How to Put a Sucker Fish in a Tank With a Turtle

Co-authored by Marshall Stephens

Last Updated: December 3, 2024 Approved

Turtles eat just about anything. You usually don't want to put any other animals with turtles, but some animals can peacefully cohabitate with turtles. This article described how to introduce a sucker fish into your turtle’s habitat. In this article, when we refer to sucker fish, we’re talking about bottom feeders, in general, including Plecos and other catfish.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Evaluating the Turtle Diet

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Yes, turtles will eat or try to eat just about anything you put near them. In captivity, some species eat turtle pellets, which often include shrimp or fish meal, flour, and vitamin supplements. Dietary preferences vary a bit by species, however.
These are a popular pet species. They are usually pretty carnivorous, but they can eat aquatic plants and vegetables, ideally floating ones. Preferable vegetables include dark romaine leaves, mustard or collard greens, endive, Swiss chard, kale, parsley, and carrot tops. ^{[1]
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Research source} In captivity, they eat turtle pellets. As they grow older, they tend to eat more plant matter, but bear in mind that younger turtles eat more animals.

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They eat aquatic plants, crickets, earthworms, insect larvae, and commercial pet food. ^{[2]
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Research source} They can also eat chopped fish, but this is not recommended since you don’t want your turtle to develop a taste for fish if you plan on introducing live fish to their habitat. ^{[3]
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Research source} So, be careful keeping crustaceans around.
There are other turtles that might be good pets, but bear in mind that they might not be able to cohabitate with fish. Map turtles are primarily carnivorous. So, they’re not suitable tank mates for fish. Box turtles are also popular, but since they’re not aquatic per se, you obviously wouldn’t be pairing fish with them. ^{[4]
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On a fish diet, your turtle may be more inclined to try to eat any other fish that might be in the tank. So, you do not want your turtles to get in the habit of eating fish, particularly live fish.

Part 2

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Choosing Fish Companions

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1
Look into hearty fish species primarily. Since turtles are rather omnivorous and apt to consider other animals as potential food, the heartier fish species you can find, the better. Just make sure it’s not so hearty as to be aggressive.
- Plecostomus is a hearty category of fish. Plecos (the common name for plecostomus), aka a sucker fish, is a fish in the catfish group that are popular pets. Plecos are algae eaters of varying colors. Some can grow to be two feet long in a large tank. Many of them also have armor. So, most turtles, even adults, don’t seriously injure them.
- Certain large fish can be turtle companions. In addition to sucker fish, certain large koi can cohabitate with turtles such as red ear sliders. Bear in mind, however, that the turtles may nip at their fins. ^{[5]
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2
Account for turtle size. Remember that most semi-aquatic turtles can grow very large very quickly. So, take future turtle size into account when choosing a fish. Unless a fish is particularly fast and agile, it’s better to have any fish be larger than the turtle or as large as possible.
- Giant gourami and cichlids might also be suitable fish in a turtle tank. Giant gourami are large enough that they might not be considered turtle food. Non-aggressive types of cichlids are also potentially good mates.
- Small and fast fish can survive in turtle tanks. Tiny and agile fish such as guppies may be able to cohabitate with turtles. Beware of them overpopulating the tank, though. ^{[6]
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3
Research other options if you have difficulty finding a suitable mate. It’s not always easy finding a suitable tank mate for a turtle, and your pet store’s options might also limit your own. So, some aquarists use small and common fish, which might be suitable companions for a time.
- Some turtle owners place goldfish and minnows in turtle tanks. They may survive, and tend to have a short lifespan anyway. If the turtle does eat them, however, they are inexpensive and easily replaceable.
- Ghost shrimp are also a potential short-term option. If they have enough hiding spaces and cover in the tank, ghost shrimp can have a respectable survivability rate. Some may be eaten, however, and ghost shrimp don’t have a long natural lifespan as it is.
- Consider apple snails as an alternative. If you are getting fish to eat algae, consider buying apple snails instead. Get the largest ones possible and they should be safe in the tank, unless you have a 2 foot (0.6 m) long turtle.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Introducing Fish to the Turtle Habitat

