General Care Discussion :: Minor Habitat Change Creates First Time Agression

[ptcake]

I increased the water depth and provided a different sized basking area...a rock...for my 11 month old female and male sliders. They immediately fought for the first time. It looked as if they were engaged in a "mating ritual," but they are not mature. I am guessing the change in their "home" caused them to become territorial, each wanting or trying to claim the new home for himself/herself. The behaviors ceased after about 30 minutes and all seems well. I am aware I need to provide a larger container for them...I am in the process of purchasing, finding space, etc. Comments, advice/suggestions are requested. Thank you for your time.

[megcornell]

How large is the tank and how large are the turtles. It sounds like you realize your tank is too small already. If there is aggression and you cannot get a larger tank immediately you'll need to separate the turtles. It may be a good time to start thinking about keeping them separate permanently and instead of upgrading to one larger tank to just plan on having two set ups in the future.

[steve]

I think someone else recently posted about moving their turtles from a small tank to a large pond and had some new aggression issues. If you can tell their genders, then they are more mature than you think.

[ptcake]

I am not certain of the genders, but everything I've read clearly indicates one is male and the other female. They were small when I aquired them Sept. 30, 2006, but slightly larger than new hatchlings. They couldn't be sexually mature already, could they? No way!

My tank is small....only a five gallon. I have a good basking area, but I am certain the turtles need more swimming and hiding space. They seem content, except for the brief episode of aggression. I have not noticed more of this behavior and once again, they appear content as well as healthy.

Thanks for the information and advice. Any information regarding sexual maturity...when, how to tell, etc. is appreciated.

[megcornell]

If you've had the turtles over a year, they should be MUCH larger. 4-5 inches. 5 gallons is not an appropriate tank size for one turtle let alone two. You need to upgrade as soon as you can, that's just too too small. You're lucky you haven't had worse issues.
Due to their stunted growth, I'm not sure when you'll see them reach sexual maturity.
How much/often do you feed them?

[laturcotte]

I posted a couple weeks ago about aggression with my 2 females after they spent a lot of time living together. Recently, I tried to put them together in the very large new pond and it didn't work.

If you only have one RES don't get another unless you are capable of eventually housing them each their own space, this means separately. If you don't have room for at least (minimun) a 100 gallon tank for each adult RES don't get a turtle.

I am now in the process of trying to find a home for one before mid September when it will be much to cold for them outside.

Hint: If they don't fight now they probably will in the future and if they start to fight it is highly unlikely they will ever get along.

Very sad to see her go.

[rachel16]

well i have two female res in a 90 gallon tank but theyer fine.

[Safdar]

Plz make ur signature picture smaller

[ptcake]

Regarding the feeding: I keep anacharis in the tank for grazing and hiding purposes. I feed them Hikari Turtle Sticks every 2-3 days. I feed separately and monitor how much they eat. The sticks come in 3 colors with different nutrients in each. I was keeping a sulfa block in the tank, but read something about the turtles becoming immune to it so I removed it. I float small bits of cuttlebone on the water. I didn't realize I was stunting growth. The turtles appear content and eagerly take food when offered. There have been no health issues. They bask well and appear to sleep atop the water at night. I am quite concerned about moving them to larger quarters since I'll need to house them together. I will be moving them within a few weeks. Hopefully, it will work out. Regarding the aggression: not much at all now, but I did notice some contact.....looks like the mating dance .....this morning when the basking light was turned on.

[marisa]

In the new habitat, try to have objects to break up their sight lines (so they don't see each other all the time). Plants, rocks, a cave, etc. can all be used to do this.

[industrial_girl_2000]

How big is the tank that you are upgrading to? RES's can grow up to 12 inches in length (shell length) depending on whether they are females or males (females are usually bigger than males). Since you have already had them for almost a year & they sound healthy, I think it is safe to assume you will have them for many more years so you should get the biggest tank you can afford.

As they grow, there may be signs of aggression and unfortunately once the aggression starts, it doesn't stop (I have had to deal with this personally). Once aggression starts, you have to separate them. In this case, it is really good to have another tank around. It's just something to keep in mind.

Let us know how you do!

[ptcake]

Thanks to all for the info and encouragement. My turtles are truly healthy now and I certainly do not want to risk them becoming unhealthy and therefore, I will obtain the largest aquarium for which I have space. I plan to research this website as I recall reading about plastic containers.....large rubbermaids, for example....NOT for a permanent home, but for an emergency if I need to separate due to aggression or health issues. I DO want my turtles to grow and thrive. I will post when the turtles are settled in their new home (or homes, if necessary). Thanks again. Your time and attention is appreciated.