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We live in north Florida with many ponds that have abundant fish & red-eared slider turtles all around our home. My daughter & her friend found 2 baby red-eared slider turtles in a pond in our back yard a couple of years ago. Although I was reluctant to allow her to keep them, my husband caved. For the 1st year, my daughter & husband took great care of both RES. During the last year, my daughter has been their primary caretaker. Although she did a great job at first, her attention has waned in recent months & we've become increasingly concerned for their health & well-being. Our entire family dreads the routine battle of getting our daughter to clean their tank.

Both RES appear to be male, live in a 100 gallon heated aquarium with other fish, a basking area, etc. They are fed both natural & pet-store foods for aquatic turtles. Both appear healthy & enjoy basking, swimming & sleeping together on a daily basis as long our daughter takes good care of them. Thus far we have not witnessed or seen any evidence of aggression from either, although one does appear to be more dominant than the other.

The RES & my daughter are getting older & their priorities & interests are changing. I think it's time to find a new home for these RES, but my daughter insists that she loves them & refuses to return them to their pond in our back yard. Yet, these turtles deserve better than to live as they have in recent months. It pains my heart to see them swimming in a filthy tank & I fear they could succumb to these conditions if we do not find an another home for them soon. I've been looking for an alternative home or turtle rescue facility to take them, but due to the abundance of RES in this area it's proving very difficult, if not impossible.

They deserve better & I fear they will eventually get sick or die if they continue living like this.Do you think it would be better to return them to their pond - the same pond in our back yard where they were found? If so, I've read that we should start introducing water from the pond into their aquarium. Do you recommend this or have any other recommendations to help ensure a smooth transition for these RES? If you don't recommend returning them to their pond, what do you recommend given our inability to find another home or turtle rescue facility able to take them?

How big is this pond? Is it on your property? It's could be illegal to release them in your area. If they are accustomed to people, then I think you need to keep them though I do understand the difficulty of the decision.

It's a relatively big pond - definitely not small. The pond is in our community right behind our house. Although the turtles like us to feed them, they're still very fearful of people & do not like to be held or otherwise. They scatter off their basking rock as soon as any of us enter my daughter's bedroom, where their tank is kept. Might that improve their chances for a successful return to the pond where they were born?

They must already know that you provide food for them... not liking to be held or being fearful is normal. Some RES are a lot more gregarious, they really do have a wide range of individual personalities.

How old is your daughter? In all likelihood, these turtles will be your full responsibility.