Can turtles and fish live together in the same aquarium?

Not everyone who decides to get a red-eared turtle wants to equip a separate container for it. If the house already has an aquarium with fish, the solution suggests itself: place the pets together. According to the aquarist, in addition to saving money, he will have the opportunity to daily observe the relationships between fish and underwater reptiles, which is very interesting. At the same time, many paint an idealistic picture for themselves, without asking themselves whether a turtle and fish will get along in the same aquarium. Let's figure it out.

Incorrect content

Turtles and fish are bad neighbors not only because the reptiles are aggressive, they can cause mutual harm to each other.
One of the main reasons why they cannot be housed together is the obvious difference in living conditions. Fish vitally need deep, clean water, aeration and algae, but such conditions will bring discomfort to reptiles. They require a low water level so that they can comfortably float up to breathe, and a considerable part of the aquaterrarium should be occupied by a bank where the turtles dry their shells and paws. Intense heat, UV lamps and a lot of waste and often contaminated water will be harmful to aquarium fish. In turn, some fish secretions are toxic to the turtle and lead to poisoning and other serious health consequences.

It is important to note that aggressive fish species, such as barbs, sometimes attack reptiles and cause serious injuries to them, especially young individuals

What can replace the cleaner?

An aquarium filter cannot be replaced by anything, since only specially manufactured devices are capable of efficiently purifying water and keeping a closed system in biological balance.
There are many instructions on the Internet for making external and internal filters with your own hands, but such a device is not capable of 100% high-quality and, most importantly, safe continuous cleaning of aquarium water.

The only alternative to a filter is to arrange the aquarium in such a way that the system itself can process harmful substances and prevent their accumulation. With a properly created biological balance, the inhabitants of the tank can live a long life without a filter. It is only necessary to change some of the water in a timely manner.

The main nuances that will allow you to keep an aquarium without a filter for as long as possible:

• A large number of plants. An ideal option would be elodea, fern, vallisneria, echinodorus, various mosses and ferns.
• After planting plants in the ground, you need to wait time (about 2-3 weeks) for the biological balance to appear, only then you can add fish.
• There should not be many inhabitants; overpopulation should not be allowed.
• Change 10% of the water once a week and siphon the soil.
• It is necessary to add crustaceans to the container, which naturally purify the water, as well as aquarium orderlies (shrimps, snails, ancistrus).
• Do not allow uneaten food to remain after feeding.

If the aquarium filter is suddenly turned off, everything must be done to preserve the life and health of the tank’s inhabitants. You should not deliberately turn off the filter too often, even for a short time: the device is designed for continuous operation, and frequent shutdowns lead to rapid breakdown.

Why turtles and fish should not be placed in the same container

When deciding to get a turtle, it seems really tempting to put it in an existing aquarium. But aquarium turtles that live with fish is a beautiful myth based on frequent cases when very small turtles are added to the aquarium. Such babies, who are barely a few months old, are not yet distinguished by aggressive behavior, so they coexist peacefully with other inhabitants. But the young animals grow up very quickly, and more and more difficulties arise.

Soon the owners become convinced that red-eared turtles can only live with fish in the same aquarium for a short time.

The fact is that aquatic turtles are carnivorous - their diet includes all the small inhabitants of reservoirs, mollusks, insects, live fish, their eggs and fry. Therefore, turtles in an aquarium with fish will always act as predators. If you add fish to a red-eared turtle, it will naturally perceive them as objects for hunting. Even if you provide your pet with enough food, this will not protect defenseless neighbors from frequent attacks.

A good solution may seem to be to place the turtle in an aquarium with fish that are large and aggressive breeds or can swim quickly, because then it will be difficult for it to hunt. These species include crucian carp, koi carp, cichlids, goldfish, and barbs. But even in this case, situations with bitten fins and tails will arise constantly.

