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View Full Version : (Teenage Mutant) Killer Turtles



Devrim
13th September 2010, 19:51
I keep turtles. To be exact aquatic terrapins, Red Eared Sliders.

I know this probably isn't of that much interest to most people, but anyway I like them.

We keep them in a big aquarium at home alomg with some fish. The fish keep the tank cleaner as Turtles are not the cleanest of creatures

Anyway, today I bought some new fish, Mollys, five black and four white. I fed the turtles before ı put them into the tank, as they get pretty excited at feeding time, and I didn't want them to think that the new fish were dinner. Anyway I put them in and went off to make a cup of coffee. by the time I came back one of the turtles was half way through one of the white mollys, and the others were chasing the other three.

I managed to get the other three out before they were eaten ( I don't object to the turtles eating fish for anything but financial reasons. Indeed the perfect tank would be one in which the fish reproduced at a rate to provide the turtles with their dinner, but that is very difficult to achieve). Then I put the white mollys in the small tank with the turtle hatchlings, which are smaller than them so they are probably pretty safe.

The thing that I thought was strange was that the turtles don't seem interested at all in the black mollys, but exactly the same breed of fish (i.e. the same size), they went for like it was the best thing since fried salami (they don't go for sliced bread).

Has anyone got any ideas why?

Devrim

Dimentio
13th September 2010, 20:22
Aren't it Ninja Turtles?

#FF0000
13th September 2010, 20:40
I've got a couple of red-eared sliders myself. Never thought of feeding them with fish, though.

About how much water do you use in the tank? I only have two and I keep the water somewhat low. Deep enough to swim, but always below half full.

Panda Tse Tung
13th September 2010, 20:51
Maybe they are colour-blind? And it's hard to see the black fish?

Devrim
13th September 2010, 20:58
At the moment I have six in the big tank and four in the small (hatchlings) tank. The water in the big tank is probably about 50cm deep (aprox. 85% of the tank depth). There is a large stone that they can sit on if they want, and although they do occasionally sit there during the day, they prefer to be in the water, and actually sleep in the water.

Personally, I think they seem to enjoy swimming more. If I were you, I would collect a few big stones, and fill the water up a bit, as the half of your tank that isn't full is just dead space to them.

I was going to post a picture of my tank, but I can't see how to post an image from my desktop.

Anyway, I didn't mean to feed them fish. I keep fish in the tank to keep it cleaner. They just seemed to be attracted to these white ones.

Devrim

Devrim
13th September 2010, 21:00
Maybe they are colour-blind? And it's hard to see the black fish?

It could be, but there are white angel fish in there (neither of them are 'white' it is a sort of 'silvery grey'), and they seem to leave them alone despite them being much slower.

Devrim

Dimentio
13th September 2010, 21:42
Haha... I only read the title :blushing: