My Turtles and Fish are in the same Aquarium
By margeryann
@margeryann (1845)
United States
April 9, 2011 11:12pm CST
I have had my 2 Red Ear Slider Turtles,my 2 Mississippi Map turtles since they were the size of a quarter. I had them in a tank by themselves and I didn't feed them meat. I fed them turtle food for water turtles. I have 2 Oscar fish that I've had since they were real tiny and they were in a tank by themselves.I didn't feed them fish either just all the different varieties of Oscar Fish Food.
When they all got a little bigger I put the turtles and the Oscars together so I could have them all in one big aquarium instead of getting 2 large aquariums and checked them out real good and they got a long. So, I left them together. They have been in the same aquarium together for over a year now.
Usually this won't work turtles would eat them but since I had the turtles since they were babies, didn't feed them fish and I didn't feed my Oscars fish, they get a long. I have two plecostomus fish in there too. If I put small fish in there the turtles and the Oscars would still eat them though.
A lot of people that come over are very amazed on them being in the aquarium together and seeing them swim by each other and them getting a long.
It is pretty neat to watch them swim by each other and eat together.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
10 Apr 11
As I was reading your discussion my first thought was oh no the turtles will eat the fish. But then I see you say they get along well. Goes to show margeryann that opposite can get along well so as long they are fed/knowledge well.
hmm if only we could do this with people.. lol
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
10 Apr 11
I figured people would think oh no the turtles will eat the fish. I had a dog one time that would get a long with anything. I had a parakeet that my would walk on the dogs back and would walk on the floor when I would let it out of its cage. The dog and the bird would walk with each other on the floor. They looked cute together since dogs usually wouldn't get a long with birds.That dog got a long with everything. He even got a long with the wild rabbits that were outside. He befriended everything.@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
10 Apr 11
margeryann it has to be you, you must have a way about you that transfers to them about being caring. 
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
10 Apr 11
That would be cool if I could do that for everyone and everything.More people would get a long 
.
.
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
13 May 11
I hope that you are doing plenty of water changes because both the Oscars and the turtles are messy eaters that will dirty up the ware very fast. You do not say what size the Oscars are or the turtles ore or even how large the tank is. It would help to know these things so that we can let you know that you will probably have to get an even larger tank to keep them in. Oscars can get to be over 18 inches long and the red eared sliders can get larger than that. I would hope that you will get a much larger tank (in the ball park of 150 gallons or more) or get two larger tanks, one for the Oscars and the other for the turtles. The animals will live healthier and longer lives that way. Isn't that what you wish for your pets, to have them be happy long lived and healthy?
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
14 May 11
I am doing water changes all the time and I have a canister filter on the aquarium. It is a 125 gallon aquarium.The oscars and the turtles are over 2 years old. They are all good size.They all have lots of room to swim and I have the aquarium almost all the way full of water with a turtle dock at the top of the water for them to lay at to get out of the water.
Yes, I do want them to be healthy and they are.I feed them all good and they seem to be very healthy and happy.My oscars probably already are 18 inches.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
15 Apr 11
That really does seem unusual to me. I have always heard that oscars would eat anything and to hear that they don't is amazing to me. I'm glad you were able to get them to get along like that! You should take a picture and put it in here!
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
15 Apr 11
It amazes a lot of people when they come over.I need to take a picture of them and put it on here. Thank you for your thoughts.It is good to see you on here.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
10 Apr 11
ooohhh ! that is so cute. i wish you could upload a pic of them. im a real picture nut. especially with animals. gee, you must have a real way with animals. i didnt think fish or turtles could be taught anything against instinct. 
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
10 Apr 11
IT is cute to see them getting a long.I might put a picture of them on here sometime.I had a chihuahua dog at one time that I might make a discussion about and put his pic up. I have a picture of him with a parakeet pet that I had at the time being on his back. They would play on the floor together sometimes.They looked like they were dancing. He got a long with everything.Thank you for commenting.
@kukueye (1759)
• Malaysia
11 Apr 11
Ya it amazing those meat eating turtle and OScar can mix together.Oscar tend to be fighting fishes and are sensitive to other foreign fish, my fren used to feed oscar with worms and they are hard heavy and fierce fish.And turles usually will snap at fishes, maybe u get them together while they are young and the aquarium is huge plenty of space and no need to fight for terrorities and well fed.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
11 Apr 11
Yeah, I don't dare put small fish in there.The fish and turtles would eat them.You're right if they were in a small aquarium together they all would fight. Even the two Oscars would fight each other because of not having enough room and the turtles not being raised in the wild where they are used to eating big fish.Thank you for sharing your opinion. I hope you are having a good weekend. It is about over.
@Kalyni2011 (3496)
• India
10 Apr 11
It is amazing friend they are in one, we had a small aquarium that had some colored fishes, my grandkids used to look and enjoy, me too when alone enjoyed the swimming, their play, movement, it gave kind of mental peace, better than tv watching, but when our home was renovated, it broke accidentally
Thanks for sharing
Cheers.
God bless you, have a nice day ahead.
Kalyani ‘Namastey’. .
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
10 Apr 11
Fish are real enjoyable to watch.I do that a lot. I just sit by the aquarium for entertainment to watch them.Thank you for commenting!
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
10 Apr 11
Are your turtles the tiny ones you can put in your palms? If they are, then they are a delight to watch. My brother was into aquarium hobby way back in our youth. The fishes were therapeutic but I enjoyed the turtles the most.
? If they are, then they are a delight to watch. My brother was into aquarium hobby way back in our youth. The fishes were therapeutic but I enjoyed the turtles the most.@margeryann (1845)
• United States
10 Apr 11
The Mississippi Map Turtles are about that small but the Red ear slider ones aren't they are a little bigger then my hand but they are still very cool to watch how they interact with each other. They flicker there hands to each others hands which is cool to watch. That's is how they show affection to each other.
1 person likes this
