Habitat - Indoor :: One turtle keeps biting the others back legs

[CrossKnight]

I have two turtles, both are about 1 1/5 inches to 2 inches long. They are in a 30 gallon rubbermaid tub with Aqua clear 110, water heater and everything. I have had them of about 6 months now and just recently one of them keeps looking at the others back feet and trying to bite it.

I don't understand why, it never did it before. Since they are the both the same size is it possible for it to bite the other ones toe off?
This usually happens at the end of the basking dock where it still is in the water. When one is trying th climb up or resting halfway in the water the other one would come and look intensly at the back leg, then bite, after that he does not go after the foot anymore.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Sounds like you have to give them a bigger tank, and if that fails..then you will have to seperate them for good. And yes, it is possible for one of them to severly injury the other.

[CrossKnight]

T_T

I will be getting them a 50-60 gallon tank in the summer so I hope they stop

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Yeah. But if you plan on keeping them both - have an extra tank ready, just in case it still happens. Go for the biggest tank you can afford.

[RunninWideOpen]

Spike recently started doing that to Donny out of the blue. Kinda seemed like he was trying to make the ramp to the basking box his territory. I figured that my two bigger turtles seem pretty darn smart with their behavior and they've developed some habits, so I thought I would try and turtle training and break that habit.

I watched him closely and everytime I saw him do it I took him out and put him in a dry box. I was pretty rough when I took him out too, just reached in and scooped him up and closed my hand over him. I would leave him in the box for about 5 minutes and then put him back in the tank. I had to do this a number of times for a few days, but so now he's been nice to Donny for the past couple days and they have been happily sharing the basking ramp and box. I still keep an eye on him and have the box ready if he tries it again. Seems like my turtle training worked.

Spike's not very happy with me now. He used to be very friendly with me, but now he acts scared to death of me. I'd rather have that though than him harrassing Donny.

[SpotsMama]

Now that's interesting. Please let us know if the training "sticks". That could be very useful to know.

[ajozwiak]

Turtle training seems to work. I had a problem with Crush eating all the food and bullying Bowser out of his so I started taking Crush out of the tank after he ate his portion and put him in a dry box. He was really unhappy about it and hissed and clawed at me, but then at least Bowser was able to eat in peace. I only did that for about a week and tried to feed them together again. Now they obediently go to opposite sides of the tank and eat the food I give each of them. They're pretty smart turtles!

[CrossKnight]

omg, I am sooo going to try this, thanks for the turtle training advice!

[RunninWideOpen]

No prob, so far Spike is behaving just fine now. It's been a week since I last saw him do it.