# Can I Put Convicts In My Tank?



## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Hey guys I'm new here and I have a question. I was wondering if it would be ok to put a pair of convicts in my tank. I know it needs more hiding places like I was thinking a couple medium or small flower pots, a couple larger rocks or rock piles, and maybe 2 more plants. I think the convicts will be aggressive enough to keep my pet turtle at bay, he seems pretty interested in my cories anyway. The substrate is river rock which is what I'm most unsure about. I don't see why it won't work but most people like sand or gravel I've heard so I'm not sure. I'll post pics a little later today if I can find the camera. Right now stock is 1 molly (only one left from bad tank accident, but thriving now), 3 emerald cory cats, and my painted turtle. My filter is just a Whisper power filter but it's rated for 30-60 gallons so it'll be enough to handle the waste. O yes and the tank size is a 20 Long. Thanks for listening! Please feel free to critisize and give suggestions because I'm new and need em'!


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Here are some pictures of my tank.

Complete Tank Shot








Angle Shot of Bottom








From the Other Side








Roger! See, he's just a little guy, don't see him posing much of a threat.








my current fish, the 3 cories and my lone molly


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

Convicts are rather aggressive. I love mine but I wouldn't put them in the tank with a molly. They love to dig in the sand and I love to watch them dig in the sand so that is probably why most people use sand and also why I would recommend it!

My little female convict will with no fear face a fish 3 times her size and flair her gills at it and not back down. FYI


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

A 20 gallon tank alone is not enough to control the waste from a turtle let alone such a small filter. Wait till it grows you will see. If it grows in such a small environment. What are you going to do about supplements for the turtle? How positive in such a tank are you that they wont bother the convicts. Mollies also can live in some crappy conditions, I wouldn't subject one to those conditions but its the truth. Also do you heat the water? You do know turtles shouldn't have heated water? Cooler water conditions are a way for the turtle to cool off after basking and thermoregulating properly.

I wouldn't add the fish. The turtles apatite wont bother them yet if maybe at all but its waste will.

I would get a better home for the turtles and use it for the Convicts with some adjustments.

I don't want to sound rude but caring for turtles the appropriate way is a challenge.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

A male female pair of cons will *own* a 20 tank and the rest will be huddled in a corner or under stuff, but only when they are breeding (which is always). Two male cons would look good in there though. I think that filter is enough for a couple cons and the other fish. I don't have any experience with turtles so I can't speak knowledgably about them. I was wondering from the pics though, most folks I've seen on here with turtles have some kind of shelf for them to sit up out of the water on?


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Think about the ratio of fish you can hold in a 20 gallon tank per size then think about how large the waste is that a turtle produces and how big they can get along with how much food they eat along with how big of a mess they make out of it and this can go on. Keeping turtles is by far any comparison to fish.

That filter would be good for fish but not that turtle in a few months,.. if the small tank size does not stun its growth rate. If a filter like that needs media replaced at least once a month ( 2 weeks if you do it acording to how long carbon lasts ) based on avergae stocking of inhabitants think of how fast a animal such as a turtle with a large diet will exhaust its media.

But if you absolutley must do it I suggest going bare bottom with a canister filter at least. I know Convicts like fine substrate and all but the mechanical filtration on that size of a tank is going to have to be good hence the bare bottom.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Alright so...let's get some things in line.

The turtle is a painted, they don't grow as fast as red eared sliders.

The tank is plenty big for a turtle that size, you're right maybe not once he gets bigger but for now its just fine. When he gets bigger I'll release him don't worry.

The filter is plenty strong for that size of tank, I've done the research and math, don't worry.

You can see the turtle's basking area in 3 of the 4 photos so yes there is a little "shelf" for him to rest on.

So don't worry I know what's goin on with the turtle I understand as I've done plenty of researched and asked plenty of questions on forums. I've got another question though. The general rule is not to have really fine substrate in your turtle tank because they may be tempted to eat it and become impacted. I have a patch of fake grass in there I was using as cover for my molly fry, do you think it would work for a place for the cichlids to keep their fry, or is a finer substrate for them to dig a pit necessary? Also I plan on removing the molly, and I was wondering if I could put a school of about 5 tiger barbs or serpae tetra in there along with the 2 convicts and 3 cories.


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## travis2k (Apr 23, 2008)

> When he gets bigger I'll release him don't worry


that is the part that worries me most, I hope you don't mean release to the wild.
Releasing animals into the wild is not only irresponsible, it's also illegal in most places.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

He has it all under control. He did is research on all this.

Dude it may work out for you. For the Con's sake I hope so. The turtle in the end could handle it. Is it optimal? Not at all and they deserve way better but what ever you do is up to you. Painted turtles grow just as fast just not _as_ large but thats not the point, the point is the conditions for the fish would not be right,....*IMO.*

Hopefully you at least consider my tips and think about some of the other issues I pointed out.



> I was wondering if I could put a school of about 5 tiger barbs or serpae tetra in there along with the 2 convicts and 3 cories.


Now this however makes me think how much studying you actually did.

If you did do any why would you be here asking us questions anyway?

As far as substrates goes. I know reptiles better than fish and I will tell you that they have many types of sand on the shelf for Turtles in general but with most of the sands period a healthy turtle should be able to pass it. I would be more worried about gravel as he gets larger and gets more rambunctious with his eating habits.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

take it easy guys, he didn't come here to get beat up.

For the fish, I'd reiterate that if you get a Male and Female con nothing else in that size tank will have a pleasant existence. If you get two males it would be okay. I see the shelf now in the pics. I didn't notice it before. I also agree with you that the filter is plenty big enough. I've never heard of anyone actually replacing carbon out every two weeks. I only use carbon once in a while as I don't think there are that many chemical contaminants. I even think its okay to just rinse em off and re use them and only put a new one in with carbon once in a while. A lot of experienced folks here don't use carbon ever.

