Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Turtle sitting for the summer

[SummerSitter]

Hi All. We have taken home the RES from my son's 7th grade science room. There were 2 but one died just this week (before I picked them up from school). The one we are sitting is tiny. Like smaller than a Reece's Cup. Should I get another one to keep him/her company since it is used to having another one with it. I do not want baby turtles but I don't want the little guy to be lonely.

Should I be putting some feeder/gupie fish in the tank when he is this small? I read up on the fresh veggies. He came with both floating and regular pellets, 10 gallon tank, water conditioner, rocks, a fountain-type water filter and some drift wood. Does he need mud? Floating plants? We have a bigger tank to switch to too.

Thanks,
Mom in Vermont

[kriminologie]

The turtle won't be lonely. I would not get another turtle. Unless you're prepared to buy and maintain two expensive and large setups, the turtles may be aggressive with each other when they get older, and you'd have to separate them. The classroom will not be able to maintain a proper habitat for one turtle as it grows, not to mention two, especially if it's female.

[steve]

Hi, welcome to the site. I agree with kriminologie. You can keep the tank bare, but will need a basking area and a water heater. He'll also need a basking lamp and a UVB light.