Yay Back In The Game

[saltynay]

Been a while. Since I have posted or had a tank for matter of fact. I just got a tiget oscar 3 days ago (cost the equivalent of 4gbp), I also have a pleco (not sure what type yet its some species from a thai river grows to around 3 foot apparently and is good eating according to my friends I plan to either release where I found it when it gets to big or eat it when the time comes). I am considering adding one more critter to my tank and currently thinking a red eared slider or a fly river turtle. I can seem to get much of a result from internet research so hoping for some real world info.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi saltynay

It's good to see you back at TFF. I'll give your thread a bump.

 

[Shred]

Welcome back! Still in Thailand?

 

[star4]

Would not recommend a red eared slider with the plec, they will have a go at it (I have 2 res). Also red ears do prefer shallower water as they get older and need a large basking area. I have seen river fly mixed with fish without problems as these are more aquatic than the red ears,or you could opt for a smaller sort of turtle. I have a mississippi map with some fish, no problems at all. However, with an oscar and a plec and a turtle you are going to have one heavy maintenance tank on your hands. I dont just mean you need loads of filtration, you will need to do really requent waterchanges because of the ammonia produced by the turtle. Turtles are also really messy eaters and you will have lots of waste food to contend with. Especially as you have an oscar too which are also (so I am told) a messy fish. Its hard work keeping turtles and fish together but it can be done.

 

[didz04]

Never knew people actually eat plecs but have heard people in China eating big clown loach. Why don't you go for a yellow Belly slider & start off really small, they grow quicker than you think and got some really funny personalities in the tank, in my experience.

 

[saltynay]

Heya,

Yeah still in Thailand it offers quite different challenges to UK fish keeping, water temperatures in the tank easily reach 38C if not kept in check, rolling black outs, walk in to a shop and ask for a certain species of fish and they look at you blankly even when you use the thai and latin names. Kinda just have to work with there limited stock and ID the fish yourself as often the tanks are not named. The bettas are all amazingly beautiful but kept in small jars and utilised for fighting so mainly plakats. I have seen a couple of gorgeous white crowntails which cost 30thb just under a pound lol. Goldfish are very popular here, god knows how they survive in such high temperatures.

I haven't seen any yellow belly sliders around my area. Just fly river turtles and red eared sliders + another couple of species I am yet to id. Basking area is not really an issue to achieve I have constructed a serious of ramps that covers an A4 area of shallows followed by a ramp to a high area near the lights which is around A3 sized + the temperatures out here nearly eliminate the need for a warm area as everywhere's warm. Filtration doesn't bother me I have built a sand fluidised bed filter + a overflow style filter going through a collection of bioballs, medium stones, gravel, carbon pellets, filter wool. There is also a lotus lilly and anacharis in there however the oscar seems to like only the flower and two leaves of the lilly the rest it shredded. I am utilising a snail population to minimise waste food.