Urgent Care :: Turtles are not getting along

[Maplesaurus]

I have two RES and have had them for roughly 4.5 years I got them both as babies and they are now approx. 3.5 x 4 inches and 4.5 x5 inches in width and length. they have always gotten along until very recently. the larger one (Donna) has begun to nip at the smaller one (Mikey) they grew up together and this has never happened before. I have read multiple things but the one I read the most is also the one I am currently the least equipped to deal with which is that Donna is becoming territorial. they were switched to a 20 gallon tank about a year ago and their size (more so Donna's) increased. I increased the water level to give them a bit more swimming room earlier this evening but that didn't seem to have any immediate effect. Donna will leave Mikey alone if he is basking but other than that there is really no telling when she will begin to nip and chase him. I may be able to afford a new tank but the equipment might need to wait a bit. I would prefer to keep them together is there is a way to calm Donna Down. I used to have plants for hiding but they were always getting pulled up and the 2 turtles never really seemed to care when I took them out about a year ago, Does anyone have experience with this and feel they can help me out? Here are some more details that I know.

How big is your turtle? 3.5 x 4 inches and 4.5x5 inches
How long have you had it? 4.5 years

What is the water temperature? unsure it is on an automatic heater.
Did you use a thermometer? No
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? the water is now roughly 4 inches from tank top
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? unsure
Is there a basking light? yes on a timer 8 am - 10 pm
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes/moderate (due to larger turtles size
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Floating Log (Artificial)
Is there a UVB light? No

What have you been trying to feed it? Repto Min sticks/Krill
When was the last time your turtle ate? eats daily

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
Is the tank near a window?
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?

Have you read the Basic Care section?
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? one of them will occasonally make a tweeting noise (not sure why)

[Maplesaurus]

have added plants and a new coral stone. according to my wife the nipping only occurs at night (after the lights turn out. also looking at upping from a 20 to a 75 g tank.

[Mo Milazzo]

If your turtles are being aggressive, unfortunately, you need to separate them. Upgrading your tank will make it even worse (a lot of the times, they'll fight for me territory.) However you desperately need to upgrade it. Instead of buying a 75 gallon, buy them both 40 gallons.

[adbritta]

From everything I've seen on here, giving them a bigger tank won't help. They definitely need more room, but I would maybe get two tanks if possible, because even if you temporarily stop them from nipping at one another, they'll eventually start again. Are they a male and a female? If so you'll have to separate them eventually anyway or they'll start breeding, but regardless of gender, the consensus sadly seems to be that once they start bickering, it will just continue and get worse. RES are a very aggressive breed.

[adbritta]

You could possibly get a 75 gallon tank and buy or make a divider in the middle so that they'll both have more room but can't reach one another.

[Maplesaurus]

also does anyone have any theories about why it only happens when the tank is dark?

[steve]

At their current size, you will know their genders and what kind of tank they would typically require. If you want to divide a large tank for two RES, you are looking at a pretty significant tank. As for the nocturnal behavior... my male RES does some weird stuff... biting decorations, his old filter, and his claws. I have no idea why, but it was pretty severe enough to chip his beak.

[Maplesaurus]

Yeah, I am looking at going with a it gallon tank and dividing it I just need to find a stand that would support the weight of the tank when set up as it will be a little to heafty for my current stand to property hold.

[Ant]

I had the same issue with my 2 RES, but it was the smaller one (prob a male) that was nipping at the other one all day. I had to eventually give it to my brother in fear that when the turtle got bigger / stronger it would do damage to the more innocent one.

[adbritta]

On a side note, if money is tight, instead of trying to find an aquarium stand which can be crazy expensive, you could always do what we did at first, and go to Goodwill and buy an older computer stand, the kind that you could jump up and down on without them breaking. It worked for us until I managed to find a 75/90 stand on Craigslist for $50.

[Maplesaurus]

Thanks for the idea. I am fortunate enough to live near many thrifty stores as well