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i just got 2 new baby red eared sliders from chinatown, ny.... i had another red eared slider for like 2 years it is like 6 inches.... i just wanted to know if i can put the baby turtles in the same tank..... plus should i be scared of sallmonella from my baby turtles?... how would i know if they have sallmonella? please help

It's best to not risk putting babies in with a larger turtle. If they were to fight the babies could be badly injured or killed.

Full size turtles are just as prone to carrying salmonella as babies are. It's a myth that babies are the only ones that carry it. There is no way that I know of to tell if your turtle is carrying the disease or not. So it's best to always wash your hands after touching your turtles.

thanks kelly.... i appriciate the help

You would want to keep the babies separate like Kelly said. Not just in case the larger one picks on the smaller ones, but also the larger one can harm/kill the small ones unintentionally due to the fact that it is so much larger. Keeping the babies in their own set-up until they are much closer in size to your older turtle is a good idea. But even then some turtles just do not like companionship, so be prepared to have individual habitats in the future not just for the babies and the older one, but possibly for all 3 should the babies grow not to be compatible with each other.

You have as much chance of getting salmonella from your turtles (regardless of their size) as you do from handling raw chicken while cooking. Good hygiene and common sense like not letting them run loose through the house and washing after handling your turtle or their equipment is all it takes to remain healthy.

Another reason not to put the new turtle in with your older one is the fact that the new one may be carrying other diseases and parasites. New turtles should be quarantined for around 90 days prior to adding them to your existing habitat.

KellyP wrote:It's best to not risk putting babies in with a larger turtle. If they were to fight the babies could be badly injured or killed.

Full size turtles are just as prone to carrying salmonella as babies are. It's a myth that babies are the only ones that carry it. There is no way that I know of to tell if your turtle is carrying the disease or not. So it's best to always wash your hands after touching your turtles.

I have been a turtle mommy for 18 yrs and have never gotten salmonella from any of my turtles (large or small). Washing hands with soap every time you touch your turtles definitely works!

Because I have several other babies besides my RES (frog & betta fish), I make sure to wash my hands with non-fragranced soap inbetween handling different species as well. That helps keep everyone healthy & happy!

even if you do decide to put them together you should quarientine (spelling) for at least 4-6 months. wait till they are at least 4 inches long. that will only take about 10 months.

fish21 wrote:even if you do decide to put them together you should quarientine (spelling) for at least 4-6 months. wait till they are at least 4 inches long. that will only take about 10 months.

It should take longer than 10 months for a healthy, properly cared for turtle to reach 4". 3" around a year is good growth.. and an inch a year after that. If you overfeed and give it too much protein it could reach 4" in a year but that's not healthy and could cause serious health issues.

ok sorry i thought that was how big they got in the first year. i bought both of mine after they were 4 in so i didnt know how long it took to get that size. i thought i read some where that it took 1 year to reach 4 in. sorry.

fish