turtles are a lot of commitment. One could end up like a friend of mine, who wanted the novilty of a turtle, but soon lost intrest when she realized how much trouble they are. now he's not recieving adequate care. And, they cost a load of money to take care of. I've spent well over $300 (got a really good deal on a 40 gal tank) on my res so far. Usually a new tank can cost anywhere from 100-800 bucks. Not to mention tank upgrades, light replacements, decorations, food, time, effort, getting sick when siphoning water out of the tank (I drank quite a bit when I fisrt started using it),vet bills,medication etc. etc... Having enough money to buy a turtle doesn't mean you have enough to maintain a turtle.
just my humble opinion. I wasn't allowed to have pets until I moved out of my parents house. Now I'm taking full advantage of it with a RES,2 degus, a cat, and soon a few firebelly toads.