Habitat - Indoor :: Bottom Feeders

[Temptationsz]

I was just wondering if it's fine to put a bottom feeder in the tank with my RES? Will she harm it or it harm her? I heard that you aren't supposed to put anything in with a RES because they're so vicious and what not. But I have seen that some of you all have gold fish and bottom feeders in the tank. Is there for information about that??

Thanks.

[megcornell]

Basically, it comes down to you can put a pleco in the tank, but it WILL get eaten. Maybe not immediately, but eventually your RES will start picking at it's fins and tearing it apart.

I don't really see the point in torturing the pleco, so I'm not really in favor of adding them to turtle tanks. I don't think they do that great of a job cleaning the algae, and they add more waste to the tank.

[BullDog]

It is more than likely your RES will try to eat anything you put in the tank with it. There's stories of a RES getting along with a pleco for months, then all of a sudden, the pleco disapears from the tank.
If you want to see how your turt gets along with a fish, I would start with something like feeder guppies or minnows. They're a lot cheaper than any kind of bottom feeder, and healthier for your turt than a goldfish.

It's up to you whether or not you get a bottom feeder, just don't get too attached to it

[mikee]

Temp Z -- The bottom feeder will get nipped at and bitten if the turtle has a mind to. Fish are food for turtles. It may take a long time or he may take a piece out of him right away. Generally speaking, res are a little more aggressive that the other sliders. That depends on the res. I have one that is very dossal and a painted that is the most aggressive.

[FLhaven4strays]

I've had plecos in the pond for over a year w/o problems....but I have no illusions. One day one of them will cross paths with a big ole' turt in a bad mood & become dinner.

When my son put a pleco in his tank w/ a 2" map the turt went after it right away so we removed it. He did the same w/ feeder fish, but we left those in and after a week or so he seemed to ignore the fish. Alge built up a bit & we tried the pleco in the new tank - so far no problems a month later BUT I know that fish's days are probably numbered. If you try to add a pleco, make sure there are plenty of hiding spots - I think that's what have kept mine around this long.

Don't add anything you don't want eaten though. That will prob be the outcome sooner or later.

[TurtleLove]

Bristlenose plecos often survive with RES b/c of their bristles [esp males who have more bristles than females]. And bristlenose plecos also stay smaller than common plecos and are GREAT algae eaters even once they are full grown.

I have a bristlenose in a fish tank, but not in my turtle tank b/c I haven't had any algae problems *knocks on wood*, but that is the only pleco I'd put in with my RES who eats all fish known to man.

[Temptationsz]

Hmm. Well thanks for the information guys. I don't think she'd eat the fish only because she's sort of a scardey cat sometimes. I'd like to add something to live with her, but you all said she'll end up eating it lol so I guess I won't go that route.
Thanks again all.

[FLhaven4strays]

Hmm. Well thanks for the information guys. I don't think she'd eat the fish only because she's sort of a scardey cat sometimes. I'd like to add something to live with her, but you all said she'll end up eating it lol so I guess I won't go that route.
Thanks again all.

My son bought some feeder fish for .08 cents each for his tank and they're really quite pretty - reds, greens, pinks, orange... He put in about 18 - ready to remove them if Jimi began to gorge himself - but turt only ate one at the time so he left them. They have plenty of places to hide and have had 2 sets of babies. It looks like they might be disappearing slowly, but it's ok...they're .08 cent feeders and will get more when needed. I also have feeders in the pond (w/ 3 turts) to eat mosquito larve and only have to replenish them a few times a year.

[LurycNitsuj]

right now I have six fish in my tank, and my turt has never once showed a single bit of attention to them. I have two pleco's two goldfish, a cat fish, and a freshwater shark. The pleco's even sometimes get on his shell and ride around the tank. All of these fish have been in here almost just as long as he has. Every once in a while, we throw a feeder into the tank, and he goes right after and gets it, but never once has he gone after any of the other fish. So i guess it just depends on the turtle.

[Sally's Mom]

I'd just completed upgrading Sal's tank last Saturday and my hubby bought me 6 guppies. I put 2 into my anacharis tank and 3 in her tank. I dumped a big clump of anacharis into the tank and have a log for hiding spots...p.s. when I awoke the next morning all 3 were gone!

I've since received a Fancy Plants mat with a 3" depth. Is having anacharis clumps and a deep plant mat the right type of 'hiding places' to let the fish hang out a bit longer? What else works?

I know one has to expect 'Wild Kingdom' when adding creatures into a turtle tank but I'd like to add guppies or rosie reds if I knew they had a good chance of lasting a bit longer. Otherwise, I think I'll just keep the other 2 little ones in the plant tank...until next month that is!

[TheComputerGremlin]

I'm sure you could make a cave or buy a cave that the turtle can't get into but the fish can, but if it's anything like my one rosie red minnow, it wasn't smart enough to stay hidden. And as for a turtle who shows no aggression, my little angel that I figured wasn't graceful enough, took him 4 hours, but he got the fish anyhow. I'd guess that your best bet is to have a separate tank for any fish you'd like.

[Temptationsz]

I wanted to know about putting fish in with her to make the tank looks nicer. But since some of you are saying that you RES eats them, and some are saying that thier's didn't eat it, I don't know.

By the bottom feeder fish, I am meaning the one that eats all the algea, I guess you call them Pleco?

[FLhaven4strays]

I wanted to know about putting fish in with her to make the tank looks nicer. But since some of you are saying that you RES eats them, and some are saying that thier's didn't eat it, I don't know.

By the bottom feeder fish, I am meaning the one that eats all the algea, I guess you call them Pleco?

Yep - plecos are alge eaters.
Some turts will ignore fish for a little while...maybe even longer. In the end though they will almost certainly become food.

[ashleygamergirl]

i have painted turtles and i have 2 pleco and 2 big gold fish and roseys and the turtles leave them all alone had them for about 7 months /shrug

[Spiritualjoy]

I have to add my two cents here! My two turtles were raised with a pleco in their tank for a year. Then last week they got a twinkle in their eye and ate it. Yes, the pleco used to ride around on their shells too and I thought they were all buddies! I guess I thought my turtles were "different", but alas - food is food. It will eventually happen.....they will eat their tank buddies!