Video: how a red-eared turtle fights for food with fish

The proximity of a turtle and a catfish can also end disastrously - these fish stay at the bottom of the reservoir and the reptile will definitely take advantage of the situation to hunt. Even large representatives of bottom fish, such as loaches, whose body length can reach 15-25 cm, will not be able to defend themselves.

What should I do if the device does not work?

If the filter is broken, you need to urgently repair it or buy a new device.
If this is not possible, you urgently need to transplant the fish into another aquarium with a working filter, provided that there is room for the fish in the new aquarium and there will be no conflicts between individuals.

If there is nowhere to transplant the inhabitants of the container, you will have to keep them for some time without filtration and constantly measure the level of ammonia in the water using special tests.

It is necessary to keep the ammonia concentration level no higher than 0.5 mg/l, otherwise poisoning of the inhabitants will occur. Also, if you have a compressor, you need to turn on aeration to saturate the water with oxygen and create a flow in the aquarium.

You can maintain ammonia levels without a filter only by changing 25-30% of the water several times a day at regular intervals. During this period, the fish cannot be fed.

How do aquatic turtles get along with each other?

When keeping aquarium turtles, the question sometimes arises: how to add a baby to an adult, or how to make friends with representatives of different species. Large and small red-eared turtles can be friends together if their sizes do not differ much and the younger individual has reached a length of at least 4-5 cm. In this case, you also need to carefully monitor feeding - a large turtle should not starve, so as not to consider the small one as prey. It is better to use separate containers for feeding reptiles to avoid fights for food.

At home, it is difficult to find enough space to equip different habitats for several reptiles, so turtles of different species often coexist in one aquarium. It is not recommended to do this, because reptiles can fight, but still, red-eared turtles are sometimes kept together with marsh or Caspian turtles, which are characterized by fairly non-aggressive behavior. Before adding a new pet to the others, it must undergo quarantine so as not to infect the common aquarium with dangerous bacteria or fungi.

Video: European marsh turtle and red-eared turtle in one aquarium

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Compatible

Compatibility table of cichlids with other inhabitants:

The compatibility of cichlids with other fish depends on the specific species:

Unusual aquarium fish

The black knife is one of the most unusual types of fish. In captivity it grows up to 50 cm, so it needs a spacious aquarium. There are practically no fins and no vision. Creates a small electric field around itself, thanks to which it finds food for itself. It feeds on bloodworms and mussels.

The dragon wrasse is an exotic fish with an aggressive nature. It is active only during the daytime; at night it buries itself in the sand or freezes in place. For a young individual, 250 liters of volume is required, for an adult - from 500 liters. It feeds on the meat of sea fish, squid, and mussels. You need to give food 3 times a day.

The blue dolphin is a calm aquarium inhabitant that grows up to 25 cm in length. This fish requires a container with a volume of 400 liters or more. Meat feed should be given in small portions up to 5 times a day.

The box fish is shaped like a cube. It grows up to 45 cm. In nature, it feeds on algae and small crustaceans, so in captivity the diet can be combined.

Feeding aquarium turtles

In their natural environment, many species of turtles feed on a variety of plants, fish or shellfish. It is difficult to feed them only live food all year round, so you can use a mixture of chopped fish, shrimp and shellfish. Sometimes you can feed your turtles small pieces of beef. In the summer, the use of only live food is encouraged. The best choice is for snails that they can chew easily.

Turtles spend most of their free time hunting and obtaining food, so they definitely need live food that they can catch. If there is no hunting, they may get bored and stop moving altogether. Moreover, live food contains a large amount of phosphorus and calcium, which are vital for turtles to keep their shell strong. To do this, coral sand is added to the soil, grains of sand from which turtles often eat. Turtles living in captivity often have a softer shell, so you can sometimes add eggshells to the water, which will be useful for them to strengthen their shell.

Aquarium turtles go to the toilet almost immediately after eating, so it is best to use a different container for feeding. At first they will be against it, but over time they will get used to it. At the very least, this method will save you from daily cleaning of the aquaterrarium, which over time will turn into a real landfill. If kept properly, turtles only need to be fed once a day, although it may take them several hours to eat.