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Since pet turtles can grow large, you’ll want to accommodate them—and any fish companions—with a large tank. A five-foot-long tank at a volume of 80 gallons is recommended. ^{[7]
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This is important for obvious reasons. If the turtle isn’t hungry when the fish is introduced, it is less likely to go after the fish immediately as a source of food. It is also likely to have a better temperament and be less shocked by the introduction of a new tank mate.
Lots of adult semi-aquatic turtles (like red ear sliders) eat more vegetables as adults. So, they are less likely to consider the fish as a potential meal. When the turtle is mature, you’ll also know its adult size. This way, you can see what size companion might be suitable for the turtle, if you’re considering a large fish .
See if the turtle reacts to the fish's presence. If there is no reaction, you may be okay having the sucker fish in the tank with the turtle. If the turtle swims up to the fish and nips at it or keeps bothering it, you should remove the fish and find it a new home (or return it to the store).
5
Acclimatize the fish to the water. Water chemistry can differ considerably between fish tanks. So, slowly introduce the fish to the tank by first floating it in its bag in the tank for 5 minutes, then adding a little bit of the tank water to the bag every 5-10 minutes until the water in the bag is twice the volume it was before.
- Carefully, take out half the water in the fish bag and again add a little tank water at a time every 5 minutes until the water in the bag is again doubled.
- Wait five minutes, then carefully net the fish (or pour the contents of the bag over a sink into a clean colander that has no soaps or chemical residue) and put the fish gently into the tank. Using this transition method, the fish will adapt more gradually to the change in temperature, pH, GH, etc., and will be more likely to survive the transition.
6
Include hiding spots in the tank. These will allow the fish to have space to themselves, to feel less stressed, and to be less vulnerable to the turtles. Hiding spots can also add decoration to the tank, while providing segmentation that gives different species their own different regions of the tank.
- Terracotta flowerpots and PVC piping are usually ideal. These have a less natural look but can be easily accessible to fish, while impenetrable to turtles. Also, many are made especially for aquariums, including related ornaments like miniature sunken ships.
- Bushy plants can provide good hiding spots. Synthetic plants made especially for fish tanks are best. You don’t want the turtle to eat any plants meant to hide or protect your fish.
- Rocks and driftwood can work when chosen carefully. Rocks are good hiding spots for fish, but make sure they’re not too heavy for the aquarium or too light for the turtle to move. The same applies to driftwood, but also make sure the wood has been treated for use in aquariums so that it doesn’t release any toxins.

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Can I put a goldfish with a turtle?

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The goldfish would have to be fairly large so that the turtle doesn't regard it as prey.

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Why is my fish upside down?

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Because it's either really sick or dead. When it's upside down, you need to treat the water. You also need to check what you are feeding it. If you've changed food for the fish, then it's probably not used to the new food, so keep feeding it the old one.

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Is it okay that I put a moss ball with my red ear slider?

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Yes, they are really good for water quality and they like pushing them around.

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Visit Allturtles.com (see external links) and go to the message board. It's very popular among turtle keepers and there is a plethora of information there. Post questions there because they get checked frequently by users.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Feeding your turtle(s) in a plastic basin instead of putting food into the tank will keep the tank cleaner. I place the basin in a clean, empty bathtub because sometimes the turtles climb out. My red-eared sliders are 25 years old (full-grown), so I feed them in separate basins or one at a time.
Keep an eye on your plecos. I've heard of them boring into turtles' heads and shells and even chewing a small common snapper's eyelid off.
Don't put snapping turtles together with other fish or turtles. They can fight too harshly.

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Warnings

Some aquarists do not recommend goldfish guppies. Since it is very possible the turtle may eat these type of fish, they are not necessarily a good choice as turtle companions.

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Anything that you put into the tank (except an adult Plecostomus or maybe an apple snail) is probably going to eventually get eaten by your turtle. Don't get attached to the fish or anything else placed in the tank. Be sure to watch carefully over the first few days. Don't be surprised if the fish (or anything else) goes missing because the turtle will probably eat it.

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How to Put a Sucker Fish in a Tank With a Turtle

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Evaluating the Turtle Diet

Choosing Fish Companions

Introducing Fish to the Turtle Habitat

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