General Care Discussion :: Napoleon complex

[hoojib88]

Alright so Smee is a very small turtle he's about 2 inches I'd say and he definitely has a Napoleon Complex! It worries me but at the same time it's pretty funny. We're going to get a new tank 100 or 110 gallon tank here in a few months so the "fighting", if that's what you call it, will end. However, Smee picks on Lenny this pleco that's twice his size and then he turns around and picks on Captain Pockets which is twice Smee's size. Captain Pockets hasn't cared until recently she is starting to get tired of Smee's disorder and is starting to bite. I know all that you're supposed to do I just wanted to talk about Smee's problems. What a dumb turtle.. that's all I can say. ha!

[turtlelover818]

do u have recent pics of them! i love seeing them

[SpotsMama]

Sounds like Smee is asking for trouble. I wouldn't wait several months to separate those two if you've already witnessed some irritation on the part of the RES. I'd separate them tomorrow. A RES can do a lot of damage in just a few seconds, and I know you wouldn't want anything really bad to happen to Smee.

[bradmeisel]

spotsmama is right on point. It only takes one bite to end Smee. I have read so many posts with horrific results.
You can always separate them in the same tank until you get the larger one (where you should separate them too).

I went thru the same thing and finally separated my two after one lost three nails off of her back feet.

[hoojib88]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... =691720374
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... =691720374
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5 ... =691720374
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5 ... =691720374

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5 ... =691720374
Yeah I know about the separating the two turtles but that will be difficult. I only have a 20 gallon tank. I want a bigger one but where I live now is temporary we're moving sometime around April. Also, I need to start saving money for my new place and Captain Pocket's new place. Pongo seems to be content but Smee is the instigator. Plus if Smee looses a few fingers in the process it's cool... He's a pirate.. I don't think the captain will be fatal... She's so different... Honestly, the crayfish does more damage than Captain Pockets...

[TheComputerGremlin]

You can think whatever you want, one of the turtles WILL KILL the other. We have lost so many turtles on the board recently, and it just took one little bite. Also, if Smee has started snipping at the pleco, he'll probably end up eating him in the near future.

GET THEM SEPARATED NOW.

I can't be more blunt than that. If you can't afford a second setup (which you shouldn't have gotten more than one turtle if you wouldn't be able to afford it), you can go to Walmart and buy a cheap $10 rubbermaid bin. That will save you the costs of a new tank, and put the RES in there. And if you have all of that crammed into a 20 gallon tank, yikes! The 20 gallon is barely big enough for one turtle, let alone 9 lifeforms.

[Arisu]

how well does your crawdad get along with everybody?

[Daniel3507]

JAX is right. you have to separate them now.im surprised they even have room to swim in a 20 gallon. one turtle cant even live in a 20 gallon and even if you do eventually get a 100 gallon tank the fighting would probably continue. thats assuming that one of them hasnt been killed. and if a turtle looses a few fingers, its not cool

[hoojib88]

going to wal-mart and buying everything is cheap for those who don't live on a mountain in the middle of the Sierra Nevadas. And Rusty only picks on Lenny. Smee never bites anything I swear my turtles have never eaten or killed anything. Pongo swims away from smee when he flutters. She never flutters. Honest. I know everything, I KNOW! gosh. I'm not worried about Smee being eaten.. I'm worried about infection, yes. However, he's already completely healed. All that's left is grow back his nails which is already happening. I don't have the best setup in the entire world. But my tank does well for what it is. Everyone has a hiding place and Pongo can easily swim around the tank. I should of never said anything.

[steve]

hoojib88, no one is being hard on you. RES can just become unpredictable and vicious. I've had that unfortunate experience and as long as you have more than one turtle, you need to consider the possible situations and course of action.