Can You Put Turtles and Fish in the Same Tank? (Is It Safe?)

Getting your turtle to get along with fish can be a little tricky since turtles really like to eat fish, but it can be done.

You can have turtles and fish in the same tank as long as you have the right turtle and fish species, you give your turtle enough food so it doesn’t try to eat the fish, and there is enough space so they don’t have to stay too close to one another.

As you can see having fish and a turtle in the same tank is not an easy thing, there are quite a few things that can go wrong for both the fish and the turtle. But it can be done. And the most important thing is to choose the right turtle and fish species, so we’ll start the article with this.

Turtle Species That Eat Fish and Species That Don’t

Turtles can be either: carnivorous, omnivorous, or herbivorous. Carnivorous turtles will only eat meat, this includes fish. Herbivorous turtles will only eat fruits and vegetables. And omnivores will eat meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables.

But unfortunately, most turtle species are omnivorous, so they will eat fish, and they actually enjoy it, as it’s one of their favorite food.

While most turtle species will eat fish, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will always try to catch them. Turtles have different personalities and some of them might not want to chase the fish through the tank, as long as they are properly fed.

Some turtle species that have shown less interest in chasing fish are:

Map Turtle
Musk Turtle
Spotted Turtle
African Sideneck Turtle
Reeve’s Turtle

Red Eared Sliders, which are probably the most popular pet turtle species, are actually a bad choice if you want to have fish in the tank since they are some of the most active fish hunters.

But even if your turtle is a big fan of chasing and eating fish, there are some fish out there that they most likely won’t be able to catch. And there are also fish species that are dangerous for turtles. So let’s take a look at both groups.

Fish That a Turtle Shouldn’t Eat or Live With

There are some fish out there that you shouldn’t let your turtle eat or live under any circumstance.

Here is a list of fish that you should avoid:

Goldfish
Rosy Red minnows
Carp
Gizzard Shad
Feathered minnows

The problem with these fish is not that they are poisonous or anything like that. The problem is that they have a lot of small sharp bones that can damage the internal organs of a turtle.

When turtles eat a small fish, they don’t chew it, they simply swallow it as it is. And the spine bones of the fish can scratch them, which can lead to internal bleeding, which can be fatal.

When a turtle eats a bigger fish, it will take big bites out of it, which will swallow without chewing. And the same problem will appear.

Another problem is that some fish contain high amounts of thiamine. Thiamine is an enzyme that will block the absorption of vitamin B1 which is essential for a turtle.

Another type of fish that you should avoid is wild-caught fish. Your pet turtle doesn’t have the same hardened immunity system as a wild turtle, so a wild-caught fish can make your pet turtle get sick.

If you want to add fish to the tank to feed your turtle, or to live with your turtle you can ask somebody at the store which fish are for turtles to eat. Normally they should know which fish are dangerous and which are not. Or you can simply take a screenshot of this list or note it down:

Here is a list of fish that are safe for your turtle to eat and live with:

Bluegills
Neon Tetra
Bass
Crappies
Pictus Catfish
Guppies
Killifish
Platies

Those fish are completely safe for turtles, they don’t contain thiamine, and they don’t have too many bones, so there should be no danger for your turtle.

Now we will talk about which fish can safely live with your turtle, and how to properly set up the tank for both of them. After that, we will discuss

Now that we covered which fish are good for turtles, let’s see why they are good for turtles.

Can Turtles and Fish Live in the Same Tank?

Under the right circumstances, turtles and fish can live in the same tank.

One way things can work out is if your turtle is an herbivore. If your turtle doesn’t eat meat, it won’t show any interest in the fish, so they will be able to live in harmony.

Here is a list of herbivorous turtle species:

Yellow-spotted river turtle
Asian river turtle
Suwannee cooter

Unfortunately, there are very few turtle species that don’t eat fish, and the ones that don’t can reach quite big sizes, so they are not suitable for most people.

You can also try to get a mud turtle or a musk turtle, which are omnivores but are not that interested in chasing food. But there will always be a risk that some of your fish will disappear overnight.

Another possibility is to get a big tank and fill it with a lot of hiding spots for the fish. Turtles are not as agile as fish. If you fish have enough room to run from the turtle, and they have a few places to hide they have a very high chance to escape every time your turtle tries to catch them.

