What fish can live with turtles? (13 interesting facts)

We are going to talk about What fish can live with turtles in our article. We will talk about different types of turtles and fish that are suitable for each other to live together. We will also talk about different things required to keep turtles and fish together in this article.

What fish can live with turtles?

The following fish can live with turtles:

  • Koi fish
  • Sucker mouth Catfish
  • Neon tetra
  • Zebrafish
  • Guppy
  • Pictus catfish
  • Rosy Barb
  • Goldfish

It is very important to know what fish can live with turtles as it has been seen that they can kill each other if they are put in aggressive fish tanks. Some turtles and fish are aggressive and should not be put with fish at any cost. That is why knowing what fish can live with turtles, is beneficial for both the fish and the turtles. Let’s talk about the different types of fish that are compatible with turtles and can be kept together.

Koi Fish

Koi fish are one of the most common pet fish breeds and are easy to go along with the turtles. The species of turtles also matter in this case, if the turtle is aggressive it can kill the fish. That is why looking into the species of turtles is as important as knowing what fish can live with turtles.

Koi fish are omnivores and can eat anything that is why they are easy to keep and managed. Under suitable water and proper feeding conditions, koi fish live very well with other fish and can easily live with turtles as well.

Suckermouth Catfish

The next fish that can go well along with turtles is the suckermouth Catfish. Sucker catfish have unique body colorations and peaceful nature. They are known as plecos and make a fine collection for your aquarium.

Suckermouth catfish or plecos are peaceful in nature and are reasonably large in size relative to the turtles so both creatures can live together well and don’t cause each other any kind of harm. Keep in mind that what fish can live with turtles also depends on conditions like proper feeding and stress-free situations. In starving conditions or stress conditions, undesirable behavior might be seen in turtles and fish.

Neon Tetra

The neon tetra is one of the best fish that can live with turtles. They have beautiful neon colorations in their body and the cooperative nature and behavior make them one of the best pet fish breeds as well.

Neon Tetra can live easily with turtles, but keep in mind that any kind of aggressive turtle species can cause harm to Neon tetra and cause it harm. In many cases, unsuitable tankmates such as amphibian and aggressive carnivores fish can result in the killing of calm fish like neon tetra.

The speed of neon tetra fish is surprisingly fast as compared to the speed of turtles, this makes the fish easily safe from the aggressive predators in aquatic life.

Guppies

Guppies are small colorful and extremely playful little fish. They love to play around the water and are extremely fast. Being fast makes it impossible for the turtle to attack the fish and eat it. But keep in mind that guppies and peaceful turtles can live very well together given the proper water conditions and feeding.

What kind of fish can live with turtles? is a broad question as not only the kind is the main concern here. Many peaceful fish or turtles can become aggressive or extremely territorial conditions like stress conditions or improper feeding. Therefore it is very important to provide suitable conditions for both animals to exhibit their best possible behaviors.

Rosy Barbs

These fish just like the other turtle friendly fish are mostly small and fast in swimming. The speed helps them from getting caught by the turtles. They have beautiful coloration on their bodies. The easy-care level and peaceful nature of these fish make them one of the best fish that can live with turtles.

Rosy Barbs are best suited for the community tanks. Rosy barb gets really along with suitable species of turtles. Keep in mind that before putting rosy barb fish into the tank with turtles, you should know what kind of nature the turtles have. 

Goldfish

Goldfish are adorable little tropical fish and one of the famous pet fish breeds. It is generally not advisable to keep the goldfish with the turtles as they can be killed by the aggressive omnivores turtles.

Goldfish are easily susceptible to diseases like swim bladder disorder diseases and it can affect their quality of life and duration of lifespan. Goldfish can live with turtles, but keep in mind they require suitable conditions to live peacefully among the turtles.

Goldfish are one of the best community fish and that is why they can get along with other animal species such as amphibians really well underwater.

Zebrafish

Zebrafish are small active fish and can live with turtles under suitable conditions. The easy-care and maintenance of zebrafish make them one of the best fish, to begin with. The nature and behavior of zebrafish depend on suitable conditions such as ideal water conditions and proper feeding.

Keep in mind that it is against the animal welfare rights to keep zebrafish with tank mates that can cause potential harm to the fish. Therefore proper precautions should be adopted before deciding to put the zebrafish along with turtles.

