General Care Discussion :: Male Red Eared Slider Died

[dyingofcolour]

I received two red eared sliders for easter 2001 and sadly my male slider died one day before Easter this year. He had been sick and we had taken him to the vet and I followed all of her directions to make him better and I purchased medicine for him and regulated his time in the water and unfortunately he was too ill to cure. However I still have a healthy female slider and I feel upset that she doesn't have a mate anymore. I didn't plan on buying another turtle because of how sad it was when mine died but would it help my female turtle to have a partner? Is it too risky to introduce a younger turtle into a six year old female turtles habitat?

[SpotsMama]

I'm so sorry to hear of your slider's passing!

Where your female is concerned, actually she'll be happier being an only turtle. In the wild turtles really aren't social creatures, and when they have to live together in captivity they often fight - even the males and females. Not all the time, of course. Sometimes they co-exist peacefully but often that's not the case.

You can read up on here on cases of people with multiple turtles and see what their experiences have been. Some people with more than one turtle say if they had it to do all over again they'd stick with just one.

You can shower your female with all your attention! She won't mind that a bit!

[dyingofcolour]

Thanks for your help.

[kikicool]

I'm sorry to hear about your little boy! So sad. You did your best, and you can comfort yourself with that knowledge.

I know how you feel, I like to have two pets to keep each other company, too. I've heard horror stories of turts not getting along though. If you DO go and get one anyway, I'd say just make sure to get one about her size. But public opinion is very against getting another, I know. *sigh*

[turboturtle8]

Im very sorry

[kinetic]

sorry for your loss :-\


i did the same thing you are talking about doing.. getting a companion or playmate for my female turtle, things were great for about a month, then the fights started happening, both start biting each other and now sadly they live in separate tanks..

my suggestion would be to spend the money you save on new things for your female... out of tank basking, some new plants, some good rosey reds to eat, or even a bigger home if she needs one

[myrtle1123]

Sorry to hear about your loss!

[marisa]

I'm really sorry to hear you lost your male RES. (Do you happen to know what he was sick with?)

If it were me, I'd just work on taking the best care of the female as I could. She may sense something is missing for a while, but I don't think she needs to have another turtle in the tank just to have a companion.