General Care Discussion :: Advice needed urgently

[HopefulWorld2003]

We’ve had two RES for 14 years. Recently territorial agresIon has started and going downhill fast.

My step dad says to give them to a sanctuary. I say get a bigger aquarium and potentially split it in two.

My question is wouldnt rehoming be traumatic? While they don’t often come out of their aquarium, we are constantly engaging with them (new toys, new things, drawing on mirror, hand feeding dried mealworms) or happily sharing the same space (my desk faces them). They are always excited to see us and come to the glass whenever we are near and follow fingers and all that. Turtle affection things. And they are periodically taken out for excercise or fresh air or things.

Would leaving us not be traumatic? We’ve been in there life since they were like a few inches big… maybe 2? 14 years…

What would you do? Would it be cruel to rehome?

Thanks

[steve]

I don't think it would be traumatic or cruel if an appropriate place was found. But there needs to be physical separation between the turtles. Male RES are smaller and can usually be in a smaller tank, thats assuming the tanks are an appropriate size to begin with. If you have the space, you can forgo the traditional tank and use stock tanks or similar containers.