Fish Species That Can Live With a Turtle

As you can imagine not all fish are able to resist in the same tank with a turtle. In order to survive a fish needs to be either very big or very fast.

Luckily there are quite a few fish that have those qualities and have a nice aspect at the same time. Here is a list of some fishes that are able to live with a turtle:

Neon Tetra

The neon tetra is one of the most popular fish species that are kept together with turtles. In general, they don’t grow too much, the majority of them being able to reach only 1.5 inches. But what makes them a good pairing for turtles is their speed.

The neon tetra is schooling fish, which means that they prefer to stay in groups of at least 4. So I would recommend you to get at least 6 or 8 fish, this will give them a better chance at surviving.

Pictus Catfish

The Pictus Catfish is a member of the catfish family, which means that it has the whiskers that act as a sensor that let them know if anything dangerous gets close to them.

Most Pictus catfishes won’t reach a size bigger than 5 inches, which won’t scare a turtle, but it won’t necessarily encourage them to attack.

Another aspect that makes them able to live with turtles is their speed, they can move extremely fast if anything tries to attack them.

Guppies

Guppies are another species that can safely leave with a turtle in the same tank.

Most guppies won’t get any bigger than 2 inches, so they are able to find a lot of small spots to hide if your turtle tries to go after them. And they are very fast so your turtle won’t be able to catch them no matter how hard it tries.

Killifish

Killifish are another small fish species that will reach sizes between 1 and 2 inches. They are extremely fast and they are able to fit in small spots, so they won’t be in any danger, even if your turtle tries to catch them.

They are useful in aquariums for algae control, so they make a great pair with a messy turtle.

Platies

Platies are an excellent pair for a turtle since they are extremely fast, and they usually reach no more than 2.5 inches, which allows them to hind in a lot of places.

Koi Fish

Koi fish are the perfect companion for a turtle, They are able to reach impressive sizes, and are very agile. When koi fish reach adulthood they can reach sizes between 22 and 26 inches, so they are not the ideal fish for a small tank, but they are perfect for a big tank or for a pond.

Suckermouth Catfish

Suckermouth Catfish can easily live with a turtle. They are able to reach sizes up to 20 inches, which will discourage any turtle from attaching it. It also has whiskers that will allow it to sense if anything gets too close for comfort, at which point it can move really fast.

Just make sure that the tank is big enough, otherwise, it won’t have any proper size to hide, or enough space to run away.

Tips for Keeping Turtles and Fish Together

Now let me give you a few tips that will help your turtle and fish lead a peaceful life together.

Have Enough Space

The first tip is to make sure that you have enough space. The general rule is that for every inch of the shell a turtle needs 10 gallons of water, but if you want to add fish to the tank you will need at least 15 gallons of water per inch of shell.

If you don’t have enough space the water will get dirty a lot faster so you will have to clean it a lot more often.

And if the fish don’t have enough space to run from the turtle they are as good as gone.

Add Decorations in Which the Fish Can Hide

Fish can run from the turtle for a long time, but if they don’t have a place where they can rest properly, they won’t be able to survive for too long.

Lock for some decorations that have enough space in them for your fish to hide, and with enough spots for them to enter.

Also make sure that they don’t break easily, if they break, your turtle and your fish can get hurt.

Keep Your Turtle Well Feed

If your turtle doesn’t eat enough it will go after the fish. So make sure that you don’t skip any meals.

To make sure that you feed your turtle enough food, and that you aren’t overfeeding it you should follow the size of the head feeding rule.

The simplest way to put this method into practice is to find a small container, like a medicine cup, a shot glass, or a bottle cap. The container has to be about the same size as the head of your turtle, without the neck. Then you fill that container to the top, and then you can feed the food inside the container to your turtle.

Don’t Place Fish in the Same Tank as Juvenile Turtles

Juvenile turtles eat a lot more meat than adult turtles, and they have more energy to chase the fish around.

While your fish can still escape a juvenile turtle, it will be a lot more stressful.

Adult turtles don’t need as much meat in their diet as juveniles, so they won’t bother as much to chase after the fish.

