Can I put a yellow-bellied turtle & a softshell turtle in the same tank. the yb is 1 yr. old & other is 5 mts.

Answer 1

NO! The soft-shell is called that for a reason - their shells are leathery, not hard as are most turtles. Their shells can be easily damaged by the claws (or biting) from another turtle. The soft shell is also prone to fungal infections from poor water quality, and you'll need to set up a proper tank so it has an area of substrate into which it can bury itself. Since it's an "ambush hunter" it often lies in the substrate with just it's eyes and/or nostrils showing, and these can be tempting for another turtle to bite if it sees movement.

Better to keep them separated for the safety of the softshell, even if it means duplicating setups.

Answer 2

I agree, the softshell will be picked on by other turtles. It should be kept alone.
The water should be filtered and kept clean, and there should be no abrasive rocks or other items in its enclosure.
They also need to be kept slightly cooler than other aquatic turtles.

Answer 3

at the vet I asked the same question, almost. I thought my turtle looked lonely. the vet said NO. he said I would come hom one day to a turtle without a leg or arm. I guess htey get aggressive with each other and as they get bigger they are more powerful and tend to hurt each other. especially in closer quarters.

Answer 4

of course, other than snapping turtles, turtles as a rule are not territorial. They should get along fine, or simply ignore each other.