Adding Fish to Turtle Tank

Question
I'm wondering though, have you seen plecos do better in warmer water? My pleco resources say they do well at 68 to 75 degrees and can survive temporary drops, so I figured the 70 degrees would work. But I wanted to ask someone who's kept many of them. Right now mine is quite active and doing a good job of cleaning the glass and I've seen him turn over and share the turtles' veggies. I do believe you that he's probably getting nipped at though--my turtles used to try to get my fingers but have since quit that. But so far he's looking okay. But then again, there's no telling how long it'll be that way huh? One thing--if turtles do that, and are predatory, how do people keep them in koi ponds?

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Followup To

Question -
I am very new to keeping fish. I just got my first one, actually... So I'm asking about care and compatibility.

I have 2, 2-inch long, baby painted turtles in a 5-1/2 gallon tank (when they mature I will move them to a 65 gallon tank).

I just added a 2-inch plecostomus to the 5-1/2 tank to help control algae. I want to make sure my turtle setup is okay for him: I have an undergravel filter. The only accessory I have besides gravel is a branched log (I think it's plastic). The tank gets lots of sun, but I will add a UVB heat lamp in winter. The temperature is around 70 degrees (sometimes lower or higher).

I feed my turtles freeze-dried krill and floating pellets which are made of mostly fish, wheat, rice, and algae material. They also get veggies and fruits (celery and strawberry tops, banana and orange peels, bits of peaches and kiwi, watermelon, carrot, romaine and leaf lettuce, and the like). As they grow I will feed them worms and live shiners.

Will that do for my pleco?

I want to add a more colorful fish. While I am willing to make minor accomodations, I want fish that have the same care needs. I prefer not to have countless bottles of different foods sitting next to the tank.

I am also worried about the turtles snacking on the new fish! I'm sure to feed them well (the turtles) but how do I eliminate the risk? I know turtles prefer fish they can grasp in their mouth, so I need to find species of fish that will be at least 6 inches by the time the turtles mature.

I like color and things that are a little out of the ordinary... Do you have any recommendations as to what kind of fish would fit the picture?

Thank you for any advice!


Answer -
hi, In that case if i were you, i wouldn't add fish with turtles. Fishes need differnt way of care then the turtles.
If you want to keep a fish i would perfer getting a new tank just for a fish.

Hope i helped...

Answer
hi fawn
yes, the correct temperature for toutles is between 70 degrees F and 80 degrees F. Sunlight is necessary for good health for turtles. If possible, turtles should be able to get at least two to four hours of direct sunlight on a basking surface each day. I recommend the use of Vita-Lite bulbs which are very beneficial for the turtles. They should be on for eight to 12 hours each day. These are some helpful tips..

If you want to keep a turtles in a pond, you have to bulid one. The cleaner you keep the pond, the healthier your turtles will be. It is easy to build your own filter. It can be placed in the deep end of the pond to filter and circulate the pool water.

Assembly: Place the container in a flat area in the deep end of the pond with the top above the water line. Place rocks in the bottom of the container to weigh it down. Place the pump in the bottom of the container. Drill an opening for the outlet of the pump in the bottom of the container. Form the wire mesh over the rocks and pump inside the container. Fill the area between the wire mesh and the container with filter floss material. Next place filter floss over the entire wire mesh to form the filter area. Place a second layer of wire mesh over the floss in order to compact the filter. Place a heavy object, such as a rock, on top of the wire mesh to hold it in place.

Some koi pond filters work quite well also.


If you are intested in buliding a koi pond. Let me know, i can help you..

hope i helped