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I have a baby RES. It's about an inch and half wide. I noticed today that he is hiding under his rocks. I moved the rocks and it went right back under it. Is this normal or is something wrong with it. Also how do I tell if its a male or female? And, can I fill the 20 gallon tank half way full of water? Right now I have about 2 inches of water.

Hiding is normal. He's just getting used to his surroundings. You won't be able to tell the sex until it's about 4in long.

Fill that tank up as much as you can without giving your res a chance to climb out. There's really no such thing as too much water. Just make sure he's got plants or something just under the surface to rest on.

At around 4", males will grow super long front claws & long thick tail. Females will have tiny front nails & a small tail.

I agree with Janaero! Fill that tank up! Babies love to swim! I have a baby RES around the same size & the tank is about 1/2 way filled.

Here's some info on how to tell the males from the females:

http://www.redearslider.com/determining_sex.html