Habitat - Indoor :: perfect water level

[supriya]

i have 3 inch turtle. it was in 1.5 inches deep water for last 2 months. it crawls along the surface. now i increased the water level upto 2.5 inches but it is not swimming, it just stands on its leg to breathe so how much should i increase water level so that it starts swimming? and will it take some time to swim properly?

[steve]

Maybe it's just an adjustment period. But if he's healthy, I would try higher water levels. There's also nothing wrong with standing to take a breather.

[Rubicon]

Well to be honest it doesn't sound like its had an equate water level yet. What size aquarium is this?

[PridgNYC]

At least 1 1/2 times deeper than his shell length, so minimum of 5 inches, preferable more. They instinctively know how to swim, so ideally as deep as you can make it without making it easy for him to escape or be too close to the basking lamp. My 4.5 inch turtle has about 15 inches of depth and he loves it. You should also have him in a minimum 30 gallon tank at this size, preferably more as he will continue to grow.

[supriya]

thanx for reply. tank dimensions= 12 inches x 6.5 inches x 9 inches (l x b x h)

[PridgNYC]

So about 3 gallons max. Do you have room for a larger tank? You really need to get a larger tank. He should have about 10 times the amount of water that tank will hold. Even a rubbermaid tub would be better than what you currently have.