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Hi,

Please help! I have 2 9yr old female red ear sliders that have been have been living happily together since they were babies. They even snuggle up on their dock together. About a 6 weeks ago one of the turtles (Teddy) started chasing and trying to bite the other one (Tiger). I took them both to the vet. She said they both looked great, but put Tiger on injectable antibiotics for 3 weeks for symptoms of a mild respiratory infection. During the time Tiger was on medication, I kept her separated in a giant bin. Both turtles seem very healthy now.

Since then, I have been swapping them back and forth every other day so they each have time in the big tank (125 gallons). The other one gets to spend extra time out on the deck with me in the sun. Whenever I've tried to put them back in the big tank together for even 10 minutes Teddy is very aggressive towards her.

I went to the pet store tonight for supplies for my other pets and to price out tanks to separate them. The man there suggested I try feeder fish in the tank to redirect Teddy's aggression. Has anyone ever had any success with that? Currently, they only get the Reptomin pellets and some occasional romaine lettuce and shrimp.

I will buy them two smaller tanks as a last resort, but am hoping I don't have to. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A larger tank might help, but is really no guarantee. Some suggest more decorations to break visual contact and feeding separately. I think that might work temporarily -- a few hours/days but aggression usually does not stop.

How big are they now?

Thank you so much for responding! They are about 7-8 inches I think. The one being bullied is actually a little bigger than the other one. After reading some of the other posts on here about aggression, I think you are right. It's not likely to stop. It just makes me sad and frustrated that they got along so well for 9 years. I love them both and don't want to risk one of them getting injured or killed. I'll get two new smaller tanks. Do you think 55gallons would be too small for each of them?

Yeah, it sucks to realize that you have to separate. Sometimes it's cheaper to do another tank than a single vet visit. 2 55s are kinda small. 2 75-90 gallon tanks would be better. I have my two turtles (m/f) separated and I would like to have a single, long tank in the future that I could divide.

Thank you again!

I found 2 120 gallons on craigslist today. I'm picking them both up tomorrow. After all of the back and forth switching them between the bin to the big tank, I think we will all be much happier by tomorrow night

Wow, you're going to have a busy day! Good luck!