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About a week and half ago I got two new baby RES, each of them are about 1 1/4 inches (that is from the head of the shell to the tail end). So Cute! I love them! First of all I'm pretty sure I got their habitat set up well, but I'm questioning the rocks I put inside because of some of the things I have read on here. I have a variety of sizes of river rocks, small and big. As soon as I figure out how to put a picture in my post I'll show you.
Another thing I was wondering about it biting. I don't handle the turtles much, I understand they are young and still very timid, but today I picked one (Bindi) and she snapped at my finger, she didn't get me, but I was just wondering if this is normal and would it hurt if she did get me? I hope she likes me....

Welcome Emily. Congratulations on your new turtle. (You might want to decrease the size of your avatar.)

When measuring turtles, only measure the shell (without the curve). That gives a better idea of size as it is how everyone (even vets) measure turtles.

What is your set up like? I would avoid putting any small rocks or too many of them in the tank for several reasons. If it can fit in the turtle's mouth, he is bound to eat them which can cause problems. Also, it makes cleaning the tank that much harder and can take up valuable swimming space.

RES are considered aggressive turtles and some like to bite. This is normal and I've heard that it can hurt. Your turtle will eventually get used to you but that doesn't mean he won't bite if handled. Some turtles just don't like to be handled at all and the less you do it, the better.

The rocks can also be very abrasive, especially in shallow water and with young turtles. Your turtles will more likely bite when they are in their tank and when they do not want to be handled. It's not aggression but likely a "food" opportunity or an expression of discomfort. There are RES who are very aggressive, but in most cases it is nothing to worry about. This is an example of why they should be handled very carefully and never by young children. If you do have an overly aggressive turtle, it will become difficult to keep your turtles together in the future.

Here's my set up, you can see one little guy in the left hand corner.


Thank you for your quick responses, I love this website!

I think I'm going to go ahead and take out all the smalll rocks in the tank. Not to worry, I rarely handle them, and there are no kids around. Oh, and the fish net in the picture I just use to scoop out peices of the plant that the turts like to munch on and sometimes spit out. Just in case you were wondering. I read that live plants are good to have in the tank, do you all agree?

Please let me know of any questions, comments, or concerns you have about my set up, I'm new to this and I want to make sure I do it right so they have a good turtlely life.

Another question...How fast do they grow? I know I will need to upgrade their tank to a bigger size eventually, so I'm curious about when that will be??

A good rate of growth is considered to be around an inch a year. Hatchlings will tend to grow a bit more their first year. Genetics, overfeeding, habitat, etc will also affect growth. Except for genetics, you have the ability to control the rest. Growing too fast can lead to a few other health problems that you don't want.

In general, aquatic plants are good to have but they are usually eaten and expensive to continually replace. Does your lamp also provide UVB rays?

Welcome Emilyb!
You're setup looks nice.
I have one suggestion to add, you can add a few more inches of water, the more the better, without them being able to climb out the top of the tank. You can get some plastic plants with weighted or suction cup bottoms so the turts have something to rest on while swimming.
If you have more questions, post 'em! And keep us updated with pics, we love them!