How do I get my two red eared sliders to cohabitate?

Question

I got one turtle about a year ago, and then recently bought another. They were fine in their tank for about ten-twenty minutes then the older one started biting. I separated them then tried again, and the same thing happened (they were fine for a little while, then it started biting). I really need them to start liking each other, as I am unable to put the time and effort into two separate habitats. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

To begin:

Are they the same size/age?

Are they the same species?

How large is the resident turtle, and what size tank is it in?

If YOU were cramped in your VW carpooling 3 others to work; how well would you take to shoving in a 4th?

Also, some turtles simply will not get along, but this doesn't happen often.  I mean, if some one carried YOU to the chapel, and said, "This IS the man you will live with forever and ever..."   (Did I mention he has warts, hunches over, and smells bad?)  Well, you get the idea.

In the wild; this can be an issue of survival: vying for little water; breeding; eating space.  Though your turtle is domestic - you can't breed out millennium of instinct.

It sounds to be an issue of tank size.  So, if you can't set up two - increase the existing by double, at least.  You'll have to increase your filtering system, etc.

I have no clue the amount of space your turtles need, since you didn't tell us what they are, or age/size.

You should always thoroughly google the animal you own (one can never be TOO educated), and also its disposition to tank mates, and the space each will require now, and as they grow.

Other factors are diet; perches; ect.

Have you googled the animal, and educated yourself on all its requirements?

Just to be sure, here's a basic diet for turtles, and a basic diet for insects for turtles:

There are many opinions on how to meet the dietary requirements of your RES (and other water turtles).  You can consult your vet for their recommendation, too, and google turtle breeders/sites to see what they feed.  This is what I have found to provide a happy/healthy reptile:

In the wild, red ear sliders (and other water turtles) eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters, and eat less plant matter than they will as they grow.



In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist of a commercial aquatic turtle pellet product (like Reptomin floating food sticks); aquatic plants such as Anacharis (research which are safe for consumption); gut loaded crickets; and very small feeders guppies/goldfish/minnows. Hatchlings should be fed small amounts spaced several times over the day (they are growing quickly) and juveniles should be feed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with frozen tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of leafy greens (like curly kale) or finely chopped mixed vegetables, can be offered several times weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow a bit older, or curiosity sets in.

Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept. at a local pet shop (you can easily cut this to a desired size or use whole for larger turtles/tanks) and drop it in the water for added calcium.  Turtles are curious, and eventually they'll bite at it.  This is fine too, but if they don’t, they will still get added calcium as they drink the water.

For adults the diet is relatively the same (amounts increased as they grow, and daily feedings decrease), but more of the diet may consist of commercial turtle pellets and plant items, such as Anacharis and vegetables.  

All my turtles, regardless of age, enjoy their gut loaded crickets.  Offering fresh live fish supplements their diet, and provides a good source of exercise as they swim, stalking and catching them.  Adults should be fed assorted greens several times a week.  Adult turtles may not eat daily, but most will if offered the opportunity.

Alternate/rotate the greens to provide a variety of nutrients: kale; romaine/red leaf lettuce; mustard greens; dandelion greens/flowers; watercress; parsley; Swiss chard; shredded carrots; shredded squash; mixed vegetables (fresh is better, but thawed frozen can be used) and miscellaneous fruits. NO iceberg lettuce; brussel sprouts, or cabbage!  Never Avocado (this is toxic/poisonous to most animals)!

You can reduce your task of keeping their environment clean by removing your turtle(s) to a small tank/plastic water filled container (water turtles primarily feed in the water) for feeding.  Turtles shred their food with their beak and front claws, and tend to be quite messy eaters.

-And-

GUT LOADING CRICKETS for REPTILES:

The number one problem:

Dried up and malnourished pet store crickets and mealworms. These food items are essentially useless. A dehydrated and unfed cricket contains almost no nutrients at all; refrigerated mealworms are even worse. A lot of the variety in nutrients found in wild insects is actually in the stomach content - usually plant material. We need to duplicate this to provide the best for our reptiles; without the risk of illness/disease/parasites which can result from feeding our pets wild insects.

Please note that wax worms, while fattening, are not nutritious.

Basic Dry/Staple Cricket Food:

Equal amounts of dry Iguana food, dry dog food, chick starter mash, oatmeal (you can add dry baby food wheat/rye/barley, etc. as well; even shredded wheat - no sugar).

Grind these items together.  Place in a small lid/bowl for the crickets to eat.  Store the unused portion in the refrigerator or freezer, until needed.

Supplement daily with one of the following: sweet potato, bananas, zucchini, oranges, carrots, strawberries, assorted squashes (acorn, yellow, etc.), grapefruit, green beans, apples, kale, spinach, cactus pads, and just about any other nutritious item you can think of (do not use white/yellow potatoes - these are starchy and only good if used as a moisture source during shipping, and NEVER use Avocado - it's poisonous to most animals).

Provide the dry food and kale at all times (kale is readily available during the winter months, too), rotating the other food items through in succession. The key is variety, and to provide an assortment of varying nutrients. What you are trying to do is offer your reptiles crickets with guts 'loaded' with fresh foodstuffs.

The crickets should be gut loaded for 1-2 days prior to offering them to your reptiles.

Also, provide fresh clean water in a lid/bowl, adding a sponge or folded paper towel to prevent drowning.

  

Don't offer more crickets than the reptile(s) will consume within: 1.) a few hours if it’s a lizard, salamander, frog/toad, or 2.) a few minutes, if it’s a water turtle, so you know the crickets will still be full of the good stuff when eaten.

The crickets should be dusted (shaken in a plastic bag gently to coat them) with vitamins (keep these refrigerated) and calcium D3 powder 2-4 times a week, depending on the age of the reptile.

Be sure to remove any uneaten crickets so that they do not soil your pet's environment/water or bother your pet, once it is full.  Crickets CAN turn the table - and feast upon your pet! Or aggravate them, causing stress and even cessation of eating.

Also be sure the crickets are the correct size for the reptile.  The cricket should be the same size long as the reptile’s head is wide.

Increase the tank size, and I'll bet the trouble will cease.

Good luck with your new pet, and don't stress the old one.

I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 2

Turtles are NOT social animals, and unless you purchase them at the same time and they are used to having other turtles in the same tank and you have PLENTY of room for them (10 gallons per inch of shell length minimum is suggested), chances of "making" them get along are just about nothing. The only reason turtles pal around in nature is because of breeding season. The only reason to have two turtles in the same tank is to get them to breed. And there is no reason to be breeding them unless you have the permits to sell them or a big enough lake to keep them in on your property.

Answer 3

Take your turtles out and introduce them were you have full control (land).  The older one probably sees the new one as a threat.  If they are both males than that could be a reason, some males are naturally agressive.  the main problem that ive seen with turtles doing this is that one turtle doesnt like the idea of sharing food with the other turtle.  you may want to feed them seperately.