Only a female and a male can live in one turtle aquarium. The two males will constantly be in conflict, and in the end, only one individual will remain alive. The stronger male kills or seriously wounds the opponent, who soon dies. If you keep individuals of different sexes, it is necessary to sometimes remove the female from the aquarium, since the annoying male can become very annoying to her.

Causes

Various factors can lead to softening of the shell:

• lack of light or insufficient amount of it;
• monotonous food;
• vitamin D deficiency;
• an abundance of white cabbage in the diet, which promotes calcium leaching;
• poor absorption of calcium by the intestines or impaired absorption of this mineral element in the kidneys;
• disruptions in the functioning of the thyroid gland.

As a result of calcium deficiency, rickets or osteopenia develop.

In 90% of cases, the cause of disease is improper living conditions:

• food without fortification with calcium and vitamin D 3;
• lack of ultraviolet lighting;
• regular feeding with calcium-leaching foods (white cabbage).

The remaining cases are associated with complex diseases:

• renal failure;
• hyperparathyroidism;
• nutritional osteodystrophy.

The body of aquatic animals is capable of absorbing vitamin D3 from supplements, but that of land animals is not. They definitely need ultraviolet light. Not every lamp is suitable for this, and beginners make mistakes when installing lighting.

Aquatic turtles also need UV radiation, but if fed with vitamin supplements, it is not as acute as for land turtles.

UV rays are 2-3 times more effective than food sources of vitamin D3.

Natural soft shell

Therefore, the softness of the shell, provided the pet is in good health, is the norm. The softness of the shell is a distinctive feature of flat-shelled turtles, which are called elastic.

As a rule, a shell that is not strong enough indicates that there is a lack of calcium in the turtle’s body due to some reasons, such as:

1. There is little or no calcium-rich food in the diet.
2. Lack of vitamin D2, which is involved in the turtle’s body’s absorption of calcium.
3. Lack or absence of UV radiation, which means the turtle’s body lacks vitamin D

In order to detect abnormal development of the animal in time, you should regularly examine the pet. You need to pick up the turtle and visually, as well as by touch, examine the condition of the shell and skin. Developmental defects include skin peeling. Softening of the shell, as well as the formation of various spots on it. Such an inspection should be carried out every month, and if such defects are detected, you should immediately seek advice from a herpetologist.

The causative agent of pneumonia is an infection that enters the lungs of an animal. This is possible in two cases: infection enters the lungs from the outside or from the inside, as a result of blood poisoning. As a result, inflammatory processes begin to occur in the lungs. As a result, the density of the lungs changes and fluid begins to accumulate in them.

• As for tympania, it develops in the red-eared turtle as a result of a lack of calcium, which causes the appearance of dynamic intestinal obstruction. The fact is that calcium contributes to the normal functioning of the intestinal tract. With a lack of calcium ions, intestinal function is impaired, which leads to the appearance of excess gas in the amphibian's intestines.
• This deficiency can result in spontaneous spasms of the intestines and sphincter.
• Another reason for the appearance of tympania in a red-eared turtle is its overfeeding, while the turtle has a weak gastrointestinal tract.
• This disease can manifest itself against the background of a change in diet.
• Tympany may be the result of a foreign body in the rectum or sphincter.

Why does the shell soften? In red-eared turtles, softening of the bone plates most often causes a disease such as rickets.

Rickets is a disease associated with a lack of vitamin D obtained from food or produced under the influence of sunlight. In the summer, you need to take your animal for walks so that she is exposed to the sun. In winter, you need to arrange a source of ultraviolet radiation, but take care of the turtle's eyes, since radiation can cause blindness.

Compatibility with fish

A very important issue is the compatibility of reptiles with other inhabitants of aquariums. They may not get along with everyone. You should not put small fish in a container with turtles, because these reptiles are considered predators and will immediately eat them. This is especially true for red-eared and marsh turtles. In addition, they will need a special area with “land”, which is completely unnecessary for other aquatic inhabitants.

