If you plan to get a turtle or already have one, you might be interested in other types of pets that can go in the tank. After all, most turtle tanks are at least 55 gallons, which means there is a lot of room.
Of course, you have to do your research before you put any other animal inside your turtle tank, even if its another turtle. In today’s article, I am going to explain whether or not you can put a frog in a turtle tank.
Can frogs and turtles live together?
Unfortunately, 99% of the time frogs and turtles cannot live together in the same tank. The reasoning is short and simple, they will try to eat each other.
Most frogs and turtles are omnivores, which means they eat both animal and plant sources for food. They are also both opportunistic eaters, which means they will both eat anything given the opportunity.
Most of the time, turtles are the bigger animal and will hunt after the frog. This happens in the wild and would definitely happen if you had them both contained together in a tank. Aquatic turtles are extremely fast in the water, and the frog would not stand a chance to escape.
You may be interested to know that this isn’t just a one way street. There are some frogs that would actually hunt after the turtle, especially if the frog is bigger. For example, there are some species of pet frogs such as the horned frog which can reach up to 6 inches in length.
If a frog of this size was put inside a tank with a turtle that is smaller than 5 inches, there’s a chance the frog would be able to eat the turtle. For this reason, it is almost impossible to have both a frog and turtle in the same tank. For similar reasons, snakes cannot live with turtles.
Regardless of what you put in your tank, it is important that you buy a tank that is big enough for your turtle. The two best turtle tanks that can be purchased online are below:
120 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium
Two pets trying to eat each other is not the only thing you would have to worry about. There are some species of frogs that carry toxins and diseases on their outer skin. It is common for this to seep into the water, and eventually it could result in your turtle getting sick. Lastly, your turtle tank would stink if you have both a turtle and fish living together inside of it.
For these reasons, I would almost always recommend that you do not put a frog in the same tank as a turtle.
Are there any types of frogs that can live with turtles?
The only exception to this rule is if you have a land turtle or tortoise that doesn’t spend a lot of time in the water. You might be able to put a box turtle together with a frog since box turtles do not swim a lot.
Even if you planned on doing this, you would need to make sure that you have a large enough tank so that each animal can have their own space and feel comfortable.
What other pets can live with turtles?
Now that you know frogs are basically off the table, you might be wondering if there are any other types of pets that can live with turtles. Luckily, you have a lot of other choices.
You can add lizards, snails, and even some species of fish to your turtle tank. I would strongly suggest you choose one of these animals instead of a frog.
Conclusion
As you have read above, it would be very hard to have a frog and turtle live together. That being said, this does not mean you can’t have both as pets.
If you are set on getting both a turtle and a frog, you could easily just buy two separate tanks and put them side by side. Luckily, turtles and frogs both have similar temperature requirements, so that wouldn’t be an issue.
Additionally, both frogs and turtles require similar diets, so you could potentially give them the same food. Both turtles and frogs eat insects such as crickets and mealworms.
If you want to completely ignore the advice in this article and still put a frog together with a turtle, I at least urge you to monitor them very closely. Even if one of them doesn’t get eaten right away, it doesn’t mean it is an ideal environment. There is a chance the frog or turtle is still really stressed about the other one living in the tank with them.
Stress can cause a wide range of diseases in both frogs and turtles, so it is important that you ensure both animals are living comfortably.
