General Care Discussion :: More Than Two Turtles

[sainatoa1326]

I have five RES. James, Jesse, Bonnie, George and Tiny. They all currently live in a 20 Gallon tank and I know it is time for a bigger one. I have a problem with spacing. I don't mind putting out the needed money to get a tank to comfortably fit all my turtles, but I live at home and my parents are not that happy about getting a huge tank. I have however talked them into getting a bigger tank possibly even a 70 Gallon if I can find one that fits the space. My question: Everything I read about turtle habitats is for one to two turtles. What about five. I know the basic requirements for one but than technically for all of them I would need half my yard to give them basking space, swimming room, and places to hide. What are my options for providing all five of my turtles the home they need together. They are not babies I have had them for about two maybe even going on three years now. I don't have the space to separate them really and I love them all so giving one away is something I don't know if I could do. Please help

[kmichael55]

How large are they? They need 10 gallons per inch of turtle, so 5 two inch turtles would need a 100 gallon tank. It will be hard to keep all of them without them fighting, and they will probably need to be separated at some point. Turtles are solitary creatures. You should provide more than one basking area, since it would be hard for all 5 to fit on one, unless it is very large. Each basking area needs its own set of lights. If you can't provide them all enough room, I think you should consider adopting some out to good homes.

[RunninWideOpen]

welcome to the forum!

wow, that's a lot of turtles. i agree, it's going to be difficult to keep them all if you don't have the space. As they get older and mature they will become more territorial and you'll have aggression issues. I'm sure you don't want any to kill each other. You'll also start having increasing health problems.

Even if you can get a 70 gallon tank, I would suggest contacting a local turtle rescue organization or humane society, and adopting at least 3 of them out to good homes. I wouldn't keep more than 2, even if you can get a 70 gallon tank. Even with only 2 turts, a 70 gallon tank won't last forever. You'll need to upgrade again at some point.

The reasons for the 10 gallon per inch of turtle is for a few reasons. The turtles need space to move, they naturally live in lakes and large ponds and are found at great depths. RES are very active swimmers and need to be able to swim around. Also, they are dirty creatures and it is difficult to keep the water clean with insufficient amounts of water. Poor water quality will cause illness and death in the long run.

[sainatoa1326]

I am not exactly sure, I would say between 3-6 of the size but they are growing pretty consistently with each other. They really don't fight much. I wouldn't mind giving them to someone who would take care of them but where I live not too many are into turtles. My sister has two in a 75 gallon tank so if need be I know sending one there wouldn't be too bad but I need something to hold them for a couple years till I can get my own place where I can set them up the way they need to. Any suggestions on what size tank.

[Turtle_Turtle]

i know what u can do build a pond

[RunninWideOpen]

well, i have an idea.....

55 gallon tanks are pretty easy to come by and fairly cheap in my area. I bought a 55 gallon complete kit for $150 at petsmart. I've heard of people getting them for like $50 off craigslist.com . If you could get 2 55 gallons, that would probably get you through a couple years pretty well. That would be better for the turtles than 1 70 gallon tank.

[Safdar]

Thats going to be difficult to take care of
As they grow up they get more territorial and your going to need to separate them

[megcornell]

If I read your response correctly you have 5 3-6 inch turtles in a 20 gallon tank???

That's downright inhumane. It's admirable that you're looking to upgrade but given your situation I think you need to be realistic and keep your turtle's health in mind. 70 gallons won't be big enough for them. You should look into at least two larger tanks, maybe three. If you cannot give them adequate space, fighting and injuries will ensue. Maybe now is an appropriate time to consider rehousing some so then you can focus on giving your remaining turtle family the best environment you can.

It's tough when our hearts are bigger than our wallets or our homes. But you need to keep the turtles' best interests in mind.

[csmiley]

I think multiple tanks might be the best way to go. One habitat to house 5 turtles could be unrealistic for most people...myself included.

[Safdar]

According to your post
You dont have that much room in your house
I suggest you try to rehome if you cannot get multiple tanks

Soon they will start to get aggresive and then the problem will get worse

[urbancleopatra]

That's a whole lot of filtration needed

[steve]

With that amount of turtles, you need to be real creative, especially with "obstacles". Is there an area of the house or room not in use? What if you offer to clean it up and keep your turtles there? Getting family members involved can help convince them that these are not simple pets with simple requirements. It will take more effort on your part.

Otherwise, I'm sure there are capable turtle keepers you can go to if you need to rehome a few of them.

[sainatoa1326]

Thanks, for all of your advice. I don't mind having more than one tank but it is not my house. If it was I would have no problem giving them all their own sections of the house. How ever considering my situation and whether or not I can convince my parents to allow me to take over one complete room I may need to give them away as you have all suggested. If this does become my only option to keeping them all healthy does any one know where I can go to make sure they get a home with people who not only really want them but will know how to take care of them. I live in Philly, PA so if you know any places around there that would be helpful just in case I need it.

[RunninWideOpen]

I'm glad to hear you're willing to keep that as an option. It shows a lot of responsibility and shows you really care for them .

I can't specifically tell you "go here" but, search yahoo or google for PA Turtle Rescue or Reptile Rescue places. The turte rescue places around here are all good at making sure their turtles are adopted into good homes.

[tissigirl]

If you get a metal aquarium stand you would be able to put a tank on both the top and bottom, which won't take up any more room than just the top. So, you could get two 70 gallon, or a 70 and a 50, etc., tanks that way. That's what I did when I used to feed Mr. Turtle in a separate tank. Then they would have much more room, and even if you find a home for a couple of them they will still need to be upgraded again eventually and you'd already have larger tanks for them. I know some people on here attach 2 tanks together with a common basking area, so if you had just a couple turtles you could do that with them eventually when you have your own place to spread the tanks out some.