# Having Betta Fish in my Pet Turtle Tank.. Get Eaten or Safe?



## KathyR (Sep 14, 2013)

I have a 4 inch red eared slider turtle and he never eats live fish but instead pellets. Do you think I could safely keep betta fish in the tank with him and have it so they don't become food for the turtle? 

He has literally never tasted "live feeder fish"


----------



## JDragon (Jan 28, 2014)

I would not suggest it. The turtle could easily do a lot of damage with one bite or nibble. I wouldn't do it personally. Seems too risky. Plus every turtle tank i've seen is rather dirty from their feces... maybe a case to case thing, but may increase the amount of water changes needed. Other than that, you would have to make sure the tank was suitable for both..


----------



## Kali (Jan 4, 2014)

Yeah I'd be worried, even if he didn't want to eat your betta he still might nip, and one nip could do quite a bit of damage.


----------



## KathyR (Sep 14, 2013)

Even if the turtle has NEVER even tasted live feeders??


----------



## 16kehresmann (Feb 5, 2014)

@Kathy
My friend tried keeping her turtle in with her betta (her turtle had also never tasted live fish, only veggies and pellets. It resulted in her betta being eaten, and he just looked stressed and unhappy during his short lived life., plus I'm not sure what degree you heat your turtles water to but my friends water temp was WAAY too cold for a betta..I wouldn't suggest doing it.


----------



## sbinf (Dec 28, 2013)

The betta would definitely become turtle food. No matter what you choose to feed your turtle now, it has millions of years of evolution which tell it that a fish is food. There is nothing that will change that.


----------



## BlueLacee (Dec 8, 2013)

DO NOT DO!!!! I had a turtle, red eared slider, when I was younger and I also had a fish tank, with this one fish that looked like a quarter sized Gil from Finding Nemo. There was lots of hiding spots, including this large square rock that the fish could hide behind. My turtle was scared to death of the fish (well this fish had killed the rest of its tank mates but still). The fish got used to owning the tank and then one day the turtle just snapped him up with no warning. My turtle had never had anything but pellets.


----------



## Kali (Jan 4, 2014)

The other thing is that even if the turtle isn't hungry, or trying to eat, it might still nip as a territory thing, or a hey what's that bright coloured thing moving around? I'll investigate...with my mouth. 
I think that, plus the temperature and cleaning issues make this an all around bad idea.


----------



## AmbiantNight (Feb 12, 2014)

Please don't do this. Even if properly fed it's in the turtle's instincts to eat small moving fish. They will even take a nip out of fish that would normally be to big for them.


----------



## KathyR (Sep 14, 2013)

Alright Alright.. You guys are right. It does seem that even though my turtle has not been fed feeder fish in his entire life.. turtles do love to eat fish no matter what and it's pure instinct. Found a thread of this nightmare happening. http://turtletanksetup.com/best-turtle-food-to-use-fish-or-pellets/ I really wanted to see a beautiful betta fish in with my turtle tank though. It kind of sucks that the turtle just can't respect the fact of beauty and leave it alone. 

I wonder if there is aquarium fish that the turtle wouldn't be able to catch because of speed... maybe like smaller tetras.


----------



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Turtles are meant to eat fish species I'd let it rest. Get another tank for a betta cover it well and set them side by side for a safe coexsistence.


----------



## cowboy (Apr 14, 2013)

The point has pretty much been made. Last year I gave away my turtle to a lady with a heated outdoor pond. The pond contains large koi fish and frogs. The first thing I thought about was the fish. It's just a turtle natural instinct.


----------



## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

> t kind of sucks that the turtle just can't respect the fact of beauty and leave it alone.


 :shock:
...Seriously...? 

Turtles arent humans and dont view life as rainbows and fairy dust. 
Only humans view bettas as beautiful, every other creature sees them as little, deformed meals. Basically we have created bettas to be the easiest snack in the world. (brightly coloured, painfully slow, and stupid in regards to predators. Perfect for easy spotting and catching)

Im sure anyfish you put in there even the fast ones will live their lives in fear of being eaten by a giant predator...

Just get a new tank if you want bettas and tetras


----------



## KathyR (Sep 14, 2013)

OK OK OK 

I must admit I was a little naive to think such a think now that I look back on it.

:shock:


----------