Aquarium turtles can be kept with larger fish. These could be American cichlids, catfish or even carp or other large fish. Two-clawed pig-nosed aquatic turtles will be able to get along in the same aquarium with such fish. They feed mostly on vegetation and squid meat. In addition, this type of reptile does not require an island in the middle of the aquarium.

To learn how to care for turtles, watch the video below.

Can a turtle and a newt live together?

Tormenta

No, newt and turtle should not live together. Newt is too slow and non-aggressive, and the turtle can hurt him and even kill him. It is better to place the newt with the fish - they are very agile and he is not able to catch them, although he can eat snails (if there are any).

Misha Arsenyev

Aquatic turtles are predators and feed on insects, and a large turtle can eat a small newt and fish if it is small. While the turtle is small, it is not dangerous. By the way, I don’t know about the red-eared turtle, but evil trionics sometimes devour large fish.

Maria Otvodenko

red-eared turtles only attack fish and newts until they are small, and then devour everything that moves and does not move! the newt can pat the sword-bearers from hunger! so choose priority animals - we made a raft of polystyrene foam for the newt in a regular aquarium with swordtails, barbs and neons (we are mentally prepared for him to eat fish, since it is also not possible for everyone to buy their own aquarium) and the red-eared turtle is alone in the aquarium lives after devouring all of even the largest fish!

Caspian

A flat-shelled turtle with an oval-shaped carapace of brown or green-brown color. A slight contrast is created by yellow stripes on the limbs and head. It is perfect for keeping in a large home aquarium, since in nature it tries to stay close to the water and is undemanding to its parameters and quality. However, the cleanliness of the environment still needs to be constantly monitored.

The reptile is omnivorous, feeding on both meat and plant foods. Lives up to 30 years. If you want to get offspring, the Caspian turtle should be put into hibernation (November-March), although in general hibernation is not necessary - the turtle feels great in constantly comfortable conditions. The ratio of land and water is 1/3.

Caspian turtle.

Features of behavior

Turtle owners should be aware of how their pet expresses its emotions. The reptile has well-developed organs of vision and smell. The reptile is able to distinguish colors and shades under water and on land. With the help of a developed sense of smell, the reptile easily finds food.

Yellow-bellied turtles have difficulty distinguishing sounds. This is due to the fact that the ears are covered with skin. The reptile distinguishes only dull sounds and vibrations. The armor coating is sensitive. With its help, the reptile senses various types of touch.

Thanks to the sense of touch, the reptile is able to give preference to food that is more tasty for itself. The reptile is capable of making sounds:

• hiss;
• snort;
• whistling sounds;
• short sounds like a squeak.

The reasons for expressing emotions through sound are varied. The reptile is capable of hissing when frightened. The reptile makes a sound when it senses danger.

People often wonder why the red-eared turtle squeaks. If you make short sounds, refuse to eat and become lethargic, you should take your pet to a specialist. The listed signs may indicate the presence of pneumonia. If left untreated, turtles die after a short period of time.

Who else can live with a red-eared slider in the same aquarium?

If it is not recommended to keep fish together with reptiles, this does not mean that other neighbors cannot be added to the turtles. You can often see decorative snails on the walls of an aquaterrarium - they perfectly perform the role of orderlies and cleaners. Naturally, some of them will become prey for reptiles, but snails produce such large offspring that otherwise the number of individuals will have to be reduced manually.

Crayfish, crabs, and shrimp can also become good neighbors - they also perform a sanitary role, collecting food debris and turtle excretions from the bottom. A dense chitinous coating on the body protects crustaceans from attacks by reptiles. Turtles will still eat some crustaceans, but these species can still live together quite successfully.

Breeding

Domestic reptiles reproduce well in captivity. Females regularly lay eggs, but they may not be fertilized. For full reproduction, naturally, two turtles of different sexes are needed. At home, reptiles mate most often from February to May. In addition, you can slightly stimulate the beginning of their mating. To do this you need to raise the temperature a little.

