What kind of animal can I put in the tank with my turtle.?

Question

I have this huge tank and it needs something else and I dont want another turtle

Answer 1

Keep in mind you turtle will eat or mutilate any fish you add in. The fish it eats could be caring bacteria or the turtle could give your fish bacteria. Why not just add some more basking areas and plants to your tank. And keep in mind you turtle will grow very quickly and will need more and more room. Here is some other helpful info:

Diet
Red eared sliders are omnivores, meaning they eat a mixture of animal and plant material. Younger turtles are more carnivorous (eat more animal protein) than adults, though. Juveniles should be fed daily, but adults can be fed every 2-3 days.

Turtles can be fed a mixture of prepared commercial food and fresh food. Special food formulated for turtles can be used, but this should only make up about 25% of the total diet. The proportions of fresh supplements will depend on the age of the turtle, but can include live feeder fish, earthworms, crickets, waxworms, bloodworms, aquatic snails, fresh greens (collard, mustard and dandelion greens, and dark leafy lettuces but never head lettuce), aquatic plants, and shredded vegetables

A good quality complete reptile vitamin and mineral supplement should be added to the food once or twice a week. In addition, extra calcium can be provided by giving turtles a cuttlebone (break into pieces and float in the water) or calcium block to nibble on.

Red eared slider turtles are semi-aquatic and spend a significant amount of time basking, so need a tank that provides both water for swimming and an area where they can get out of the water for basking. A 20 gallon tank is considered a minimum, though larger turtles will need a larger tank to provide ample swimming room (see below) so even if you have a smaller turtle you might want to invest in a larger tank to allow room to grow. You do not need to use an aquarium though - large plastic containers or storage tubs are fine as long as you don't mind not being able to view the turtles from the side. As long as the tank is tall enough and the basking area is positioned so that the turtles can't climb out you won't need a lid.

The basking area can be provided by stacking smooth rocks, sloping smooth large gravel to one side to make a land area, or using wood (fixed or floating).

However you design the tank though, keep in mind that turtles are messy and you will need to clean the tank frequently. No gravel is required in the tank but if you choose to use it make sure it is large enough that it won't be accidentally eaten.
{b]Water and Filters{/b}
Red eared sliders need an adequate amount of water to move about and swim a bit. You can judge if there is enough water by looking at the length of your turtle. The water should be at least 1.5 to 2 times as deep as your turtle is long (so a 4 inch turtle should have a minimum depth of 6 inches). The length of the water area should be 4-5 times the length of the turtle, and the width should be at least 2-3 times the length of the turtle.

Between feeding and defecating, turtles are pretty messy creatures. A turtle tank should include a good filtration system such as a power filter or canister filter, or an undergravel filter system. Filtration will reduce the frequency of water changes, but your turtles will still require 25% water changes weekly and a thorough cleaning once a month or more. It is best to feed your turtle in a separate container to minimize the mess in the tank and reduce the load on the filtration system.

Heat
A submersible heater should be used to keep the water at 75-86 degrees F. Get a good aquarium thermometer and monitor the water temperature. Turtles will want to investigate the heater so turtle proof it by placing it behind something so the turtles can't bump or move it (a broken heater is a potentially lethal situation). For turtles determined to play with or bump the heater, a reader submitted a great suggestion: place the heater inside a section of PVC pipe. Choose a piece with a diameter wider than the heater and a bit longer than the heater, and drill many holes in the sides of the pipe to allow water circulation past the heater.

A heated basking spot should also be provided in the area provided for the turtle to get out of the water. An incandescent bulb or spotlight can serve this purpose, but make sure there is no way the turtle can touch the light or that the light can fall into the water. The temperature at the basking spot should be 85-88 F. Watch the water temperature when the basking light is on as it may heat the water.

The ambient air temperature around the tank should ideally be about 75 F. If the turtle's room is cooler than this you should provide extra heat in the tank area. A ceramic heat element used near the tank works well for this purpose since it can be left on day and night.

Light
In addition to the basking light, a full spectrum reptile UVA/UVB light should be provided. Exposure to UVA/UVB is necessary for proper calcium metabolism, and also appears to have other benefits to overall health such as improving appetite. It is also nice to take your turtle out into natural sunlight in warmer weather.

Answer 2

Ok, I would start by saying what I have that hasn't been eaten.....

5 silver dollars, 3 rainbow sharks, 6 neon tetras(if they arent fast enough they do make a good snack, I used to have 13), 3 mollies, 2 gold fish, tons of ghost shrimp, a pleco.

I noticed that Hachi(my western painted turtle) wont eat anything he cant swallow whole. He loves the neons, though, so I wouldn't suggest buying them as they are an expensive snack. You can basically add any fish and get away with it. At least I have.

Another choice is tadpoles, but they are a VERY tasty snack lol.

Good luck finding a tank mate ^.^

Answer 3

If you have a huge tank, I recommend getting creative. Get some live plants, they look better than fake, and introduce all kinds of new challenges. It could be a lot of fun. I have several live planted tanks and terrariums, and they are very rewarding.

Turtles are questionable with companionship, they can be territorial, destructive, and can and will kill or mutilate just about anything smaller than it is. You might be able to get away with a bull frog, but you would have to watch to be sure that your turtle and the frog are eating properly, the frog is a voracious feeder, and will steal live food from your turtle.

Answer 4

There are a lot of good answers down there, so I'll try to keep it simple.

Turtles will eat just about anything. I've had everything from gold fish to puffer fish to tadpoles in my tank, and they've all been eaten. (It is fascinating to watch!)

When I got my first turtle, I also got a parrot-chiclid. He is very aggressive and wouldn't be good in a regular fish tank. The turtle has left him alone because he's so aggressive. The cichlid can pick on the turtle, and does, often chasing him around the tank. But he can't hurt him. He can be as aggressive as he likes and the turtle just ignores him. (There are now two turles in the tank w. the cichlid). It's fun to watch and the cichlid adds color to the tank.

I'd recommend getting something near in size to your turtle and aggressive. Chances are it will last longer. Experiment with different fish, but know that most of them will get eaten. :)

Answer 5

its really best not to put other animals in a turtle tank -- the turtle will bite at them in an attempt to eat them, even larger creatures, resulting in the death or mutilation of the creature. Don't do it.

Answer 6

Please reconsider not getting another turtle. Turtles do socialize with each other. You will see turtles hang out with other turtles of the same size. It really makes them happier to have companionship.

Answer 7

The Only thing I have found that my turtle won't eat is a pleco (and that has damage) or a Jack Dempsy

Answer 8

If you want your turtle to eat it- any fish or other water reptile fit for the tank's size. If you do not want your turtle to eat it- NONE!

Answer 9

You can try things like big fish, armored cats, big snails, etc. but turtles tend to eat, taste, annoy or bother most things.

Answer 10

rainbow crab.
or a water gecko
or some fish that are not slow like gold fish so the turtle can eat them...or not anything very small...tetras.
but some catfish or discus.
luck