Habitat - Indoor :: Too crowded?

[TurtleGirl1985]

I have three RES about 5 inches each in a 20 gallon tank with 13 gallons of water is that a good set up? And I also have a RES about 1.5 inches in a 20 gallon alone with only 5 gallons of water is that enough water?

[happycamper]

You need 10 gallons of water for every inch of shell, and keep in mind they have more growing to do. Your 3 turtles should currently be in a 150 gallon aquarium, filled completely. Turtles need lots of swimming space

Start reading here:

http://redearslider.com/index_habitat.html

http://redearslider.com/index_basic_care.html

[happycamper]

Also you have to, at a minimum, keep the water level higher than the length of thier shell. If they get flipped over in shallow water they can drown.

[TurtleGirl1985]

I dont have alot of money or space for a 150 gallon tank. Do you think I should down size on turtles? So the 20 gallon with just the one turtle needs more water?

[valladin82]

I have my tank nearly full and my smaller turtle is around 1.5. You'll notice a big change in activity if you give them more space to swim. Also give them some fake plants and stuff to climb through and hide in. Trust me they LOVE it. Both of mine are still pretty small so a couple inches at the top is enough room for them to get out and get dry. When I get my larger tank soon I'm gonna build them an ATBA.

[TurtleGirl1985]

do u think i should down size on turtles

[valladin82]

I dunno, 4 turtles is a lot. Mine are still small and I'm already planning out how I'm gonna get a tank big enough for them when they're older. Keep in mind if you have any females in that bunch they can get much larger, up to around 12 inchs.

[TurtleGirl1985]

ya i have two females and one male as far as my new lil one i found at the park i cant tell yet if its a boy or girl

[valladin82]

How big are your 3 turtles? You know its really hard to accurately tell unless they're 4 inches. I keep looking at mine and I -THINK- my RES is a male, but I won't know for sure until its bigger.

[TurtleGirl1985]

these are the bigger ones and they are all together in one tank

[TurtleGirl1985]

This is Baby Peanut

[valladin82]

Well, unless you have giant man hands they still seem too small to tell for sure. Hmm. Take some pics of their underside (tail area) and people on here might be able to tell you for sure. Either way you're gonna have your hands full with 4 turtles, especially when they get larger.

[happycamper]

Your first step would be to build an ATBA a on top of your aquarium, so you can fill it all the way with water. Rubbermaid containers are a pretty cheap alternative to buying that many aquariums. Re-homing a couple of your turtles might not be a bad idea, but you have to be sure to let whoever is taking them off your hands know the work and cost that goes into turtle care. multiple turtles in one tank can cause aggression issues later on down the road, And things like filtration and lighting cannot be skipped.

The initial costs are expensive, but the outcome is worth it!

[TurtleGirl1985]

Tried the best i could but kicks like to turn her head and try to bite me with mouth wide open

[TurtleGirl1985]

Whats an ATBA