Is this kind of tank possible?

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niks93gt

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Sep 12, 2006
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I would like to get a tank thats mostly water with a semi large land deck. Probably use a 55 gallon tank and fill it most of the way up and have a nice large land deck. I'd like to have a turtle, a couple of small frogs, and some fish. Fish I'd like to have are a black ghost knife, maybe a redtailed shark, and some mollies or something along those lines. Is this possible or am I just dreaming?

Nik
 
your turtle will most likely eat your fish eventually. also, be caredul with the frogs you chose. make sure they are not poisonous at all. even captive bred poisonous frogs will have enough remnants to make the water toxic to the fish.

also, you will need serious filtration to handle the frog/turtle waste. they are big wastemakers and will polute the water.

if you are careful and do your research, you can do it.
 
It can be done, but Turtles produce extreme levels of waste, and its going to be really hard to filter all of that out. I am a turtle lover and have done a lot of research on this.

Also, alot of turtles are going to outgrow a 55 gal, just be careful on what you get. Also, a motivated (hungry) turtle is ..VERY.. fast, and can catch fish.

James
 
It is possible but I would recommend selecting carefully the inhabitants and do a lot of research. These type tanks are more demanding to set up "properly", IMHO. I like biotypes done this way but a much larger tank is better. Care must be taken to make sure the demands of each inhabitant is covered. Most tanks I see are really just thrown together without much thought and really don't benefit any of the inhabitants. They survive but to me there is more to it. I think these tanks should flow and look natural. Not like hey I bought a turtle, found this frog, and like these fish. From your question it seems you are wanting a "ecosystem" not just a tank of critters. I think the goal should be more along the lines of what one would expect to see at a zoo or aquarium. The goal would be for me to look like I just took a "slice" from a natural setting. I think I would really look into native species and be prepared to have some inhabitants also serve as potential lunch at times. Of course a 55 gallon is going to get small quick and doesn't really allow to large of a "land mass". Depending on your experience you may want to hold off on such a tank.
 
Thanks for the info guys... where would I go to look up ecosystems like your talking about? I was definitely not thinking about throwing in a snapping turtle or something of that nature that will keep growing, I was more thinking of your common small turtles you see in the pet store that are maybe two inches in diameter. A bigger tank isn't out of the question, I just have a 55 gal available to me. Thanks!

Nik
 
I'd be very cautious, and grill the pet store people about how big those 2" turtles get at full adult size. I'd also be sure to ask them for the scientific name of the turtle species, so that I could double-check their info online.

Like many others here, my gut instinct is telling me 55g is too small for just about any setup involving a turtle, but perhaps there are some "dwarf" species that stay relatively small and you could make it work. As always, doing good homework is a must.

And the other thing to remember is that, in the wild, turtles eat fish. So you need to be prepared to lose any and every fish that you put into this tank. It may not happen all at once, or even happen at all, but you are likely to experience at least some losses--starting with the slowest moving of the fishes. Consider yourself warned!
 
If you go with a turtle, as people have said, they are super messy. whatever amount of water you plan to have, make sure your filter can turn over about 10x gph. trust me, its worth it.
 
turtle, a couple of small frogs, and some fish

IMO, this combination is not practical. As far as the "land deck," you need to decide exactly what you are shooting for. Turtles are most likely going to work out in a turtle tank. Many fish on the other hand can do well with an ADF (African Dwarf Frog) which can be very enjoyable along with having the added diversity of all the fish.

Check out on of the moderators, "Zagz" photo gallery. She has pics of her albino frog in her tanks. Once you decide more specifically come back for fish suggestions and we can help you determine what kind of community you want.
 
Well my gf trumped me on the big setup insisting we didn't have enough room, so I set up an old 10g I had laying around... so visit my other thread asking a few questions about that.

Nik
 
niks93gt said:
. I'd like to have a turtle, a couple of small frogs, and some fish. Fish I'd like to have are a black ghost knife, maybe a redtailed shark, and some mollies

please do not do this to the BGK, they are very fragile when young, and i believe turtles produce excessive waste. they are also very blind, i have no doubt a turtle could eat one. BGKs will aslo need the full 55 gal at least. i think your idea is possible, just not with the ghost
 
The key to keeping turtles, in my experience, is to never feed them in the tank they live. Remove them to a container to feed the (iused a wash basin, and leave them there until they have evacuated. Also, only feed them abot 3 times per week. Those small turtles you see in the pwt shop are uaually, red eared sliders which will grow to 12" or more, depending on how they are fed.
 
BillD said:
The key to keeping turtles, in my experience, is to never feed them in the tank they live. Remove them to a container to feed the (iused a wash basin, and leave them there until they have evacuated. Also, only feed them abot 3 times per week.

I completely agree BillD, but my 3 turtles won't eat anywhere else - they just get freaked out when put in another container for any amount of time - if they evacuate, then it is in fear, and not intentional. I don't like to stress my animals out any more than necessary. I would rather feed in their own tank and deal with the repurcussions than that.
 
niks93gt said:
I was more thinking of your common small turtles you see in the pet store that are maybe two inches in diameter.

Nik

Those are typically red-eared sliders (or painteds, or yellow-bellied sliders) that will eventually hit 12" long, and hit 6" long pretty quickly...and they will be happy to snack on all your fish, and your frogs, if they can catch them.

I would suggest setting-up your paludarium without a turtle, as even the smallest sorts (like a Sternotherus odoratus) is going to be large enough and hungry enough to make the fish scarce before long.
 
Using another container for feeding is alot more pratical for tortoise, and that is how we feed and take care of our 2 red footed tortoises.
 
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