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I am in need of assistance, I am now the *proud* owner of 2 dinner plate sized RES turtles. I like turtles but I thought they would be 4-5" and not 10-12". I have them in a 30 gallon aquarium right now with an underwater pump. It has beach sand on the bottom and some rocks for slimbing and sunning themselves on. One looks like it has an infected eye. its all puffy. I am not sure how to take care of turtles this size or what to feed them. Just call me clueless. They are indoor as I live in Canada and it can get quite cool even in the summer. Please pass on any information you may have. I also have 2 children, a cockatiel, fish( not in the same tank as the turtles), a cat and a guinea pig. Will any transfer zoonotic diseases onto one another? I really need help. Thank you for your time.

you need a bigger tank right away. it should be a minimum of 100 gallons. Resp. Infections, especially with inexperienced turtle owners need medical attention. It will be less grief for you, and the turt will be healthier sooner. you also need to seperate the infected turt from the healthy one, as it is contagious. Make sure to clean the tank very well (with a 5% bleach solution). Get rid of the sand, as the turts will eat it and it may become impacted, possibly fatal. Nothing smaller than their head should be in the tank, or it will get eaten. Read the stickys in the forum and you should have an idea of proper care for a RES.

Ok no sand and bigger tank. Now what? They are swimming like crazy. Is this good? What should I be feeding them? They are really active and their skin is shedding. The filter is working and the water is clear. Any other ideas?

you have a couple of adult RES there. aside from the larger tank, you will need a stong filter like the xp3 or fluval 404. you need to treat the water to remove chlorine. you need to have a submersible water heater to keep the water about 75 degees F. the water should be deeper than 12", in case they flip over. you need a UVA light to provide heat - a regular light bulb will do. you need a UVB light to provide healthy UVB rays. Direct these bulbs over the basking area, where the temps need to be about 90 degrees F. Also if they are 12", they are female and will need a nesting area to lay eggs. If they are swimming aggressively in a 30 gallon tank, they are probably restless and uncomfortable. i'd make sure they can't climb out of the tank.

search the forum for ideas on treating the eye and feeding ideas. good luck!

Start reading the info on this site. Think very big stock tank or preformed pond (allow 10 gallons of tank/container per inch of shell length, add their two lengths together to see what you need--about a 240-gallon tank if they're each a foot long). Just curious, but how did you aquire these turtles?

For the one with the eye problem--only one eye is puffy? It sounds like an eye infection. You could try a commercial eye wash for turtles (go to a pet store), or you could try making a solution of 97% distilled water and boric acid. Keep the water very clean. No sand.

If you're in doubt as to whether you can adequately care for these turtles (reading the posts on this site will give you an idea), consider finding them a new home. In Ontario, try http://www.kawarthaturtle.org to see if they can help or do a search for other turtle rescue/rehoming agencies. Let us know what happens.