more turtle spam

[Godzillaalienfan1979]

It would be an incredibly impractical and expensive setup, but can Matamatas be kept with other peaceful basking turtles?

I'd imagine it might work because....

1: Matamatas are beakless, and I really couldn't see a full-sized red eared slider being able to be engulfed. In comparison, wouldn't Matamatas are waaayy too big for even an 8-inch long slider to bully?

2: Matamatas are bottom-dwellers and basking turtles primarily dwell on the upper layers, so I couldn't see them coming into conflict very often

3: Matamatas don't bask, so the two wouldn't be competing for space]]

this probably wouldn't work, just wondering

 

[schmiggle]

I mean, you could probably do it, but it would take a helluva filter. Also, I'm not sure something like a red eared slider likes the acidic, tannin-y water a matamata needs for maintenance of health in the long term.

 

[Godzillaalienfan1979]

I'm not sure something like a red eared slider likes the acidic, tannin-y water a matamata needs for maintenance of health in the long term.

Oh yeah, that's a good point

 

[Beedrill]

I mean, you could probably do it, but it would take a helluva filter. Also, I'm not sure something like a red eared slider likes the acidic, tannin-y water a matamata needs for maintenance of health in the long term.

This would definitely be your chief concern. Matamatas are highly specialized turtles that have very specific environmental requirements. Honestly, I think a Red-Eared Slider would probably be you ONLY option (only one I'm aware of). While the conditions wouldn't be usual for Red-Eared Sliders, they are an extremely hardy species that can survive and even thrive in almost any water conditions and have invasive populations all over the globe. They are so invasive that they are banned by the EU and Australia and Japan plans to ban them by 2020. Of coarse they are native here in the states. It's really incredible how bullet proof they are once they get to be about 4 inches.