby turtles. I'd say their shells have about an inch and a half diameter.

Thanks,
Winston

First there's no such thing as a "yellow" eared slider. Red ear sliders can have miscolored ear patches though. I had one who had peach colored patches, she was a sweet turtle. Had to adopt 'er out.
#2 - I wouldn't do this. you have to drop the water level a little to install a basking platform and provide a UVB/ heat lamp over it. Then you also need to make it baby turtle proof, in other words make it where they can't get stuck and drown. I just lost one of my hatchlings cos he got stuck & drowned.

#3 they need a different diet from fish, pellet and fresh food.

#4 those turtles, being pond species will get HUGE. like 12 inches long (shell legnth) can you house two HUGE turtles in the future?

In America, I could return them to the creek when they got too big –

This is a very irresponsible thing to say. You can't just chuck a turtle in a creek somewhere. cos if this attitude, there's millions of dumped red ear sliders in the world destroying natural habitats of native turtles and other animals. It's wrong and the turtle gets the bad rap for human stupidity. You're not "returning" them to anything, they're captive born. They never been wild. NEVER RELEASE A CAPTIVE BORN TURTLE EVER.

 

[Eclecticoldsod]

Not an irresponsible thing to say at all! Please do actually read a post before you jump down someone's throat. What I said was: “In America, I could return them to the creek when they got too big...” RETURN was the operative word there.
As a child in California, I would catch baby terrapins, keep them a few months, study them, and then return them to the creek or pond where I found them. Same with tadpoles, lizards, snakes, etc. Every country boy in America did, way back then.
BTW, I have been a professional zoologist for almost 50, and as a fellow of the Zoological Society of London, I don't need telling about conservation...

 

[ston3]

My mistake, I meant yellow bellied slider.

 

[Buslady]

Not an irresponsible thing to say at all! Please do actually read a post before you jump down someone's throat. What I said was: “In America, I could return them to the creek when they got too big...” RETURN was the operative word there.
As a child in California, I would catch baby terrapins, keep them a few months, study them, and then return them to the creek or pond where I found them. Same with tadpoles, lizards, snakes, etc. Every country boy in America did, way back then.
BTW, I have been a professional zoologist for almost 50, and as a fellow of the Zoological Society of London, I don't need telling about conservation...

I'm here IN Ca, there are only a few native species. Western Ponds are protected, you can't keep those without permits.
You can't release Red Ear Sliders anywhere here, it's illegal and irrisponsible. The statement "return the to the creek" is releasing an animal that is in captivity, it could introduce pathogens the wild population can't fight off. Once you capture a turtle, you shouldn't be releasing them IMO - the reason desert tortoises are dying cos of people taking then releasing and introducing a horrid case of RI into the wild populations, killing them off.

Maybe I am misunderstanding but it sounded like taking a captive turtle and dumping them. I just get *really* defensive when it comes to turtles & tortoises.

And whoah hold on there...just country boys huh?
Hmmm okay

I was catchin snakes, turtles, birds, lizards, everything under the SoFla sun back in '79...

 

[Eclecticoldsod]

'79, why you are a spring chicken, Buslady. I was doing my thing in 1948..!
I had not realised that the US was protecting its wild life so well these days – I'm very glad to hear it. We in Britain don't have tortoises or terrapins, but our snakes and lizards are starting to get some protection now – not that it is helping much. Loss of habitat is the main killer here, and sadly all over the world...

 

[Buslady]

'79, why you are a spring chicken, Buslady. I was doing my thing in 1948..!
I had not realised that the US was protecting its wild life so well these days – I'm very glad to hear it. We in Britain don't have tortoises or terrapins, but our snakes and lizards are starting to get some protection now – not that it is helping much. Loss of habitat is the main killer here, and sadly all over the world...

hehehe yeah i'm a youngin'

Drives me nuts hearing about some poor species coming to an end cos of people over eating, killing destroying habitats, etc...i want my future generations see what I had at one time, not in pictures but in real life!