All Turtles Message Board

deb · Level 1 Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 10

hi! my name is debbie, i have 2 what i think are yellow belly sliders - murtle & mildred, i have had them for about 3 months and i think im doing ok thanks to info from this website and the vet Smile

just about to get them a new home a huuuuge tank is on its way! I was wondering can anything else such as fish live with turtles without being eaten??

turtle_grl77 · Level 4 Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 985 Location: Florida

Thats a BIG maybe. Laughing

I have had 2 feeder fish in with mine for over 1 month now. Im wondering how much longer they will survive in that tank Surprised

trtlduv · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:01 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the board, Debbie! This website is great isn't it?! Razz

Turtle_grl is right, it's a BIG maybe.... I've had two feeder fish in with my turtle for almost a year and my turt hasn't even nipped at them! But, lots of turts like fish!!! Sometimes even plecos aren't safe! It's tough sometimes too, to keep more than one turtle in the same tank, Nevfalath has a post up, I'll try to look for it, and it shows a terrible tragedy! Where a larger turt ripped half of the shell off the smaller one... really sad. But they do tend to get aggressive as they get older (especially the females from what I've read). Of course, that's another BIG maybe, because some people never have a problem housing more than one together and then some times tragedy strikes.... Who knows why?! Needless to say Good Luck! with your turts! They'll probably be super happy in a huge tank!!
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shade & sweetwater!

turtle_grl77 · Level 4 Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 985 Location: Florida

[quote="trtlduv"] Sometimes even plecos aren't safe! [/quote]
That is so true! I have seen the smaller turt of the two I have go for a ride! It was so funny Laughing

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Nevfalath · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:56 am Post subject:

Welcome to the forum!
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-= Shannon =-

deb · Level 1 Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 10

I'm sorry but as im new to all this i dont understand the term 'feeder fish'.....do you just mean a goldfish??? and also sorry if i sound stupid but what is a pleco??
It looks like the pet shop lied to me about lots of things when i bought my turtles......I was told they wouldnt grow to anything over 10cm which i now know is not true but they also recommended i get 2 as they like company!!!! I have noticed Mildred has nearly doubled in size since i got her but Murtle has hardly grown at all....will this be a problem??

Thanks for all your help everyone

trtlduv · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:26 am Post subject:

You shouldn't ever feel stupid when you're asking questions, Deb, thank goodness you're asking them!! Laughing

I learned, after I fed goldfish to my turt, that they're a little too fatty for turtles.. good feeder fish would be guppies, silver fish, and there's a few others, but since my turtle's not real interested in them, I'm not sure what they are... someone else will know more!

Plecos are plecostomis, they're algae eaters. Great to have, but sometimes they don't survive...

You will probably hear a lot of people on this site griping about the pet store employees & I am definitely one of them! Wink

They'll say just about anything to "move their merchandise" even if it could result in the death of an animal! Unbelievable, right?! Rolling Eyes

If Mildred starts getting aggressive towards Murtle, you might have to separate them... and that would mean two tanks. Unless of course, you have a friend who would be willing to take one of them on as a pet (It would have to be a friend for me cause I would need visitation!! Wink

)

Good luck, Deb! It sounds like you're doing the research the same way I did, after buying the turts... but better late than never!! Congrats on your babies and feel free to ask as many questions as you have!! Laughing

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shade & sweetwater!

deb · Level 1 Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 10

Just wanna say thanks to u all!!!! It's great i've found this website and thankyou all for your help now and in the future

deb Rolling Eyes

dixieee · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:43 pm Post subject:

welcome to the board the 3 of u Smile

enjoy ur guys
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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

Nevfalath · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:21 pm Post subject:

Feeder fish are small fish that people generally buy to feed to other animals. They are usually small Comets, which are commonly bred just for that purpose.

A Pleco is a type of fish that eats algae, but trtlduv already touched down on that. Smile

You would recognize one if you saw one... here's a picture.

Pet store employees lie more than they tell the truth. Mostly because they don't know the answer themself, so they say whatever you want to hear. They were definately wrong about your turtle and I would call them and let them know! RES can get very big. Adult males range between 7-9 inches and adult females range between 10-12 inches. Also, as you probably already know now, turtles are actually better kept alone. They do not need companionship. Keep an eye on your little turtles... once they hit puberty, they can get very aggressive, especially the females. They may attack one another.

I had the same problem with my two turtles. When I got them, they were both about an inch long. Then one continued to grow and grow, while the other one barely grew at all. I took him to the vet and was told this was normal, and that turtles grow at their own rate. Unfortunately, I had to two living together, and the larger one attacked the smaller one, ripping off half his shell. Sadly he died... so please keep an eye on your little ones, just to make sure. I would hate it if that were to happen to you.

I'm sorry that the pet store lied to you. I really would call in and complain. I just makes me so angry... those people who don't even know anything about animals are responsible for keeping them safe and healthy. How can they do that if they don't know what they are doing? Of course not all pet store associates are like that, thank goodness. But now I am rambling, LOL.

Anyway, welcome to the forum. I hope you learn everything you need for your little babies. Smile

Oh, and never feel stupid! No one knows everything! We have all asked our share of questions! Smile

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-= Shannon =-