Can you have turtles and guppies?

Well one of my guppies is pregnant, and this will be my first time having a pregnant fish (I have seen my brother's pregnant fish/newborn fry though). My mother decided to keep some of the babies, so I will raise them until they can be sexed, then give her 2-3 females and a male. The rest I can give to a local pet store or something.....

But my mom also told me that she had a small/dwarf red eared slider turtle when she was young and loved him! So she talked about getting a little turtle like that, and putting some fish in the tank.

So can she keep a few guppies and a little red eared slider turtle in a 10 gallon tank? Or even in a bigger tank? Or should there be different fish?

Also any other advice about having a small red eared turtle would be very much appreciated!

x

P.S. we are going out of town for a week in june and won't set up anything until we get back. So she has some time to make a decision.

 

HeHe, only if you don't want to feed the turtle. They will make good snacks for him... My quarter-sized yellow bellied slider ate minnows that were as big as him... I'm sure guppies wouldn't have lasted long with him. It would be best to set up different tanks for both. I've heard of stories where the turtles wouldn't touch the feeder fish people would drop in the tank, but then I've also heard that that was all the turtles would like to eat.

 

I doubt the fish would last long.

 

Turtles need bigger then 10gals . The smallest turtles, maps, need 30 gallon tanks. Red ears need something the 75-125 range. They get large.

 

tank addict:
Hmm.. that's interesting. I heard that if a fish is to big to fit in their mouths, they won't eat them. Also, what if she put the fish in the tank for maybe a month before? Do you think that would make a difference?

Dino: what do you mean? Are you saying they would get eaten or don't live long? Cause guppies live 2-5 years.

soltarianknight:
The turtle my mother had was 2-3 inches, and had red ears. It must have been some kind of dwarf turtle. Her father found it while he was walking down a road in oklahoma. It lived 1-2 years, but they didn't know how old it was since it was tiny, yet it didn't seem to grow. That small of a turtle would have PLENTY of room to swim in a 10-20 gallon tank.

 

tank addict:
Hmm.. that's interesting. I heard that if a fish is to big to fit in their mouths, they won't eat them. Also, what if she put the fish in the tank for maybe a month before? Do you think that would make a difference?

Dino: what do you mean? Are you saying they would get eaten or don't live long? Cause guppies live 2-5 years.

soltarianknight:
The turtle my mother had was 2-3 inches, and had red ears. It must have been some kind of dwarf turtle. Her father found it while he was walking down a road in oklahoma. It lived 1-2 years, but they didn't know how old it was since it was tiny, yet it didn't seem to grow. That small of a turtle would have PLENTY of room to swim in a 10-20 gallon tank.

probably stunted from being in too small of a tank (dont know if this can happen with turtles or not) you can put guppies with him, but I would strongly suggest a rubber ducky instead, much less gruesome.

 

Just because it was small doesn't necessarily mean it would be happy in a small tank. Also, turtles live a long time, and therefore may grow very slowly. I would research the specific species of turtle she would get and make sure the turtle has a large enough tank. As others have said, I wouldn't keep any fish with him, however; turtles can eat bigger fish than you would think!

 

Turtles stunt from being in too small of tanks, improper lighting(they need UVB and heating) as well as poor diet. They are omnivores and many of the wild collected have a close bond to the fish and plants in their ecosystem. Maps are the smallest in the hobby really. Turtles need big space. Besides it wouldn't work, 1. turtle would feast. 2. water would need to be cycled and 3.turtle poo would foul the water so fast.

 

tank addict:
Hmm.. that's interesting. I heard that if a fish is to big to fit in their mouths, they won't eat them. Also, what if she put the fish in the tank for maybe a month before? Do you think that would make a difference?

I don't know if it would or not, I just know that my little guy loved his minnows, and they were always bigger...

Alas! I am shamed to say, my turtle was a yellow bellied slider, who lived in a 10 gal. tank. I ended up rehoming him. He got no bigger than 2 in. when he was supposed to be a pretty big sized turtle. I had him for a year and a half. They will get stunted in a 10 gal, no doubt about it. The one that you described sounds to me like a red eared slider, close relative to the yellow bellied slider, so it would definitely have the same effect. I suggest getting at least a 55 gal. tank for a turtle and adding a few medium sized goldfish. Or just stick with the guppies in the 10gal and wait on the turtle. They'd be happier and healthier that way.