Before the start, the male courtes his “lady” in a very interesting way. He begins to swim in front of her, tail first, then tickles her cheeks with his claws. Sometimes the males begin to hit the female with their shell. If the female is ready to mate, then she allows her chosen one to approach her. This usually happens in water and lasts no more than 15 minutes. This is enough to lay 4 to 5 clutches of eggs.

In its natural environment, the turtle begins to lay eggs from the beginning of April. Laying lasts until September. First, she wets the sand with her liquid, then digs a hole up to 20 centimeters in diameter. After this, it lays from 5 to 15 eggs in it and covers them with sand. In order for the reptile to do this in the aquarium, it is necessary to make an artificial beach for it. To do this, you need to place a cuvette with slightly moistened sand in it, the layer of which will not exceed more than 5 centimeters. So that the turtle can easily climb there, you need to make a special ladder and carefully attach it to the ditch.

If the reptile laid eggs directly into the water, they should be immediately removed from there and placed in the sand. Most often, experts recommend buying a separate aquarium for the duration of mating. Its volume should not be less than 100 liters, and fill it with water to about 10 centimeters. The mating process and its consequences must be monitored. The future of the offspring depends on this. If mating does not occur, then the couple should be seated separately and only after a while should the pairing be repeated again.

Is it possible to put a red-eared turtle in the same aquarium with fish?

Elena Gabrielyan

You can easily use it as food for a turtle to watch it hunt. As it is, all turtles are predators and soon all that will be left of the fish are memories. If you want to keep a Turtle, then immediately buy an aquarium of 90 - 100 liters, this creature grows up to a good saucer and equip it as an aquaterrarium with mandatory access to land.

Svetik Andreeva

Of course not! 1) all aquatic turtles, including red-eared turtles, are PREDATORS. they will gladly destroy all fish, regardless of their size. however, fish is a healthy food for these predators2) in addition, red-eared turtles require a shore that occupies at least 1/3 of the total surface of the water (otherwise the turtle will drown), an ultraviolet lamp.3) turtle excretions can have a detrimental effect on the health of fish.4) for To maintain cleanliness in the aquaterrarium, install a filter designed for 3 volumes of available water. Of course, the fish will not withstand such a current even for a couple of days, they will die from stress or jump out, but long before that the turtle will eat them. What do you feed your turtle if you don’t know that it is a predator? Apparently you are new to keeping redfish. If necessary, write in a personal message - I can send you the basic rules for keeping red-eared turtles.

Diet

Protein must be present in the diet of an aquatic turtle. It is vital for the health of your pet, so keeping a predatory aquatic turtle on a plant-based diet is unacceptable. Experts recommend the following proportion of animal and plant foods:

• 70-90% of the diet should be food of animal origin, preference should be given to fish and seafood, but with great pleasure the reptile also eats meat, for example, young mice and rat pups, with rat pups being preferable.
• Up to 20% of the diet may contain food of plant origin. You can feed your aquatic turtle with lettuce, plantain, clover, seaweed, carrot tops and wheat germ.
• No more than 10% of the nutrition can be dry specialized food containing vitamin D3 and other essential microelements and vitamins.

Now let's take a closer look at what to feed an aquatic turtle at home and make a list of suitable products.

Treatment and features of keeping land turtles

High-quality treatment for turtles is, first of all, the prevention of diseases before they appear. Reptiles need good care, maintenance, regular and proper nutrition.

It is also necessary to add systematic preventive visits to the veterinarian; this, unfortunately, a rare action today, will help protect the animal from many diseases and keep it healthy, and you will save the time, nerves and money spent on treating the turtle.

Turtle diseases

Basically, the development of diseases in a domestic turtle is associated with the conditions of detention.

It is important to properly care for your pet and closely monitor the condition and changes in its behavior.

Turtles, like many other animals, have the following problems:

• - Colds
• - Metabolic disease
• – Gastrointestinal disorder
• – Internal and external parasites
• – Diseases associated with the age of the animal

There are also many highly targeted diseases that require specific treatment, characteristic not only of this species, but also of each of its subspecies.