So in a nutshell, two same sex cons and a school of barbs would work. It would be crowded but work. A male female set of cons would work with no other tankmates. If you are removing the turtle when he grows then it doesn't really matter with respect to the tank, but travis is right, releasing him is illegal.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Carbon in this case being that a heavy polluter like turtles are involved should be used and one would find out quick. I know of lots of people depending on animal load that change carbon often or just not use it much. It can turn around on you if left in for to long after it expires and eventualy a turtle will help it expire fast.

I'm not beating the guy up I hope things turn out for him but its just not right for many reasons that is all I am try to point out, at least from a view of somebody that had raised turtles out of a 20 gallon to larger tanks.

My favorites were my Terrapins. I had them in a 20L till they grew it out and then I made sure to make a quick change, also if you want to talk about turtles those ones take experience. My only concern is for the fish. :fish:

:thumb:


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

What are you saying the carbon does for you?

The carbon really only removes inorganic chemicals and contaminants, which the turtle shouldn't be putting out right? The bio system of bacteria is what would have to chomp on the turtles wastes.

I don't know anything about turtles, do they secrete some kind of chemical that you need carbon for?

On a side note, we found a turtle in our front yard last week, first one I've seen wild in many years. I showed it to my 2 year old who was sheepish at first but is still saying 8 days later "turtle went bye bye"


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

The odor and discoloration of the water is why I consider it necessary.

When I moved my Turtles I kept I moved them to the biggest sterilite container I could find for sale and ran a Canister filter on it. I had no problems with that but after even about 5" the Terrapins for one example were just way to much a mess for a 20L.

Again, it could suffice for the Turtle but the Turtle will be a heavy polluter for the fish to have to worry about.



> On a side note, we found a turtle in our front yard last week, first one I've seen wild in many years. I showed it to my 2 year old who was sheepish at first but is still saying 8 days later "turtle went bye bye"


Thats cute, me and my daughter go out looking for animals like Turtles all the time. Kind of like Herpetile hunts I guess. Shes only gunna be 2 next month but she for sure knows what a Turtle, Newt, Fish, (and of course ) a Snake is.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I've been thinking and maybe convicts aren't right for me, perhaps they are too aggressive. Do you guys have any suggestions on cichlids I could put into a community setting?

You're right it is illegal to release turtles but he is a wild turtle. I took him in because I didn't really think he'd have a chance of surviving and wanted to help him out, but now cichlids have really caught my interest and I would like to make a community type fish only tank including a pair of cichlids (less aggressive ones you may recommend) a school of 5 or 6 barbs or tetras and 3 or 4 cories. How's that sound?


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

> I took him in because I didn't really think he'd have a chance of surviving and wanted to help him out,


 opcorn:

It gets better. Now a even better reason on why another animal should not be added to the tank.

Really I would do something with the turtle and utilize the tank for Cichlids.

No offense but that is the best way I see through this. :thumb:

Do some Rams, Tetras of various sorts and the Cories. Barbs can be mean or temperamental if you would unless kept in groups but I was always told as a safe sake to keep them in groups as well as larger tanks when keeping other small more peaceful fish.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Oh, as well as being illegal to release in some states Painted Turtles are protected. I'm not sure about all, some say it is all and some say its not but I would look into it before it gets around more and more. Chances are nothing will happen to you but hey you never know.

I know it is in PA. I go over to PA often to look for animals just for fun.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

Yes, I'm starting to see that just letting the turtle go, despite the money, time, and effort I've put into him would probably be best for him and myself. Also, I've been looking at other cichlids and I've noticed the firemouth, bolivian ram, and rainbow cichlids could all be possible options, what do you guys think? I'd like a fish with personality and attitude but I also would like a community, not just 2 cichlids.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

IMO Rams are awesome fish and if you plant that aquarium would be very interesting.

What ever combo, I say Rams should be added.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

A question about the rams...do they have territorial boundaries like most cichlids because I enjoy seeing fish protecting their territory and interacting with each other. If I do decide to release/give away the turtle I'd like something as equally interesting to watch.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Rams would work well with that size tank. maybe some danios too.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

If I were to go with a cichlid tank, I would probably have 2 cichlids (species undecided so far) 4 cory cats, and a school of 5 or 6 serpae tetra. How's that sound? I'd probably change my substrate to sand or gravel. Which one do you guys recommend?


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## Basolisk (Oct 11, 2007)

travis2k said:


> > When he gets bigger I'll release him don't worry
> 
> 
> that is the part that worries me most, I hope you don't mean release to the wild.
> Releasing animals into the wild is not only irresponsible, it's also illegal in most places.


I see your conserns of releasing animals back into the wild but it should be pointed our that the painted turtle is a native animal to all of north america so it would not have any adverse affects. I once caught one (painted turtle) kept it a few years then released it back at the same place I caught it. Only dif I made was insuring the survival of this one turtle.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

It does not matter. The animal may now be dependant on the food forces supplied as well as carry disease that most wild animals are not used to.


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## jbacker7 (Jul 16, 2008)

I've only had him for a couple weeks, he should be fine but I'll try to give him to a friend but....ff I were to go with a cichlid tank, I would probably have 2 cichlids (species undecided so far) 4 cory cats, and a school of 5 or 6 serpae tetra. How's that sound? I'd probably change my substrate to sand or gravel. Which one do you guys recommend? I've been thinking bolivian rams, rainbows, or firemouths.


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