Are there any types of animals that I can [safely] put with my red- eared slider turtle?

Question

I recently got 2 red- eared slider turtles and put them in an aquarium with my 5 goldfish, there are only 2 left and I have removed them now. I would just like to know if there is anything I can put in there with them that would remain safe. Please do not say frogs, I had them at one point already.

Answer 1

If you want the other animal to survive, then no. They will eat anything smaller than them and may be eaten by anything larger then them. I might suggest a plant, however, res eat these too. There's really nothing "safe" to have with turtles.

Do keep in mind that as the turtles age, they do need to include fish in their diet, plant matter too. Goldfish just happen to be the biggest part of most properly kept captive trutles followed by rosy red minnows, worms, and crickets (all of which should be in their diet anyways).

ps. I'm not recomending the plant as a hiding spot. It was a suggestion of things that might be able to live with the res.

Answer 2

i tink i know what your problem really is. i keep both rosie and comet gold fish with my res and the same types with my painted. you didn't state but how is your basking area set up? is it a stick to the side they can swim under one or is it a stack of flat rocks that protrude out of the water? i have falt rocks for mine. my painted has an island in the middle of his tank and the fish have the aquarium logs and such to hide in. my res has a rock wall on one side and the fish will hide behind it. you mya not have enough hiding for the fish to be able to get away. also turtles can only catch, in my experience, the dumb fish. thus the smarter one learn how to avoid the turtle and hide or swim away where as the dumber ones that don't realize he is a predator get consumed with in the first few days.

ps plants aren't good hiding spots, it would be better to have a hollowed log or stacked rocks making a cave for them to hide in.

Answer 3

Like mostly everyone else said, almost nothing is safe with red ear sliders. you could try putting snails in, but mine just eats them. or you could a sucker fish that is larger than the turtle itself, it would probably be eatan in a while once the turtle gets larger.

Answer 4

I have three turtles in a 50g tank, and two fish they refuse to eat. If the turtle is picky it won't eat everything in the tank. These fish have been in the tank for three months.

Answer 5

well i have had crawfish survie b/c they found hiding spots. which also helped keep the habiate clean. also you can get them for free in creaks. fresh water shell fish. and thats about it.

Answer 6

Armored catfish, big snails, quick fish (Chinese algae eaters), some medium shellfish... but not much else.