We talked about different fish that can live with turtles. Let’s talk about some types of turtles that are best to be kept with fish without causing them potential harm or killing them.

The Western painted turtle

These turtles are calm in nature and don’t mess up with the fish in the tank which is comparable to their size. Western painted turtles are omnivores and eat small fish in the tank as well, that is why it is not advisable to keep western painted turtles in a breeding tank.

The adults are mainly herbivores and can feed on the flake diet and vegetations as well. But keep in mind that if the proper feeding requirements of the Western painted turtle are met, they wont show any kind of aggression and live peacefully with the fish.

The above-mentioned fish such as zebrafish, koi fish and suckermouth catfish, etc can live with turtles of western painted species. These turtles are easy to manage and can grow up to 4 to 10 inches easily. Keep in mind that the feeding schedules of the turtles and the fish should be strictly improvised and implemented to prevent unwanted consequences like the killing or eating of the small fish in the tank.

Mud and Musk turtle

These turtles are the best ones to keep in the fish tank. They are not good predators and cannot kill or hunt the fish like other turtles in aquatic life. They usually cover themselves in the mud and wait for the prey to come close and attack them, such conditions are not present in the aquariums or fish tanks. 

Therefore this behavioral trait of mud and musk turtles won’t be stimulated. Taking proper care of the feeding schedule of the mud and musk turtle is important. You don’t want to trigger the wild traits in the captive animals such as mud and musk turtles and other community fish in the tank.

Mud and musk turtle are peaceful and prefer to stay at one place and spend their time, they are not acting like other aquatic animals. So, it is best to keep them as a companion of the other fish in your collection. 

Red-eared Slider

The red-eared slider turtles also go really well along with the fish and don’t cause them any kind of harm or damage. They are carnivores when juvenile as they require high energy and protein-rich diet that can help them grow and meet their normal body requirements.

The adult turtles are herbivores and grow really well with the other large fish of the tank. They are one of the most common turtles to be kept as pets in the world. They have a calm and peaceful nature and are the best option to be put in a tank full of other community fish.

Pink Belly Side neck turtle

Pink belly side neck turtles also peaceful in nature and best to be kept along with the fish in the tank. They require a high-energy diet to meet their basal metabolic processes. They should be kept along with large fish of comparable size to their bodies, they eat small mollusks and fish that is why it is not good to keep them with small fish.

Important points to know

Keep the following points in your mind while placing the fish with the turtles:

  • Make sure that the fish and turtle have calm natures
  • Note the reaction of the turtle once you have placed the fish in the tank
  • Add adult turtles as they are herbivores and won’t cause any harm to the fish.
  • Create certain hiding spots for the fish in the tank

Conclusion

We talked about What fish can live with turtles in our article. We talked about different types of turtles and fish that are suitable for each other to live together. We also talked about different things required to keep turtles and fish together, in this article.

Feel free to ask anything about What fish can live with turtles? In the comment section below:

FAQs What fish can live with turtles

Frequently asked questions about What fish can live with turtles are:

What kind of fish can you put with turtles?

The following fish can live with turtles:

  • Koi fish
  • Sucker mouth Catfish
  • Neon tetra
  • Zebrafish
  • Guppy
  • Pictus catfish
  • Rosy Barb
  • Goldfish

Can you put fish and turtles in the same tank?

Yes, you can put fish and turtles in the same tank under suitable conditions. Some turtles and fish are aggressive and should not be put with fish at any cost. That is why knowing what fish can live with turtles, is beneficial for both the fish and the turtles.

Can turtles eat goldfish?

Yes, they can in some conditions. Goldfish are adorable little tropical fish and one of the famous pet fish breeds. It is generally not advisable to keep the goldfish with the turtles as they can be killed by the aggressive omnivores turtles. Usually, the adult herbivores turtles are fine partners and companions to the Goldfish.

Do turtles kill fish?

Yes, turtles kill fish but not all of them and not in all conditions. Some turtles are aggressive in nature and can kill fish while some turtles such as mud and musk turtles don’t hunt or kill the fish.

Can a betta fish live with a turtle?

No, a betta fish cannot and should not live with a turtle. It is not advisable to put them together.

References

https://www.turtleholic.com/turtles-fish-in-same-tank/

https://www.senzeal.com/blog/choose-the-right-fish-to-live-with-turtles-in-your-aquarium-b0527.html

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