red slider turtle

Question
we found a red slider turtle at the lake about 3yrs ago and have kept it in a fish tank. Now it's getting to big to be in there and we were wondering if we set it free at our local lake will it be able to survive on its own. And does it matter if we release it at a lake other than the one that we found it at?

Answer
The standard rule for releasing is 'within 8 months and 1 mile'.

There are huge pros and cons on both sides, but to me, the bottom line is that it is not a big deal as long as the lake has a lot of people nearby, which means that the turtles in that lake will have at least some exposure to human diseases.