are you sure they're both males?

 

Yes pretty sure. They both have really long nails and I was told that means they are both male?

 

Yes pretty sure. They both have really long nails and I was told that means they are both male?

I don't know anything about turts but I just thought that they might be mating as its only happened recently. And the neck biting is what torts do before mating.

But like I said, I don't know anything about them so wait until someone else comes along.

 

separate them...it's your choice, but i would break up that battle for dominance....

 

not sure as i'm a tort girl but with torts when they reach a certain size and become sexually mature then will start showing their dominance to others...this can include what looks to be mating rituals. so thats a possibility?

Also might be worth saying what size (SCL - straight carapace length) the turts are and what size tank they're in.

 

the turtles have already said what you need to do...one will be tormented and get some chunks removed from his hind end...if you had a big pond, the one could keep away from the bully....but in a tank, he has no escape...this happens with tropical fish all the time... sorry!

 

How big are the turts and how big is the tank? Overcrowding is often a cause of aggression and a bigger tank can sometimes be the cure, it's not guaranteed though and sometimes separation is the only answer.
You could try them in a bigger tank and see if that helps, if it doesn't then put a divider down the middle to keep them apart. That way you don't need two complete setups, provided your filter is big enough to cope with the bigger tank, and you could put their basking spots in the middle so they share the same lighting.

 

One of the boys is 8 inches and the other is about 7 inches. It is the larger of the two that is being chased by the smaller. The tank is a corner tank and is 3.5 feet across each of the corners and 4.5 foot across the bow front. 88 gallons of water. They have the water filled up 3/4 of the tank as they love swimming and have two large turtle docks either side of the tank. They also have plant pots in the bottom to hide in.
I was worried that it might come to separating them. We have put a temporary partition in the tank and they both are just sitting on the bottom of the tank looking sorry for themselves.
These boys are much loved and I will do whatever it takes for them to be happy. The last thing I want to do is separate them as most of the time they snuggle up together! However if this proves to be the only way for them to be safe and happy then it will have to be so. It will sadly mean that I have to look for a new loving home for one of them as I am pregnant and will not have the room for a second large tank.

 

One of the boys is 8 inches and the other is about 7 inches. It is the larger of the two that is being chased by the smaller. The tank is a corner tank and is 3.5 feet across each of the corners and 4.5 foot across the bow front. 88 gallons of water. They have the water filled up 3/4 of the tank as they love swimming and have two large turtle docks either side of the tank. They also have plant pots in the bottom to hide in.
I was worried that it might come to separating them. We have put a temporary partition in the tank and they both are just sitting on the bottom of the tank looking sorry for themselves.
These boys are much loved and I will do whatever it takes for them to be happy. The last thing I want to do is separate them as most of the time they snuggle up together! However if this proves to be the only way for them to be safe and happy then it will have to be so. It will sadly mean that I have to look for a new loving home for one of them as I am pregnant and will not have the room for a second large tank.

 

Although that's a reasonable size tank I think it's probably too small TBH, at the size they are they require a minimum 460 litres of water, which is approx 100 imperial gallons.
Is your tank 88 imperial gallons or US gallons? And is that 88 gallons of actual water that you have in there, or is that the total tank volume if it were filled to the top?

 

I really appreciate the advice, thank you. We have 350 litres of water in the tank as it stands....

 

That's a bit small for two turts of that size, especially two males, and I suspect it's at least a factor in the aggression. I would keep the divider in place and fill the tank as much as you can, can you create above-tank basking areas that would allow the tank to be filled right to the top?

 

i believe so.... it's hormonal.....territory:no1: the lesser one is trapped... he can't go to the other side ot the lake and be safe from the other.... just my feelings on the matter....: victory:

 

I'll certainly fill it up as much as I can and get creative with a higher basking area. It may prove a little tricky as I have four cats and won't take any chances. It seems strange as they moved into this tank in October and now have much more room than before? Could the change in environment have affected them? Do you think that ultimately I need to separate them?

 

you could try removing the dominate one for a week or so and let the submissive one establish the tank as his and then re-introduce the mean guy...see what happens.... i don't know but it might be interesting to watch how their behaviors go???

