red eared slider eggs

Question
My red eared slider has laid eggs in my aquarium which have fallen off of the basking area into the water.  I am not prepared to incubate these eggs.  What is the most humane way to dispose of the eggs?  My male slider has gotten very aggressive towards the female, biting.  Will he calm down after breeding time is over? I know someone who rescues turtles and is willing to take him.  Is it in the best interest of the female to give away the male.  Do turtle like company? I could trade the male for another female.

Answer
Hi Tara,

If the eggs went into the water, they're likely spoiled anyway, but thank you for not wanting to incubate them.  RES are the #1 turtle in rescues, and also an invasive species worldwide because there just aren't enough homes for those cute little babies that grow into such large turtles, and they end up getting dump or released into native waters.  You can just throw the eggs away, or if you have critters coming through your yard, you can put them out for them to eat.  Even if the eggs are still fertile, it takes a couple of weeks for even the tiniest embryo to form, so you wouldn't be causing any pain or stress in tossing them out.  

As far as your male goes, there really is no breeding time--or, to put it another way, every day is a new adventure in breeding as far as males are concerned.  Male turtles and tortoises can be very persistent and aggressive in wanting to breed, and if your male is already harassing the female it's probably best to either separate them or rehome him.  Generally speaking, if you do want to keep males and females together, you want a ratio of at least two females for every male (which realistically means having an outdoor pond).  If you have a good home for him to go to, this is likely your best option.  If you have a big enough tank (and two females would need a very large tank) or the option of building an outdoor pond, you could bring in another female if you want, but it isn't necessary.  

Females can store sperm for some time, so don't be surprised if your female lays more eggs this year, or even for a few years.  You can safely dispose of those eggs as well.