Urgent Care :: Smaller turtle biting larger turtles feet

[AndrewP]

Yep, not sure what to do exactly but I feel bad for my big turtle because he looks sad now.

The smaller sits at the bottom of the tank and watches the big one swim over top of him and then waits for the big ones back legs to come out and then attacks them.

Would a much larger place to swim make this stop? Could the small be getting territorial? Help please.

[Daniel3507]

chances are even if you get a bigger swimming space they would still fight. you will most likely have to seperate them

[xfueledbykatie]

i'd just separate them.

[AndrewP]

Their not fighting though. Its weird because their really quite peaceful but every once in a while the little one will go after the bigger ones feet.

[Arisu]

although they're not fighting now, I think theres a pretty good chance of the bigger one getting sick of the little one's antics and bite back.

[bradmeisel]

i was faced with the same problem. I would recommend you separate them. I used a piece of egg crate (that white plastic that goes over a 4 foot flourescent fixture).

I wrote a post on to separate or not. I hope it helps. I posted the link.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19691

[AndrewP]

I just read your other post and it seems like the exact same thing with my two.

Would I be able to separate them in a stock tank with the egg crate?
How did you get the eggcrate in there?

[bradmeisel]

just break it to size and affix it with a suction cup, tie or anything that will wedge it so the turts can't move it.

At first I was totally bumming they were separated but now I can see Chompy (who had her feet bit) is so much more relaxed and its funny to see Chimpy staring at her through the egg crate (it is really little plastic squares about 1 cm in size).

Also they like to hang on the egg crate as well. Chompy's feet are all better.

There are also a number of posts I read of people who did not separate their turtles with disastrous results. Those really prompted me to make the right hard decision.

[AndrewP]

I guess I'll be giving that a try.

Thanks a lot

[bradmeisel]

you'll be happier your turles will be happier ... once one starts biting the other it is extremely stressful for the bitten turtle and the turtle owner

[AndrewP]

yeah thats true

[bradmeisel]

although I always wished they would be buddies forever ... basking on each other ... sleeping next to each other ... they seemed to enjoy being together I thought.

Just so you know I know how you feel

[AndrewP]

yeah same here, I always thought they would be best buddies.

[bradmeisel]

right now they are sleeping on opposite sides of the eggcrate almost touching faces. I still am disappointed I can't let them be with each other.

I even tried it a week or so ago. Almost immediately chimpy was stalking chompy and chompy had the what's going on face and are you going to rescue me face on with her back feet tucked in. Very sad.

[AndrewP]

Thats what happens I guess.