Turtle in tank?!

[mantis]

A neighbor picked up one of those less than 4" illegal to be sold tiny little turtles. If I were to build an island for it in my community tank, would it get along well with my
Columbian Shark (arius seemani)
Iridescent Shark
Zebra Danio's
Betta
Or is it an entirely different matter and shouldn't be put in there at all.
Looking for some advice on this neighbors Turtle that they no longer want.

 

[mantis]

Forgot to mention I also have a Kuhlii Loach, I hardly see the thing I often forget I have it.

 

[colesea]

No. The turtle will eat your fish. They also require UVB lighting and a basking bulb for warmth.
~~Colesea

 

[aquaticgypsy]

When the turtle starts growing, he will eat your fish. You might want to do some research to find out what kind of turtle it is, because different turtles need different types of habitats, food, etc. Until you do the research, it would be safest to put it in a half and half terrerium type tank. If you dont want to buy a tank before you know alot about the turtle, use a big (like at least 20 gallons) plastic storage container. Build a separater diagonaly across the tank using aquarium sealant and a piece of glass or plastic about 6 inches high that is smoothed on the edge. Fill one side with water and one with gravel, and put some rocks in the water to make it easier for the turtle to climb to the land area. This is also a great setup for frogs. Good luck ;D!

                               ~aquaticgypsy

 

[mantis]

The turtle doesn't grow big enough to fit even a guppie in it's mouth. But I guess the Lamps and other needed items would say the turtle is a no-go.

 

[aquaticgypsy]

Also, since the turtle needs a land area (unless it's a completely water turtle), It would be a major pain to put even a small one into your fish tank.

 

[colesea]

"The turtle doesn't grow big enough to fit even a guppie in it's mouth. But I guess the Lamps and other needed items would say the turtle is a no-go." --Mantis

And what species of turtle do you have again? There is no turtle in the world that doesn't stay that small. Even the smallest turtle is a good 6" diameter across the shell.

If it was one of those illegal turtles, then the species you have is most likely a Red-Eared Slider.  These monsters get to be a good 12" across the shell when fully grown, and are by nature aquatic, preying on fish and occassionally vegetation.  Look on the side of your turtle's neck or head. You should see a thick red line on either side.  If you don't have those thick red lines, and instead have some yellow dots, that's most likely a Painted Turtle.  Painted turtles don't get as large, only about 8"-10" all told, but also eat fish and vegetation.

Turtles are cold blooded creatures, and need to regulate their body temperature by moving around their environment, and climbing into and out of the water.  The ideal turtle tank should be half land, half water, with the water being the depth of twice the turtle's length. The overall lenght/width of the tank should be large enough for the animal to turn around in.  Over the land part should be placed some basking bulbs so the temp gets a good 82-86oFoF during the day, and doesn't drop much below 76oF at night.  The water should be moderately warm, probably a stable 74-76oF.  A UVB bulb should also be placed on a strip above the cage not more than 6" from the surface of the land/water.  UVB cannot pass though glass or plastic, so the tank must have a screen top.  This top -must be secure-. Turtles are strong enough to push off screen tops and climb out of their enclosures.

They can be made to eat a staple diet of turtle pellets, but they should be given some form of meat (usually live feeder goldfish) at least every other week, and veggies once a week.  Turtles eat -alot- and therefore excrete -alot- so constant water changes are necessary. A fish tank filter will not support a turtle.

I hope that helps you see what you are getting yourself into.
~~Colesea