General Care Discussion :: RES & Painted Turtles of different sizes in same tank

[karate626]

Hi this is my first post on this forum!

These are my 5 turtles:





Two 7" female RES about 8 years old
One 4" RES (Most likely female) Will be 2 in March
One 3-3.5" RES (Maybe female but still small to be sure) Will be 2 in March
One 4" Male Eastern Painted Turtle (Full grown) 15 years old

My 2 7" females are my first turtles. I've had them since they were hatchings. A friend of mine that was moving gave me the Painted turtle. He was housed with a much larger RES that chewed on his shell and deprived him of food. He was very sickly (my friend thought he was blind and that was why he wasn't getting food). They were all in the same tank until the 2 RES began outgrowing him. I separated them from him (the painted) and he had his own tank. Almost a year ago I was given 2 more RES that were found in the lake near my house. Since they are not native to my state I thought it would be better to take them. After having them in a third tank (1 for the 2 large females, 1 for my painted, & one for these 2 new ones) for a year I decided it was safe to put them with the larger Painted turtle (he was 4" and they were 2ish") Well almost 2 years have passed and now the 2 new ones (RES) are approaching the Painted's size but they are not near the size of the 2 larger females. What size do my 2 little RES have to be in order to put them safely with the 2 large females? On average around how much more time will it take for my 2 small RES to grow to a size where they can be safely put with the 2 large females? What is the minimum size tank for keeping these 5 turtles together? I know the bigger the better, and will most likely buy a tank a little large than the minimum.

Additional details: (Not sure if they matter for this topic but just encase):

My tanks are set for 76 degrees.

They are both over filtered and I do 100% water changes weekly.

There is a male convict cichlid in each tank. They are both around 3 or 4 inches and have been in the tanks (one with the 3 small turtles and 1 with the 2 large females) for over a year. The large females (mostly one of them) has the most interest in the convict and tries to chase it if he (the convict) gets close to her face. In the other tank with the little turtles the convict swims with the turtles and defends a territory (bites the snout of the turtle) instead of out swimming them like the convict in the other tank does.

They all use floating docks.

[karate626]

I found this on the RES Caresheet on Austinsturtlepage.com

"Barring the larger exceptions, single adult male RES could do okay in a 75 gallon aquarium. Single large adult females need a minimum of a 125 gallon tank. This allows them decent room (quality of life) in addition to plenty of water to assist in good health and filtration. Basking areas can be made of dirt, sand, gravel, smooth rocks or flat rocks, driftwood or anything that will support their weight and is non-abrasive. Adult RES can be kept in smaller enclosures, but the setups tend to resemble cells with inmates. For adding additional RES we recommend you increase the size of the tank accordingly by half for each (actually 2 can share a habitat suitable for one, but males are apt to sexually harass females & may require separate housing)."

So assuming there is no aggression, I could do this:

125 gallons (for 2 largest females)
125 gallons (for 2 smaller possible females)
That would be 250 for 4 female RES. And I could possibly add my Painted turtle (only 4.5 inches) if I over filter and increase my water changes.

How does this sound as a minimum? Could I go any smaller?

[steve]

It's hard to chart growth rates, but size differences are more of a concern with smaller RES, like a 2" RES with a 4" RES rather than a 5" RES and a 7" RES. The proposed tanks sound ok.

While you can keep 2 females in a 125 gallon, it might be a little tight -- but if they get along then it can work. Keep in mind that an above tank basking area should be considered to maximize the swimming area.

As for over filtration and 100% water changes.... that's a bit much... what's their current setup like?

[karate626]

Right now my turtles are in tanks that are to small! My 2 7" females are in a 55 gallon. The 3 smaller turtles are in a 40 gallon. I'm going to upgrade soon hence my question. Could these turtles fit in a 200? I may just get 2 125 gallons. I'm not sure which is cheaper. One large one or 2 small ones. Do you think I could put these turtles together given their current size?

[steve]

Would you be able to have room for a large stock tank? Or even a custom pond? They would be cheaper than aquariums, and a custom pond could be simple as a study frame and pond liner.

[karate626]

My tanks are my centerpiece in the living room so an aquarium tank would be the way to go. Could I keep the turtles in a pond outdoors and then keep them a little crammed in these tanks just for the winter. I'm in Maryland just north of DC so we get a few months of cold winter weather.

[karate626]

With a big enough tank and aggression aside are these turtles close enough in size to be in the same tank? If not, how much longer would it take for the turtles to grow close enough in size?

[karate626]

http://www.turtleforum.com/forum/upload ... 28478&st=0

That is what I would love to do. Would that work for my 5 turtles?

[steve]

I'm not sure how many gallons, but 400-500 gallons would be enough. Have you seen this video (tank is about 255gallons)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3mn7imoPEc[/youtube]

[regalesse]

i have four turtles in a 150 gallon tank and they are comfortable. they have no aggression problems or anything like that. but they are all under three years old and have been together for a very long time. the upgrade to that size would be a good place to start. then maybe get another down the road.