friend for my turtle?

Question
I recently bought a house with a pond in the backyard with a beautiful red-
eared slider I've just met and named Rosie. The prior owner said her daughter
brought her home from school one day and she'd been living in the pond
every since. Her daughter's now 24 so I'm guessing Rosie is between 15 and
20 years old, (her shell is about 12' long). I recently had a pond specialist
over to check the pump and filter and possible source for a small leak and he
suggested I get a companion for Rosie. I'm seeking advice from a few
sources. I want to wait until any repairs need to be done and the pond is in a
stable condition before I potentially introduce another being to the pond.
There are also goldfish.

I would also like to know how often and how much you'd recommend I feed
her.

Thank you so much for any help you can give.
Sara


Answer
If Rosie has been alone for over 10 years, she might not like a companion, who she might see as a competing stranger. You can certainly try it- it seems to work about half the time. Remember that an adult male would only be about 9" fully grown.

If you pop over to http://www.turtleforum.com you can find an adoption forum that is usually happy to find good homes for adult Red-ears.

An adult turtle is fed about every 3 days- if the pond itself does not give it all it needs.

You can learn more about these turtles at http://www.redearslider.com