Adapt the Fish to the Water

Unlike turtles, fish are quite sensitive and fragile, so you need to adapt them to the water in the tank before letting them in.

The safest way to do this is to take a big bucket or container and fill it with water from the tank, don’t worry your turtle won’t be missing it for too long.

Then place the bag in which the fish are in the container. After a few minutes add a little bit of water from the container to the bag.

Now let your fish get used to it for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes have passed, replace half of the water in the bag with water from the container.

Let them stay in that water for 30 minutes. After that, you let them out of the bag and into the tank and put the water back into the tank.

This process will allow the fish to get used to the new pH and temperature levels.

What Happens if My Turtle Eats the Fish?

This is something that is going to happen at some point, no matter how much you try to avoid it, at some point your turtle will catch at least one fish. The good part is that your turtle will be completely fine.

Fish contains a lot of healthy fat, it has lots of vitamin D and B2. But the most important aspect is that it contains a lot of calcium which is essential for a turtle, as well as minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.

So overall this only represents a good meal for your turtle and no downside for the turtle.

It is actually recommended to feed some fish to your turtle considering how many nutritional values it has.

So let’s go over how to properly feed your turtle fish, and how often you should do it.

How to Give Your Turtle Fish

Feeding your turtle fish can be done in two ways.

The first method is to simply put the fish in the tank and let your turtle do the rest. But this method has some disadvantages. The first one is that you will have a lot to clean after your turtle is done eating. The mess left after a turtle eats fish is quite considerable and it can make a room smell bad very fast. So you have to make sure that you clean the tank thoroughly until all small fish bits are gone.

The second disadvantage is that your turtle might not catch all of them too quickly, and in some cases, you might never catch them all. It once took one of my turtles 4 weeks until it manages to catch all the fish.

The second method is a lot more efficient than the first, and is the one that I use and recommend you to use as well. For this method, you will need a smaller container filled with water where you will place the fish as well as the turtle.

This way you won’t dirty the water of the tank, and it will finish eating a lot faster.

How Often Should I Give My Turtle Fish?

Turtles really love fish, this is a good thing as well as a bad one.

If you feed your turtle fish too often it will eventually stop eating other types of food, like pellets. So you have to be careful about how much and how often you feed your turtle fish.

I like to give each one of my turtles 3 fish per month. I usually give them all the fish at once, so that they don’t get the idea that they will receive one each week. I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years, and none of my turtles stopped eating pellets.

You can try to give your turtle more than that, but you risk getting them used to eating only fish and refusing to eat anything else.

What Is the Difference Between Feeder Fish and the Fish That Live in the Tank?

There is no difference between the fish that live in the tank with the turtle, and the ones that she eats. They are the same fish. The only difference is in the purpose of the fish. The ones that live in the tank are decorative, while the ones the turtles eat are for food. But otherwise, there is no difference.

Will Giving Fish to My Turtle Make Her Want to Eat the Ones in the Tank?

If you feed your turtle fish in a separate container, it shouldn’t make her want to eat the ones in the tank. It will actually have the opposite effect. When it will learn that once in a while she will be moved to a place where she can eat fish without any effort, so why bother chasing after the ones in her tank?

My only suggestion is to feed her a different type of fish than the one she lives within the tank, this will stop your turtle from associating her food with her neighbors.

What to Do if Your Turtle Doesn’t Eat the Fish

This happens very rarely, but if this is your case you shouldn’t worry. Turtles, just like people can have preferences, and some turtles might simply not like fish.

As long as your turtle eats other types of food, like pellets, dried insects, or vegetables, there is no problem that your turtle doesn’t eat fish.

There is also the possibility that the turtle species that you have doesn’t eat meat, so check out what kind of diet your turtle has.

Final Thoughts

If you want to add fish to the tank so that your turtle will eat them, stay away from the following species:

Goldfish
Rosy Red minnows
Carp
Gizzard Shad
Feathered minnows

Here is a list of fish with which turtles can live or eat safely:

Bluegills
Bass
Crappies
Guppies
Killifish
Platies

If you want your fish and turtle to live in the same tank you have to make sure that you choose a species that is able to run away from the turtle and make sure that they have enough space to run, and enough safe spots to hide.