General Care Discussion :: Questions

[rbaz]

Hey, I've had two Red Eared Sliders for about two years now. I got one when it was a baby (size of a silver dollar) and another when it was slightly larger. I found them on the side of the road far away from any water source or possible habitat so I took them in. They were raised together in captivity and now they have become quite large. I have a male and a female. The female is probably about 5-6 inches and the male is around 4-5 inches. I have them in a 20 gallon tank that probably has about 5 gallons of water inside as well as a filter, heat lamp and basking rock. I need to know if this is suitable for them to live in, and if they'll get bigger if I get a bigger tank. Also, the male attempts to mate with the female, and she bites his claws when he wiggles them in her face. Is this bad, or is she not sexually mature yet? Please Help.

[lovesturtles89]

For every inch a turtle is, you need 10 gallons. So if you're having them both in the same tank, you'll need a 90-120 gallon tank. I have 2 turtles but they're both in separate tanks (1 is in a 50 gallon tank and 1 is in around a 70 gallon tank). 20 gallons seems small for 2 turtles that big. An adult RES can grow up to 7-12 inches.

The whole claw waving thing is called fluttering, which is a mating ritual. Males can still pick on (persue) the female by biting as well. You should probably separate them so you don't have RES babies cause the female will lay eggs (fertilized or not).

If you take a look at the basic care section of this website will answer your questions as well (which is where I got my answers).

[rbaz]

The female bites the male, not the other way around. Is that normal? And, I don't have anything on the bottom of their tank, just the glass will that matter if an egg is layed?

[lovesturtles89]

She might just not want to mate, or since she's bigger she might just pick on him.

This link has all you need to know about egg laying and how to tell if the female is ready to lay them. You'll need a box mixed with sand and soil when the time comes since its not good if the female lays her eggs in the water.

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

[lovesturtles89]

I think the biggest concern for you right now is getting a bigger home(s) for your turtles. A bigger home might actually ease the biting/attacking.

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

[steve]

I agree, a bigger home is necessary. Since there is a male RES involved, there is a good chance it will be required to separate them.