Edit- Just to add, I didn't exactly like feeding my guy live minnows, but I tried to keep his diet natural, plants, minnows, and turtle pellets...

 

I heard that if a fish is to big to fit in their mouths, they won't eat them.

Unfortunately, that's definitely not true. I was reading about a certain type of cichlid (can't remember the name), and the profile said that it MUST be kept alone, because if the fish is small enough it will be eaten in one bite; if it's too big, the cichlid will tear it up until it's small enough. (Gruesome, I know.) Obviously a cichlid is not a turtle, but if it happens for some fish, it is likely to happen for other creatures as well.

 

Heh, my brother had a turtle in a 75, a painted. She ate feeder goldfish on occasion. Since the tank was half way full of water we supped it up a bit . Made a land area for the turtle from slate, but it also made a underground water accessible cave for the fish. One of the feeders found it, lived for a few years(this was before I learned ANYTHING about fish) The water was filtered and we cleaned it a lot because of the turtle. But, when it was about 7" long the turtle finally caught it. From what I have seen, turtles grab with their mouths and hold on. Then use their front claws to rip the prey into pieces they cann swallow.

 

I also think ten gallons is bad news. All turtles (and the Russian tortoise) do need large enclosures. As was said, they are slow growers, a lot like humans (if not slower). I had a Russian tortoise that was walking the streets and set it up in a long open Tupperware oasis through the warm seasons and a 20-30 gallon through the winter (which he got through!). My theory is if something was truly wrong with the oasis, it was only 3 to four inches tall and he could leave lol. Of course, I'm sure he was already fairly old but he lived over a year and I just found him peacefully dead, no disease, nothing. (Though my lack of knowledge of how to care for a stray turtle may have contributed.)

My rambling point is, turtles should easily live to be 50. 1-2 years isn't very good. Also, logically, guppies can live through a.l sorts of squalor, but even THAT would be way to much.

 

look at a different turtle res are monsters needing 120 gallons at least at a adult size

musk turtles might work but you'll still need a 50 gallon for 1 turtle uvb and uva lighting and a amazing filter because turtles are poop factory messier then goldfish

 

Judging by the date of the thread, I'm guessing the OP has probably solved the problem. Or the turtle solved it for her.

 

lol dident look at the post date how the op gets a much bigger tank res get 1-2 foot

 

Dont put any turtle in a 10 gallon tank its just cruel... yes a small turtle living for 1-2 years sound great but in all honesty they are supposed to live to be 60. So I'm guessing your mom didnt have a basking dock, heat lamp, ubv lamp, uva lamp, or know the proper diet. Those are all crucial things to know when getting a turtle. I know this is late and you probably won't read it but I'm just trying to save a turtles life.

 

(Sorry I didn't reply sooner, got too busy)

Thanks everyone for the info! I would love to have a turtle, heck I would love to have a monkey, but getting a 50-100 gallon tank is not on today's to-do list. Right now I am content with my fishies.

 

I'm coming in late too- just discovered this thread (am new to the forum) but just wanted to say, Katprinces929, KUDOS for putting the turtle's needs above your impulse to buy! Most people discover too late that turtles, like nearly all pets, need specialized care and equipment.

I love my 3toed box turtle, Kame (Pronounced "Kah-may"- it's Japanese for "turtle"), my painted turtle AkaI (Ah-kie- Japanese for "red"), and my Southern Mud Turtle, Squirt. (named by my kids after Finding Nemo) lol

AkaI and Kame share an enclosure that includes about 6 inches of mulch and a large rubbermaid tub of water for swimming in the winters... I'm in the process of building them a fenced (and topped!) area outdoors with a sunken kiddy-pool for the summers. Squirt, since he is only about 2 inches long at the moment (half grown) is in a 20 long. I have a "spare" 55 gal for when he's fully grown.

As everyone said above... yeah guppies would be turtle-snacks. Squirt is VERY aggressive and would definitely tear apart anything I put in there that was too large for him to eat. Depends on the turtle... I've known some well-fed adults who ignored feeder fish entirely. But they are most definitely the exception.

Enjoy your fishies!