Keeping land turtles in the house

The size and equipment of the terrarium depends not only on the size of the animal, but also on the need to maintain an optimal temperature for them. Young turtles, with a shell 3–4 cm long, require very little space, but mature adult turtles should be provided with terrariums that are appropriate for their size and activity.

For a turtle with a shell of 20 cm, a space of 0.1 m3 is required, and for laboratory keeping - an area of ​​0.5 - 0.85 m2 per animal. In terrarium making for land turtles, the recommended terrarium dimensions are 100 x 60 x 60 cm, with half of the narrow sides and the top being mesh and allowing air to pass through. The terrarium should have a pool at floor level, if possible with a drain. Heating must be placed under the floor and under the pool.

The limits of temperature change are determined in accordance with the most acceptable temperatures for each species. When determining the temperature, it is necessary to take into account the origin of the animal

You also need to pay attention to air humidity. Turtles from tropical rain forests naturally need higher humidity than turtles from desert areas. The issue of establishing the required temperature and humidity, in accordance with the origin and type of turtle, requires the use of special literature

The issue of establishing the required temperature and humidity, in accordance with the origin and type of turtle, requires the use of special literature.

Organization of hibernation

Hibernation is closely related to the need for a certain temperature. Proper hibernation significantly increases the activity of animals.

During hibernation, metabolism is not interrupted, but only slows down. The animal does not eat, but breathes. Clean air and certain humidity are especially important conditions. As a place for wintering, it is better to choose a substrate made of sphagnum and foliage, which should be easily permeable to moisture, but should not be wet. Due to its strong ability to form dust, peat should not be used. The room temperature should not fall below +1°C and exceed 6°C.

Already 8 days before the start of wintering, animals should not be fed. They need to be bathed 3 times in moderately warm water in order for them to empty their intestines. The last bath should be carried out 24 hours before the animal is transferred to the hibernation box. It should be taken into account that turtles lose up to 50% of their weight during hibernation. Relatively light animals need to be fed during the winter.

The temperature in the wintering room should decrease slowly. Young animals sleep, depending on their size, for 4–10 weeks, while adults, on the contrary, sleep for 5 months (November–March). If the wintering temperature averages 10°C, animals lose a lot of weight; if the average temperature is 5 - 8 ° C, in the spring their weight will be almost the same as in the fall.

Animals are awakened at a room temperature of 15°C. After this, you need to bathe them for 10–15 minutes in warm water. The first time food is given 2 - 3 days after the end of hibernation.

Not compatible

Cichlid fish do not get along with the following fish:

• Goldfish.
• Crucian carp.
• Guppy.
• Cockerels.
• Telescopes.
• Sword bearers.
• Gourami.
• Tetras.
• Danio rerio.
• Rasbory.
• Pecilia.
• Mollies.
• Carps.
• Rainbows.

Species that do not get along with certain cichlid species:

Aquarist with many years of experience

Cichlids are one of the most beautiful and difficult fish. Breeders often have to rack their brains over how to properly keep these fish and with whom cichlids get along in the aquarium. Cichlids are considered intelligent but capricious pets with predatory habits. They can simply eat a neighbor they don’t like, so you need to take the choice of a companion for these capricious fish seriously.

These fish are capricious

Compatibility Principles

Different types of fish can be:

• compatible;
• limited compatibility;
• not compatible.

Incompatible fish should not be kept together. Compatible, on the contrary, get along well in the same volume. Limited compatibility can coexist peacefully under certain conditions: for example, in a spacious tank with shelters or under a special feeding regime.

