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I want to get 2 RES's. i am not interested in breeding. i've read where females will lay eggs even without the presence of a male.. i'm thinking that common sense would dictate that 2 males would be the best, but would they get along OK or would they fight? would 2 females, or 1 of each, be better, but i would just have to provide a nesting area and get rid of the eggs?

There are a lot of complications with having two RES. If you want to purchase an RES with a known sex, then the turts are going to have to be at least 4 inches long.

Having two turts live together despite knowing the sexes can cause problems, no matter male/female, male/male, and female/female. Raising females is more than just making sure that you provide a nesting area. Many females are picky about their nesting areas and it may mean keeping an eye on them and providing space in your garden area outside. Many have attempted nesting places that are attached to the habitat, I don't know how successful they have been.

Having two males can lead to aggression issues, as well as having male and female together. Having a appropriate size habitat can help, but it isn't always 100%. It could mean having two complete set ups later down the road. Do you have the room for that?

I'm not trying to encourage you to get just one turtle, if two is what you want, just be prepared for the work. I have a male and a female and my female hasn't laid eggs yet, so that is yet to come for me. It isn't something that I look forward to doing, but it has to be done.

my fiend have 2 RES, same size (2inch) with a 20 gallon tank. one day, one turtle bit his friend's tail and eat it...now one of my friend's turtle live without tail.maybe it happened because the tank is too small for them

luckily the cloaca is safe from the bite so it did't affect the turtle too much...

but i'm also newbie in turtle world so i can't give you any suggestion...just want to share experience

Getting two new sliders with a new environment is always a carp shoot when setting up a new tank. It has been my experience that it is better to put two new in at the same time. When one has been there for while and the a newby is put in, it is like an intruder. Good Luck !!

I don't advocate two turtles in one tank, I just think it is too big of a risk. If you have a large pond, that's one thing, but having two turtles in one tank seems like a notorious recipe for aggression. Keep in mind that turtles are very solitary and don't require a "friend," they see it more as a competitor.
That being said, occasionally two turtles do seem to live together well. It may not last forever though, so you do need to be prepared to have two 100 gallon tanks for two adult turtles if problems arise. If that is doable for you, then by all means get two turtles, if it isn't something you can or want to do, then stick with one.
If you're set on two turtles why not investigate some less aggressive breeds like the painteds.

The nice thing about not having the turtles yet is having all the time in the world to research what will work best for you.

I have 2 turtles in a 120 gallon tank, and i will need to seperate them soon, even with all that space. If you really want a pair, like Meg said, look into some less aggressive types of turtle. with 2 RES it's a matter of when you will need to seperate them, not "if". If you get 2 boys, you are looking at 180 gallon tank evetually, in the highly unlikely event that they get along, or 2 90 gallon tanks with complete UVB, filter, and basking setups. If I could go back in time, I would have adopted one turtle not 2.

i have 3 painted turtles in a 125 gallon tank and they are about 4inch they seem fine together (right now) and use to live together in a 29 gallon tank.