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Since turtles are such intriguing creatures people frequently consider pairing them with aquarium fish. Is it a wise decision? Can Oscar fish and turtles live together in the same tank? The short answer is yes, but several conditions and causes will affect the answer to this question.
Since both species require similar water parameters, such as pH and temperature, Oscar fish and turtles can live in the same tank. Nonetheless, competition for space is can be a drawback of keeping turtles and oscar fish together. This is due to the fact that both species can be aggressive and will attack each other if they don’t have enough space to move.
Keep in mind that turtles can also eat your Oscar fish if the space is limited and the Oscar fish are small.
In addition to being more difficult to maintain, turtles and other fish like oscar need sizable fish tanks. Ten gallons of fish tank space are advised by experts for every inch of turtle length. Hence, a fish tank of at least 50 gallons will be needed to accommodate a five-inch turtle. Since turtles excrete more waste than fish do, both turtles and Oscar fish require large fish tanks.
There are better tank mates Oscar fish including Catfish, Silver Dollar fish, Firemouth cichlids, Convict cichlids, blue acara, and other species that make excellent tank mates for Oscar. Keep away from larger cichlids like Texas cichlids and terrors because they may lead to aggressiveness issues in the tank.
A lot of turtle keepers choose to keep their pet turtle in a tank with one or two other species. Other turtles, other reptiles, and even fish can share a tank with these animals. While it can be a beautiful sight, it doesn’t always work to keep a turtle and fish in the same tank.
Do Oscar fish need tank mates?
Yes, Oscar fish need to have tank mates. Oscar fish will benefit from having some compatible fish species as tank mates. But Oscar fish can be fairly aggressive toward smaller fish in the aquarium, so be sure to add the right tank mates for them.
Oscar fish prefer to live in couples or little groups. I suggest retaining several Oscar fish at least 2, or even 5 if you have the space. I recommend maintaining more than three fish since three isn’t always a smart idea because two of the fish could form a friendship and ignore the third.
You might be interested in reading this related article: Can Oscar Fish See In The Dark?
Conclusion
In conclusion, can Oscar fish live together with turtles? It is possible; yes, but I don’t recommend it. Turtles produce a significant amount of waste in addition to growing large enough to eat the Oscar fish. Remember animals are instinct-driven and they are not very intellectual. If something looks like food to them it probably is and they going to eat it. On the other hand, the Oscar won’t hurt it unless it is bite-sized. As I said before anything that appears to be food must be food.
This setup works better with fish that grow similarly to Oscars. Finally, I don’t think it will work.
