Turtles in tropical aquarium ?

[aterese]

Hi folks,

First post, but long time lurker

I am setting up a new 5ft aquarium.

I am eager since the size allows to add a turtle but I am not sure of the differing requirements between tropical fish (cichlids) and turtles.

I realise that turtles will make a mess and possibly attack some fish....so I've got plenty of room, lots of dedicated ornaments for hiding etc and doubled the filtration system.

I have a floating turtle dock....but that's as much as I have prepared.

I need to know what basking light is essential for the turtle (if at all) and can I get this separate and sit it just over the turtle dock ? Will it affect the rest of the aquarium habitate at all ?

Can turtles survive in an aquarium without the basking lamp and just normal aquarium florescent lights...and what vitamins must I then add (eg. D) to the water. Will the vitamins added affect my tropical fish.

I know others have mixed and I just need to understand how you can accomplish it without jeopardising the turtle or the fish.

PS. Still to add the turtle and fish once the tank has stabilised (new). So freedom at this stage to decide order of adding and what type of fish will be most compatible.

I would appreciate ANY advice, including what breeds of turtle I should look for (QLD).

 

[Kirby]

he WILL eat your fish, no doubt about it.

cichlids have a higher PH then necessary for say a turtle. on the other hand, the extreme amount of waste the turtle will excrete will attack your filter, and alter your amonia levels etc. and probably kill those fish too fast to be eaten.

scrap the fish, and go the turtle. he will also destroy and knock over your ornaments, and eat all your plants..

you dont add vitamins to the water, he NEEDS a heat lamp, and a uvb tube (reptisun 10.0)

not to mentionthe fact that the turtle would rather be around 22-24 C and your cichlids around 26 C




most breeds of turtle will need an outdoor pond when fully grown, unless you want to opt. for a 6-8ft tank that is 2 foot deep and wide.

 

[aterese]

Sounds like I can't pull off the mix then.

Since the tanks is my partners for a tropical setup....turtle won't win out

I was going to have only heavy ornaments (for fish to hide) and artificial plants.

 

[Emzie]

i house my turtles with fish but i buy the fish for the turtle to eat so a bit different, if you want the fish to live the dont house them together and as kirby said they need uv and heat light

 

[cris]

Get a short neck species, they are fine with most fish given enough space and a sutatble habitat. It would be very unlikely for one to catch a fish, i have never lost a single fish unexpectedly to a turtle.

The can survive without a basking spot(they do definately nee land though) but it is a good idea to have one with a UVb light, a mecury vapour bulb over the basking spot will cover everything.

 

[Ristof]

I have keeped short necks in with gold fish and they have been fine
At the moment they are out in the pond - a mixture of 2 turts and about 15 gold fish

I would also think that some cichlids being aggressive to anything else in the tank could cause harm to the turt

 

[gillsy]

he WILL eat your fish, no doubt about it.

cichlids have a higher PH then necessary for say a turtle. on the other hand, the extreme amount of waste the turtle will excrete will attack your filter, and alter your amonia levels etc. and probably kill those fish too fast to be eaten.

Depending on cichlids, it's the same water conditions. Chiclids live in almost every freshwater habitat and water conditions available and some live in brackish. So that is a bit of a generalisation.

Also i'd be more worried that the territorial cichlids will attack your fish.

What type cichlids are you getting

 

[fuegan13]

Depending on cichlids, it's the same water conditions. Chiclids live in almost every freshwater habitat and water conditions available and some live in brackish. So that is a bit of a generalisation.

Also i'd be more worried that the territorial cichlids will attack your fish.

What type cichlids are you getting

i agree. it depends on the cichlids.

i kept peacocks and electric yellows for years and personally found them to be very tolerant of a wide range of pH and temps...

and i havent kept turtles, but from keeping cichlids id be worried about the turtle not the fish if its a baby turtle, i had my male peacock kill an angel fish that was about 3 times its size

 

[gillsy]

Yeah you alooking at aggressive africans against a non aggressive american.

Really shouldn't be together.

Anyhow name what fish your getting and we can give you a better idea.

Eg Kribensis will be fine, but i wouldn't put a devil cichlid in, I'd put discus in just because I hate discus lol.

 

[largeheaded1]

yea i was housing three turtles in a 6 foot display with american cichlids and they were fine. Jus depends on the type of cichlid. They were more aggressive, salvini and jack dempsey etc.

I now have the same 3 and another one in with a few americans but mainly natives and they are fine. They love when I put gold fish in!