 

where do you get all them =S

 

Well separation would certainly stop them fighting! But I'd try a few other things first, especially if separation means rehoming one of them as that may not be so easy.
As it's a corner tank it should be fairly easy to build a basking shelf in the back corner, surrounded by walls on two sides they won't be able to escape, then you can fill the tank as deep as you like. You may just need to add a perspex wall along the front edges to keep them in.
Then with a divider down the middle of the tank and through the middle of the basking area they won't be able to fight. If your filter is adequate for the water volume then you won't need to change that, and the same basking lamps can be used to illuminate the whole basking area, no need for two of everything.

 

the sooner you split them up or give them more space the less likely they are to hurt one another. like graham said an above baskin area is a great idea, am currently in the process of makin one, should be finished by tonite so if you want ill pm you some pics.

 

That would be fantastic - I'd really appreciate that - thank you. My email address is mrssamsimpson@hotmail.co.uk

 

as promised the photos of my baskin areas, ive attached my new tank and how it used to look and how it looks now and my old tank and its baskin areas.

if you need any help what so ever please dont be scared to ask, i can explain how it was build in 5easy steps lol,

my old tank:

baskin area:

my new tank, and how full it was when i 1st got it, note the 15in not being used at the top of the tank:

and now, notice no water gap at the top of the tank:

zoom turtle docks are currently being used for baskin, but when they get to big ill change to cork bark cut to size:

tinfoil is used around the wood to keep the heat in and reflect the lightin:

a simple coolin rack is used over the top of the tank so they cant climb out:

and tessa and tim:

 

Great pictures : victory:

 

cheers dummer, come friday its only gonna be tessa the male left in it as tim the female is goin to stay with a friend. lucky turt i think lol

 

88 gallons???

the tank is WAY too small for two adult YBS. They're crowded, they need their space. 3 options: upgrade to a 150 gallon MINIMUM tank-with at least two canister filters; build a pond or but another tank.

 

The tank isn't that much undersize, the turts are only 8" and 7" it's not as though they were fully grown females at a foot or more each. Using the 40 litres per inch plus additional 20 litres per inch rule they would need a minimum 460 litres, nearer 100 gallons than 150.

Filling the tank right to the top would add another 120 litres of water, still only the minimum but an improvement, and with a divider to keep them apart that would solve the fighting problem.

The real problem is that they are both males, and would probably still fight even in a 150 gallon tank unless they had a divider.

 

mine are the same

hi im having the same problem with my 2 terrapins, and they have only just started fighting these past few days, i have a small 1 and a bigger 1 but there both the same age...how ever as im new to the whole terrapin world ive bin reading up on them and the bigger 1's are ment to be female and the small 1's are ment to be female, how ever ive spoke to my cousin and he seems to think that the males have what look like 2 balls near there tail?? ive tries to separate mine but they seem to pian for each other??? strange i no :lol2: when there not fighting they are fine....... hope you manage to sort things

 

hi im having the same problem with my 2 terrapins, and they have only just started fighting these past few days, i have a small 1 and a bigger 1 but there both the same age...how ever as im new to the whole terrapin world ive bin reading up on them and the bigger 1's are ment to be female and the small 1's are ment to be female, how ever ive spoke to my cousin and he seems to think that the males have what look like 2 balls near there tail?? ive tries to separate mine but they seem to pian for each other??? strange i no :lol2: when there not fighting they are fine....... hope you manage to sort things

Welcome to the Forum - you've brought up a 4 year old thread! Presumably yours are Sliders or Cooters?

I suggest you start a new one and post some pictures of yours. Males have longer front claws and thicker tails, but you cannot sex them when young. We need to see some photos of their heads, tails, front claws and and undersides to sex and id them (if they are old enough).

Your cousin, unfortunately, is not really correct. Nor do turtles pine for each other. In fact they are probably a lot happier on their own. If you have two males they may well not tolerate one another, a male will continually pester a female as they mature (him usually sooner). Two females should be ok together.

Just some general questions so we can help further:

What size tank do you have, what sort of filtration, what is the basking and heat/light set up and what are you feeding them?