Other Turtle Discussion :: introducing another turtle

[ashee]

i was wondering if someone could give me some advice. i've had a turtle for the past 5 years or so (frank), and he's been by himself for that time. my boyfriend just bought me another one of similar size (we think it's a female, so we named her marie). i tried having them stay together for a while, but frank tries to pin her down and bite her! he follows her everywhere in the tank and constantly harrasses her.

i'm wondering if i should keep them separate, or let them get used to each other. i don't want marie to get injured, and i really don't feel like giving her up. but if i must, i must. i can't give up frank either

[missibsu]

Introducing new turts is always a risk. Since you have already tried it and it hasn't worked, I would keep them separate.

Some other things to think about in the future. New turtles should be quarantined for at least 90 days so that you don't infect a healthy turtle with a possible illness from the new one. RES are good at hiding symptoms of illnesses.

Rule of thumb suggests 10 gallons of water per inch of shell. My guess is that that guideline probably wasn't met when you put the two together. That can lead to extra aggression.

Males and females to gether can create their own problems as well. Males will often harass females, especially if the tank is too small.

Over all, keep them apart. It will be safer in the long run. People have had turtles together for many years have sometimes had to separate their turts because of aggression for one reason or another.