Experiment...

[TiggertheOscar]

So I have a fast growing Blue Catfish right? Well I also have him housed in a soon to be overcrowded 75 gallon tank. I had this idea to relocate him to a 75 gallon tank that belongs to a friend of mine that currently houses a red eared slilder turtle whom is about 10 inches in diameter. By the time we do the relocation the cat will probably be the size of the turtle in length.
My question is do you think it'll end up being a large dinner for the turtle or do you think he's a little big and they'll end up bein buddies?
I personally think he'll be fine but my friend thinks his turtle will eat him up in a heartbeat.

 

[Stillness]

Regardless, of compatibility you are WAY over stocked! I wouldn't recommend more than two Oscars in a 75 let alone 4 and various other large catfish...

 

[TiggertheOscar]

Hence why I am gettiing rid of a cat and vigorously looking for a larger tank!
Besides, they are all still pretty young, not producing to much crap as of yet...

 

[epond83]

Are there places to hid in the tank from the turtle? I had a local cat fish in a 75gal tank with my red eared slider (RES). The fish was about 3 or 4 inches long, turtle is 8" long (shell) the catfish had to rock piles to hid under. the main problem is that it was very difficult to feed the catfish. I could sneak a few peices of corn in there at night (only time the catfish came out) but offten the turtle would wake up and eat the corn and chase the catfish.

While i was gone on a trip the catfish got eaten, i supect that it didn't get enough food and became easy prey... In the end nothing eatable can live with a RES

I have heard of some cichlids surviving with them but they are very fast and top feeders so they can strick quick for food and hid again. Ultimitly, hiding all your life only to come out for food doesn't sound too exciting.

What tank size is the turtle in? i think if i had a bigger tank (upgrading after college in a year) that the turtle could manuver better and have a good chance of getting it earlier, the list of things she has eaten is quite long.

 

[bmoraski]

Well epond83 had great advice.its nice to get first hand experience.
i can remeber a friend of mine a long time ago,putting a gold fish in with a piranha, in a 10 gal, they lived together for 6 months then one day little george was in pieces.
they were about the same size

 

[Newman]

0_0
that is very interesting. but it was emminent.

Well you could try to put the cat in with the tortuga, but for feeding it, just dont turn on the lights, and throw some food in the tank at night, when everything is dark. the cat will obviously find it.

 

[epond83]

turtles have a pretty good since of smell i think... i know there are some no eyed RES that find food in there tank pretty damn well. But yes that might help and try your best to not wake the turtle enough though they are light sleepers.

 

[TiggertheOscar]

So we tried it.
The turtle took a nip at the cat a few times...
But ultimately the stress is what overtook the catfish. We ended up pullin him out and throwin him in a 55 gallon because he was turnin belly up. But it seemed as though the turtle was going to " tolerate" the catfish, at least for the time being...

 

[lynx336699]

yeah it seemed alright for a bit but my RES tends to only attack from the tail end and takes it down kinda like a duck or from the head first and digs her claws in its sides and rips the head clean off. either way if we left it in there it would have eventually gotten eaten. nice try though still saved the catfish.