Turtle owners and enthusiasts!

[the_dora_explorer]

Hey,
I'm interested in getting a turtle setup going. I already have a Private Wildlife License for Victoria as I'm a keen and passionate snake owner. I'm just wondering if people could give me their opinions/suggestions.
Idealy I'd would like to get a couple of terrapin red ear sliders, but as they are illegal that is not realistic! haha.
I'm after a breed of turtle that is more aquarius? (I'm not sure if that's the right term: I mean a turtle that spends the majority of it's time swimming around as apposed to sitting on a sandy shore and ducking into the water), and doesn't grow large (preferably smaller then 25cm) . Obviously it needs to be a breed of turtle that can legaly be kept in victoria. I want to try and get a balance going on so the turtle lives in an a mini 'enviroment' instead of a boring tank of water, sand and the turtle. So hopefully I could get a species or two of fish in there as well to create an enviroment. I don't know how realistic that is though?
So yeah, just wondering if people could please offer me there knowledge and opinions, I'm very eager to gain as much knowledge as I can!
Thanks

 

[obsessive]

All Australian turtles except the Pig Nosed Turtle need to come out of the water to bask. But saying that, it doesn't mean that they don"t spend the majority of theire day swimming around. I have a couple of Mary River Turtles, a couple of Murray River Turtles and a Sawshell Turtle and the only time they bask is when I am not in the room.

If you are wanting a turtle that stays under 25cm scl you really only have two options, Macleay River Turtles and Painted Turtles. Macleays stay smaller then Painteds, but Painteds are such a great looking turtle.

As with all turtles, keeping fish with them is something of luck. It either works or doesn't. I have had 7 Rainbow fish in my tank with the Mary's and Murrays for over a year and haven't lost one. But just the other night the Marys decided they wanted to eat the golden eel tail catfish that shared the tank and ate them both that night. The golden rule I use is if the fish has sentimental value to you, or is expensive it doesn't belong in a turtle tank.

 

[the_dora_explorer]

Yeah the pig nosed turtle's lifestlye is the kind of ideal situation, but not the size that comes along with it haha!

So both Macleay River and Painted's are legal in victoria?
When I looked at Private Wildlife regulations there was only a handfull of species of turtles on there...

Yeah I plan to have the fish there for the enviroment, rather then as my cherished pets.
Hopefully I would be able to get the balance right!

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[obsessive]

I just had a quick search through google and you don't really have many choices in Victoria for turtles do you? I think the only turtles that would really suit what your looking for would be a Sawshell turtle, a Krefft, or an Oblong. Other then that you have the Mary and Expansa which get very big.

Balance isn't that hard to keep, just make sure you have plants for the fish and prawns to hide in and you will be right.

 

[the_dora_explorer]

Yeah I'm most likely going to get Saw Shells

Is there any specific fish people can recomoned for this?

 

[JAS101]

Yeah I'm most likely going to get Saw Shells

Is there any specific fish people can recomoned for this?

u do know that u may have to get a import permit to buy the saw shell from anywhere else other then vic ......
can i assume that u are going to be keeping the turtle indoors [ rather then an outdoor enclosure] ?
as any turtle other then a easton long neck and a murry river short neck wont live over melbournes winter ...