Beleive it or not I have 3 clown loaches in with the turtles as well, they were in an ornament i moved to the turtle tank and not knowing, 2 days later they were swimming around happy as larry and they have never even been nipped.

Trial and error is how most new fish keepers learn, you will soon understand.

People say all this stuff about turtles being messy and stuff, for a four foot tank I only had 2 internals running for a while with crystal clear water! It will be messy if you dont do water changes and another tip, I feed them outside the tank in a bucket that way you can throw the messy water away and it wont be in your tank.

They dont NEED a basking light.

 

[gillsy]

I have turtles in with keelbacks so anything is possible.

 

[-Peter]

Really, its not a matter of need its a matter of what your willing to supply. Theres a difference between what they can survive on and what they can thrive on.
Give them a basking light and everything that they require to thrive.
Sure they can survive with out UV, sure they can survive on mince and sure they can survive without a basking light but who would want to raise turtles with poor bone and carapace developement, calcified organs and shorter life spans.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/AustralianFreshwaterTurtlesandFrogs/

 

[largeheaded1]

yea i would higly recommend a UV light, and it cant be going through glass it has to be on them!

 

[Emzie]

yea i was housing three turtles in a 6 foot display with american cichlids and they were fine. Jus depends on the type of cichlid. They were more aggressive, salvini and jack dempsey etc.

I now have the same 3 and another one in with a few americans but mainly natives and they are fine. They love when I put gold fish in!

Beleive it or not I have 3 clown loaches in with the turtles as well, they were in an ornament i moved to the turtle tank and not knowing, 2 days later they were swimming around happy as larry and they have never even been nipped.

Trial and error is how most new fish keepers learn, you will soon understand.

People say all this stuff about turtles being messy and stuff, for a four foot tank I only had 2 internals running for a while with crystal clear water! It will be messy if you dont do water changes and another tip, I feed them outside the tank in a bucket that way you can throw the messy water away and it wont be in your tank.

They dont NEED a basking light.

really mine get real messy im cleaning the tank every week and have a top quality filter.

feeding them out side the tank is the best idea ever cant believe i never thought it since thats where most the mess is from

 

[largeheaded1]

haha yea emzie, i jus put them in a lil tank or bucket and u normally kno when they are finished cause they will try and get out

they stil do quite decent poos but nothing a good filter cant handle!

if ya feed feeder fish like goldfish or something and there is any scraps make sure you take them out straight away as well as that will make the water dirty also

 

[Kirby]

really mine get real messy im cleaning the tank every week and have a top quality filter.

feeding them out side the tank is the best idea ever cant believe i never thought it since thats where most the mess is from

they make just as much mess eating as they do defecating. feeding in a tub only eradicates half the problem..

as for PH levels, i work in an aquarium, you need a whole different ph test when testing cichlid water as its off the chart on a normal ph test.

yes, some fish may cope in lower ph, but again, some snakes 'cope' without heat... its not good for them tho is it?

 

[aterese]

still hoping, feedback on choice ?

:lol: Here is a snapshot of what I've researched and hope might mix:

Please be open about what species are definite NO NOs.

I'd love a discus or a oscar, or large gournami, but I have pretty much gathered it won't be possible due to eating fish/aggression.

I would love small fish that breed but I'm wondering how many will survive not being eaten.

Setup summary:

5ft tank, external 1200l filter, internal 1800l filter, 300watt heater, 4ft light (but glass lids between). Plenty of logs, plants, rocks for dedicated shelter for catfish, loaches, cichlids and the small fish.

I'm very appreciative of this forum and the replies...please do feel free to comment on what I've narrowed down and tell me if I'm missing out on obvious opportunities for other species that are non-aggressive.

 

[gillsy]

Discus will be fine, they're not aggressive unless breeding (generally)

All yoru americans are some of the most aggressive you can get so no to those.

The africans aren't much better either.

Scats will destroy your plants within two days, they're vegetarians. Same with silver dollars.

All your other fish are fine, i would keep away from the knife's as they produce an electrical current not sure what they'd do to your turtles.

And the khulii's may get eaten and the turts could get the spines caught.

The small fish are all fine, but you may loose a few every now and then. But they're all quite fash swimmig fish so should only be on the odd occassion.

 

[gillsy]

Oh the clowns i woudln't keep in any less than 5.

They look better, are happier and are fun to watch.

 

[gillsy]

And plus the africans and americans shouldn't be kept together.