The compatibility of aquarium fish in one aquarium is determined by the following factors:

1. Water parameters. Different species prefer different water temperatures, hardness, acidity and salinity. Fish that live in similar conditions or are able to adapt to a wide range of values ​​are housed together.
2. Feeding. The compatibility of fish is largely determined by what food they eat. Thus, predators cannot be housed with small hydrobionts, and herbivores cannot be housed with those who need plant thickets.
3. Size. Fish of a similar size get along best. Large individuals can eat or oppress small ones.
4. Character and behavior. It is customary to house peaceful fish with peaceful ones, and active ones with active ones. Territorial species are kept alone, schooling species are kept in groups.

In addition, you should take into account the requirements of aquarium inhabitants for lighting, flow, the presence of shelters and plants.

Should it work constantly or not?

In an aquarium, the population density of fish is several times higher than in natural open reservoirs. Moreover, rivers and lakes have a natural water purification system: part of the mineral pollution is carried away with the current, the other part is absorbed by plants. Thus, the natural reservoir independently maintains the purity of water for the normal life of its inhabitants.

Artificial reservoirs lack such natural mechanisms and require the installation of additional equipment for water purification - filters.

Filters are used not only to maintain the beauty of the aquarium, but also to keep it clean.

Can I turn it off at night?

You cannot leave the container without filtration all night, even if the operation of the device interferes with sleep. Such a long period of downtime in water purification will not have the best effect on the living conditions and well-being of the fish.

In what cases and for how long can I disable it?

You can disable the filter device only in 2 cases:

• When feeding dry food.
  Food that does not immediately settle to the bottom, but floats in the water column and on its surface, is often sucked in by the filter device. To prevent this from happening, the filter can be turned off for 3-5 minutes while feeding the fish. As soon as the fish have eaten everything, filtration must be restored immediately.
• While washing the filter. The filter device must be washed once every 1-2 weeks. Naturally, for these purposes the device is turned off.

You can keep the aquarium without filtration for more than 2 hours.

Kinds

The more popular inhabitants of home aquariums are, of course, small turtles. You can buy them at any zoological store. The best option for novice breeders is dwarf individuals, which do not require huge costs for their maintenance. This mini turtle grows up to 13 centimeters in length, so it will live quietly in any aquarium. It is worth noting the most suitable turtles suitable for life in an aquarium.

musky

This is the smallest representative among all turtles. The body length of an adult is no more than 14 centimeters. The average size of the shell does not exceed 7 centimeters. The main feature of such turtles is its very long neck.

The shell of such a reptile is quite smooth, with a uniform color. However, at a very early age, three distinct grooves appear on it. The natural habitat of turtles is considered to be reservoirs with freshwater water, as well as with a muddy bottom. They spend more than half of their life in water.

In terms of keeping in an aquarium, these are the most unpretentious individuals. This is why they have become so popular. They got their name due to the fact that after a certain period of time a specific smell emanates from them. Most often this happens when aquatic reptiles get scared.

Spotted

Such aquatic turtles are all too common among aquarium hobbyists. They can be recognized by small yellow spots that are located on the shell. In addition, they can also be seen on the neck, head, and paws. Their body length does not exceed 12 centimeters. The carapace on the belly is yellow. With a lot of black spots. In their natural environment, they live in swampy areas.

Flat

Snake-necked turtles include flat marine reptiles. Their body length does not exceed 15 centimeters. However, there are rare individuals with a body length of up to 18 centimeters. These sea creatures are distinguished from their fellow creatures by the presence of a beautiful yellow-orange pattern on their heads. Outwardly, it resembles a crown.

The shell is dark brown in color and has a yellow edging. The neck is covered with small spines. The paws and tail of the reptile are dark in color, which looks quite interesting against the background of the variegated body color. In addition, flat turtles have antennae.

Prudovaya

This subspecies of turtles is very often found in zoological stores. The body length of such reptiles does not exceed 13 centimeters, which makes it possible to keep them in aquariums. Reeves pond turtles come in a variety of colors: black, tan, and dark brown. The neck and feet are most often completely black or gray-green, with white lines on both sides. In addition, they have a rather peaceful character.

In addition to these swimming turtles, there are several other interesting individuals worth noting.

