Penny Turle with africans 4ft tank

i was considering getting a penny turtle but i''d like to put it in a 4 ft cichlid tank with a massive two piece ship wreck <
>is this alright<
>the fish are electric yellows and this tank seems the perfect idea<
>i also need information on all their needs such as temperature, etc<
>i''ve had a turtle once before so it shouldn''t be to hard<
>also how do i get a licence and where could i catch one or i''ll just buy one from the shops for about 100 dollars<
>thanks for any help  

[ashhhh]

you can get a licence from the queensland parks and wildlife association, just fill in a form and pay a small fee and away you go.IF you decide to catch one dont get a licence because you have to keep a log on your reptile( I do not approve of or dissaprove on this)You can get them cheaper from a local reptile dealer rather than a shop to save big$$$ so it is not really worth the risk.<
>Just provide them with a light above a section out of the water they can sun them selves under to warm up as they are coldblooded.Take them outside in the natural sun for half an hour or so afew times a week, so there shell gets some UV rays which is essential for there shell development and health.With the fish, aslong as they dont nip at him and viceversa they COULD get along fine, you would just have to keep an eye on them,<
>Cheers Ash  

Mate not 100% sure but I keep my turtles along way away from my fish. From what I have been told they will go them at night when the fish is asleep I wouldnt risk it<
>

[ashhhh]

ILOVEFISH<
>Im not challenging your post and forgive me if im wrong but I thought scientists worked out that fish dont ''sleep'' but merely use half of the
ain whilst the other half rests,unless its just another unproven theory....<
><
>Ash  

Wouldn''t know to be sure mate but I know its at night that they are able to catch the feeder fish as they rest and the turtle sneaks up on them, the fish are way to fast in the day. I''m sure somebody on here would know the answer to that<
><
>

thanks for all the replys <
>there''s many hiding spots in the tank where the turtle won''t be able to get through and this is where the yellows colony usually stay during the night when i''ve seen them so hopefully that would work out <
>is 26degrees good for them if i decide to get one or should i drop it slightly <
>thanks for the help  

[ashhhh]

they live in the wild in the cool mountain pods and streams but will adapt to any temp.Dont rely on the heat of the water to keep em warm though.You HAVE to have sum sort of light for them to bask under, out of the water, otherwise it will end up having some sort of digestive problem and shell growth problems. natural UV rays are also important as I mentioned in previous post. But yeah cause they cold blooded they need the heat to give them energy to digest there food just like a croc or a snake,they get far more heat from a direct light source than the actual temp of the water<
><
>hope this helps<
><
>Cheers Ash.....  

[cosmotiger1]

also be careful with him not getting trapped in the ship wreck as turtles are very clumsy swimmers 1 out of 4 people have a mental dissability!<
>think of your 3 best mates if there fine..... IT MUST BE YOU!!!

[cosmotiger1]

also i grew a oscar and a turtle up together.<
>oscar was abput 5 cm and the turtle the size of a 10cent coin.<
>bouth grew together happily. the turtle use to even nick cocroaches out of the oscars mouth.<
>but when the oscar was bout 6 inches long i got scared that oneday he might grab the turtle by the head so i seperated them. i still wish i had of kept them together as maybe they would have gone good.<
><
>cheers<
> 1 out of 4 people have a mental dissability!<
>think of your 3 best mates if there fine..... IT MUST BE YOU!!!

i had a 20cm long turtle in a tank with africans (including electric yellows) and silver batfish (monos), they all got along fine, just make sure the turtle can get completely out of the water to dry off or he might get fungus...<
>OR you could try and get hold of a fly river/pig nose turtle and then it doesn''t need to get out of the water...unlike most australian turtles it has flippers (like marine turtles) instead of claws BUT they get pretty big and, like most turtles, live a long time. i dunno where you could get one in aus. but in hong kong you can get them all over the place....along with every fish you can think of.<
><
>chris<
>

thanks for all the replies and i''ll hopefully get a penny turtle soon <
>is there any differences between long neck turtles and the usual penny turtles and is there any foods they enjoy <
>thanks again    

[ashhhh]

long neck has a longer neck and grows bigger.they enjoy soft boiled green veges or try em on turtle food but they will devour pieces of raw steak.Feeder fish too. Just flick the feeder in the head so it is still twitching (sounds cruel) but your turtle wont be chasing it all day to get a feed.<
><
>Ash

ashh do you know the contact information of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Association and also where could i find a reptile dealer on the north side ?<
>thanks <
>  

[ashhhh]

I know there is a group that holds meetings in
isy (I dont know any details) but call this guy (he keeps and sells reptiles - mainly snakes) and he may be able to help you....<
>Ted or Alma Searle 07 3200 0265 there in munruben QLD.He shouldnt mind me giveing out his number as he is a licenced dealer and
eeds and sells rats, so I dont think hed mind the extra publicity......<
><
>Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service head office 160 Ann st Brisbane ph 07 3227 7676 they will give you everything you need to know about licencing<
>Hope this helps <
><
>Cheers Ash  

thanks heaps