Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Introduction and question about red ear s;ider turtles

[TurtleGranny]

Hello,TurtleGranny here. I have a 55 gal. aquarium with a red ear slider turtle I call tortoise. Shes pretty nice size. Had her since she was about the size of a half dollar. Now she is about a little larger than the palm of my hand. My granddaughter has always felt tortoise was lonely. So she went and bought another turtle I call Squirtle. Problem is she is only the size of a half dollar. She is in one of those habitats they sell you at the pet store. Question how long before I can put squirtle in the big tank with the bigger turtle? Also what do you suggest for a basking dock? I have tried those docks they sell for your tank but either they don't stay suctioned to the glass or the bar holding the suction cups snaps off...What do I do?

[steve]

Hi TurtleGranny! Welcome to the forum. There are a couple of issues... if Tortoise is a male, he is best kept alone. If Tortoise is a female, she will require a much larger tank (usually a 90-125 gallon tank). If Squirtle and Tortoise are females, they might get along but might have to be separated if they fight. If Squirtle and Tortoise are males, they will eventually fight. If you have a male and a female, there will be fighting and mating. You also shouldn't put turtles together until they are closer in size. For the basking areas... there are different ones. They have acrylic ones that also have suction cups, there's the turtle topper or you can make your own.

[penelope]

Welcome to the forum!