General Care Discussion :: My Turtle is really big and I have issues

[Alyssa&Maurice]

I have a seven year old female named Maurice. She's a great turtle but she is huge, Her shell mesurement is eleven inches long. She's the biggest slider I've ever seen. My roommate has a four year old but he's still to small to have them together she attackes him. I've also tried adding live plants and fliter fish and she ate them with in the day. I'm having trouble finding basking stands big enough for her. She weighs so much she's popping the suction cups off the wall and she has out grown three caves I got at the pet store.

I'm moving to a town house in two months with a backyard so she'll be able to have an outside pond, but I still want to maintain an inside habitat b/c I live in Florida and I'm worried about the rainy season. Is there anyplace where I can get extra large tank stuff for her. And does anyone have any tips on what I can do to keep her from tearing it apart.

Thanks

[Sgt. Pepper]

I don't think you'll ever be able to put them together. Turtles are solitary.

You'll probably have to build her a custom basking dock. Once they get that big, most store-bought ramp won't hold them.

She's probably gonna try and tear into anything you put into her tank, there's not a lot you can do about that.

[1981camaroz28]

a trick with the suction cups is take them off clean them really good use alcohol after you scrub them good so there is no oil on them. Now do the same thing on the glass and put a drop of crazy clue on the suction cup they will stay forever unless you use a razor blade. Please keep in mind that alcohol can burn your turtles eye so make sure they are not in the tank. My female is about the same size I had the same problem with the floating landings and this solve it. Hope this helps. I can't say anything about the other turtle but my large female gets along fine with my other turtle half her size and my tank is only a 120 gallon. I did have to remove the other turtle they always were fighting. Chances are if they fight they will always fight and if the get along they always will.

[steve]

How big is her tank now? You can make your own which are simple and very effective. I'd recommend corkbark, the piece would be large enough that you can trim and wedge into her tank. Or perhaps you can use PVC pipe and tile for her to use (theres a picture of mine in the habitat section of the main site).

[Bumby's Mom]

With a turtle that size I would go with an above the tank basking area. You don't have to worry about suction cups or anything if you do an above the tank basking area.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I'd look into custom-made tanks if you want different dimensions than normal, a local glassworker can maybe make it or check out glasscages.com. An above tank basking area will give you more swimming space, otherwise you can use aquarium silicon and glue plexiglass to the inside of the tank to make a basking area. Although a cave isn't necessary, you can probably make one out of plexiglass also.

[SpotsMama]

Here's a thread with some very nice examples of homemade basking areas:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15260

You'll see a couple of example of cork barking basking platforms. I wouldn't recommend the rock basking area because it takes up a lot of swimming room and your girl needs lots and lots of swimming room.