Mixing Species

[Bunnygirl]

Alright, Now Please read this ENTIRE post before any heated debates start, cause that is not why I am posting this!

Now I am not intending to mix any species at any time. I just hear so many negative thing about it and it's kinda depressing because Iknow that if done correctly with MUCH research, experiance, and funding! it can be done, should it be done is a question I do not want brought up on this post.

I just was wondering who has good experiances with mixing species. By good experiances I mean educated, and researched. It would also be nice to know what size enclosure and anything else about their home is available. I really want this just to be a fun way to see some good can come out of this not just ranting debates.!

Thanks!

[drm1217]

Ive had good luck with having inverts, medium sized gold fishes, FBT and FBN in all the same tank. For a while I even had a local gecko in their, but released it. The reason why all of these animals work together is because they have different niches and have similar requirements. The newt ate blood worms, the frog ate earthworms, the gecko at crickets and moths the fish ate fish food, and the snails ate debris. The gecko lived in the branches, the newts,fish and snails in the water and the FBT on the floor of the land. All of these animals are the same size and aren't aggressive, and can thrive at room temp without added light, which made them all suitable together. Plus the gecko and sort of the newts were active at night.
Please, no one say that these animals should never be put together because they are from different parts of the world. Though they might, they are from similar biomes.

[Maaso]

I know alot of people dissagree, but any animals that require the same enrivonment, heating, humidity, etc. They can be housed together. And, most importanty. They have to be all around the same size. If they know neither one of them are big enough to eat one another, they wont bother each other. I got a house gecko in with one of my anoles right now, both same size, both same requirements. Have gotten along for years.

[Jumpshot724]

The only problem (that I know of) is with certain frog species, especially PDFs and FBTs. All frogs are toxic to an extent, but PDFs and FBTs moreso. PDFs can usually be kept together if they're from the same region and the tank is large enough, but FBTs really shouldn't be kept with anything. I mean, if you have a well planted 100gal tank and 2 FBTs and a tree dwelling gecko, you'll probably be ok. The plants tend to soak up a lot of the bombesin (FBT toxin).

RETFs stress easily, BUT if you meet their condition exactly and add another ground dwelling species with the same requirements in a spacious tank, then you will MOST likely be ok.

The obvious is for a mixed species tank you need extra room. If you can keep 4 of species A in a 100gal tank, you should have a 150gal to house 2 of species A and 2 of species B of similar size.


Personally, I'm not a fan of mixing species. I think it's ugly and the way some people haphazardly do it, downright inhumane. I like to have multiple tanks, each one focusing on 1 particular species. But, at the same time I realize other's desires, and do my best to help those who have their heart set on mixed tanks....especially those who are smart and seek advice first before doing it!!