Compatiablity

Question
QUESTION: I have two red ear slider and i was wondering if i was add a africa slide neck turtle from the local pet store, which is slight larger in size, if they would get along?

Thank You, Jake

ANSWER: Hi Jake,

I wouldn't recommend housing them together.  For one thing, your RES are going to need very large accomodations when they're adult size--at least a 100 gallon tank.  Both species also can be fairly aggressive, so it would be best to house them separately.

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QUESTION: How long until they are adults and also does their adult size depend on their living environment and their diet?

Answer
Growth can be pretty variable, but generally they would be mature at about 4 years old, continuing to grow for some time after that.  The only effect that restricting environment and diet has on adult size is negative--you could stunt the growth of a turtle by feeding it improperly, but you'd have a deformed and/or sick turtle.  Turtles need a lot of room and a good, varied diet.  There's just no way to get around that if you want to have healthy turtles.  Here's a link to a website with more information on RES:  www.redearslider.com