• A fringed reptile that can weigh up to 15 kilograms. To create such an aquarium, you need to buy at least 250 liters.
• The red-eared turtle is a medium-sized reptile and can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. The shell is painted bright green. The neck, head and paws have a pattern of green or white stripes.
• Chinese Trionix weighs up to 5 kilograms with a height of 35–40 centimeters. The shell of such a reptile is more like a frying pan. Its upper side is gray-green. The rest of the body is brown-green.

How to choose the right healthy turtle

First of all, you need to examine the turtle's skin for the presence of ectoparasites (mites). Dental needles should be the same length, the front part of the head should not contain horny outgrowths (in the form of a beak), because it prevents the animal from eating.

Next, you can examine the shell for strength. Often, due to improper nutrition of a turtle, its shell is deformed and/or its strength is insufficient.

In adult animals, the carapace (abdominal - plastron, dorsal carapace) is hard and immobile. The cornea of ​​turtles is firmly attached to the skeleton and should not have scratches or other damage (the cornea in turtles is not always identical to the shell). Leatherback turtles do not have a cornea. Instead, these animals have smooth skin.

Eye examination. The eyes should not be glued together; There should be no clear or cloudy discharge. The eyelid should not be swollen. The turtle's nasal openings and oral mucosa should be free of deposits and secretions. Foam bubbles in the nasal passages or mouth may indicate pneumonia.

Often, when sick, a turtle is unable to reflexively hide its head. When sick, aquatic and sea turtles may behave strangely in the water or stay on its surface (for example, with pneumonia). Abnormal positioning in turtles is also observed after swallowing a foreign body (for example, a large stone).

It is necessary to observe the noises made by the animal. But in unusual situations, turtles can snort; the breathing of healthy turtles cannot be heard. Breathing noises and extraneous sounds may indicate, for example, that the animal has pneumonia.

Remember: a turtle's treatment often exceeds the cost of the animal itself, so don't buy a turtle unless you're sure you can take care of its needs.

Buying a turtle

It is better to carry a turtle from a pet store in warm weather - in a closed box with paper and holes for ventilation, in cold weather - in a box with a heating pad, or pressed against the body, since the turtle does not have its own warmth. Trionics must be transported in water so that the skin on the shell does not dry out.

It is necessary to prepare in advance all suitable conditions for the turtle (temperature, light, ventilation).

If a new turtle is purchased in addition to the existing ones, then first place the newcomer and observe him for 1-2 months. If everything is fine with the turtle, then you can add it to the other turtles. If the newcomer and the old-timers are in conflict, then it is necessary to seat them again. Some aggressive species are best kept separately.

Clean the aquarium or terrarium regularly (1-2 times a week or as it becomes dirty), but without harsh chemicals.

Give animals a variety of food - not only animal, but also plant origin. Don't forget about calcium and vitamins to improve health and shell.

Documentation

When buying an exotic animal from a dealer who does not have documents permitting the import and sale of such animals, namely:

• veterinary certificate from the sending country for the export of the animal.
• veterinary permit of the recipient country to import the animal.
• International Convention on Trade in Wild Species (CITES) certificate from the sending country (if the animal is listed in the CITES Appendices).
• license to sell animals, you are not only committing a not entirely legal action, but also risking your health. A purchased turtle can be a carrier of the dangerous disease salmonellosis, which is contagious to humans.

You have the right to request a copy of the CITES permit and veterinary certificate from the pet store.

If you were sold a sick animal, you have the right to demand a refund. Treatment costs can be recovered from the seller.

Content in groups

Most turtles are best kept in groups containing only individuals of their own species. You should not keep other turtles near snapping, vulture and trionics turtles due to their aggressiveness. You should not mix species from different geographical zones in order to avoid diseases that are unusual for them in nature. It is also better not to keep turtles that vary greatly in size, since large animals can injure small ones.

As you can see, before buying a turtle you need to consider several important and necessary points. Now you know a lot more about us and will make the right choice when purchasing!

Kawabanga, friends!