Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Hey All!

[Anytime23]

The name's Hal and i recently purchased a RES at some random swimsuit store in Hilton Head Island, SC on vacation. I was looking for a new suit when i noticed two tanks which had dozens of these little fellas in there. The lady who worked there asked if i wanted to hold one and so i did and it reminded me of the same RES i found as a child years ago. Of course i really didnt know how to care for it back then and it didn't last too long.

I've lived in FL for a majority of my life and just moved to PA for work so I'm a bit short on friends and have some spare time. I try to stay active but i have a broken foot so i thought a turtle would be a nice way to spend some time at home.

Unfortunately when I bought my RES, they gave him to me in a very very small goldfish type tank and i had to keep him in it for a couple days and through the rough 14 hour drive back to Northern PA. But i just got him a 10 gallon tank to start off in with a floating dock, a basking light, tank filter and thermometer. I also got a Aquatic tank heater but the water seems to always be around 82 F so I'm guessing i dont have a need for one right now? Also are those red bulbs necessary?

Another question, it seems a bit lonely in the tank for this one small turtle and I was thinking about getting or second or maybe third but i wanted to get different types. Does anyone have an idea about what types of turtles can co-exist with RESs? I've heard that other types of sliders can but i was wondering if an African Helmeted turtle would work. I love the way those look and they are in my price range. One last thing, are there any good sites for some safe decor to add to the tank?

Thanks in advance and I'll try to research as much as possible to get to know my new friend better. I look forward to posting here but i guess i'll start by doing more viewing because there's really not much for me to contribute.

[steve]

Hi, welcome to the site!

You don't need to specifically use a red heat lamp, most lamps that produce heat and can warm up a basking area 10F are fine. I'm not familiar with African Helmeted, however RES are notorious for being aggressive, so it might be a good idea to keep him separate. Since he is a hatchling, there's a wide range of decor ideas.... drift wood, caves, real/fake plants, etc.

[Anytime23]

Thanks for the response Steve. As it turns out, my little brother who stayed on vacation a few days longer than me decided to get two of his own from the same place i got mine from so i guess we'll just add them to my tank when he gets back tomorrow. A couple questions
1) Since its been a few days, do you think my RES is already a little territorial? He seems to be swimming around a lot more and enjoying himself.
2)Its only a 10 gallon and he cant be bigger than 1.5inches. Will 3 turtles of that size really be too much for that tank or will we have to upgrade immediately?

[steve]

A hatchling will probably not be physically aggressive, though it can out compete it's tank mate for food. You can easily use 40 gallon storage containers to house them... although you need to think about a long-term setup.

[Anytime23]

Well theyve been in the tank together for a couple days and so far so good. They should have their own tomorrow. When i feed them, i take them all out and individually feed them in the tanks we bought them in but i plan on buying a bigger tank when i move out in a couple months.