Can I put a Turtle with Axolotls?

[xxvickyxx]

Hello, this may seem like a silly question to most of you and before just thinking NO could I ask you just to consider this for a moment.....
I have seen an extremely beautiful Diamond Back turtle that I would love to have, they don’t grow very big so I was wondering if it’s at all possible to keep him/her with axolotls? Provided of course the tank was suitable. It currently lives in a tank with frogs 2 other turtles and lots of guppies, which it doesn’t each, so assuming that the axolotls can’t eat or hurt the turtle and assuming the turtle won’t try to eat the axolotls because it doesn’t the guppies, could I keep them together?
Has anyone ever done this before?
Thanks for listening xxx

 

[Abrahm]

I'm going to have to say no, you cannot keep your axolotls with a turtle. I'm not sure of the temperature requirements of the turtle but I would imagine they are significantly higher than those required for an axolotl. If you wanted to keep the turtle at appropriate temperatures the water temperature would stress out the axolotls and vice versa.

It is also a bad idea to make assumptions on if the turtle or axolotl will attempt to injure the other. Situations and behavioral responses can change quickly based upon cues we do not understand. The turtle that is a "community" animal right now could easily shift and become aggressive towards his tank mates.

Also, consider that turtles are extremely messy animals and the impact they have on water quality is substantial. Is the aquarium big enough to handle the waste from both animals? The volume of water needed could be much higher than you anticipated to handle the amount of waste produced.

I do not think this would be a very good match up based on habitat/temperature requirements, and behavioral issues alone, not to mention the issues of water quality and space.

As a corollary, I just looked up some information on this turtle and while it does stay reasonably small, it should have brackish water (as in, diluted marine water) as that is the natural habitat of these animals. Obviously, this is not a good environment for an axolotl.

 

[xxvickyxx]

I have found out that when captive bred, this turtle can be kept in fresh water. It is being kept in treated tap water that isnt heated at the moment, the turtle is in a shop owned by a zoologist. I dont think the temp would be a problem, however I wouldnt want to stress either animal. I do think that i could try putting them together, and perhaps things would be fine,but then perhaps they wouldnt, so I shall not. Thanks for your advise!

 

[Jennewt]

I'm glad you decided not to put them together. It sounds risky to me, especially for the axolotl.

 

[Reptileguy2727]

Assume that anything that goes into a turtle tank is turtle food.

 

[wuperruper]

I'm not sure if this is true, and I do not know too much about turtles, but I have been told on many occasions that turtles tend to carry many diseases. Considering how sensitive axies are to their environment, I wouldnt risk putting them together. Plus, turtles are suppose to have the strongest bite of all animals. I know this specific turtle is small, but if anything triggered it to snap, it wouldnt be too hard to take a bite out of an axie.

 

[Reptileguy2727]

I think crocs have one of the if not the strongest bites of all animals. But compared to the jaws of a turtle, even a hatchling, an axolotl has no chance.

 

[axotol lover]

im not complete sure but u would probably need lots of room id say 500 gallons just to be safe and than 200 gallons of room to bask and the turtle would have to be a herbivore