I have a male western painted, males are smaller than females so he's pretty small for an adult. IMO he's easier to care for than a RES because he's small & doesn't require a tank as large as RES needs. That's just my personal preference.
I've found that what makes the difference in whether or not turtles & reptiles in general are easy to care for depends on equipment. Start out with the right equipment: appropriate sized tank, heater, filter, lighting, & it's easy. Get everything they need first, then get the pet.
If you don't then you'll spend too much time struggling to get the set up right & in the meantime the turtle could get sick.
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PHRatz

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