Habitat - Indoor :: New Home

[MikesRED]

I recently made new home for my turtle. The old set up was a 29 long tank with a dock outside the tank. I used the floating dock to make a ramp for the turtle and almost every night he would bask under a reptile light...no problem!
I had this set up for quite a while probably 7 years or so! I had a whisper filter inside for filtration.
Now I have new set up I made a DYI cannister filter and used a concrete mixing pan as a tank and a large dock about 11" by 24" with the same ramp.
Now my problem is my turtle will not climb up there and bask like he used to do. It been about 2 weeks with new set up
and last Saturday he ventured on the ramp and up on the dock in the middle of the day. But the dog barked at him and spooked him...what can I do?
I will post some photos showing the new set up!

[VeipaCray]

Congrats on the new setup... we'd love to see it.

Try putting some pellets up on the basking area or some pellets soaked in tuna juice. The scent of food might help your turtle explore the new dock.

[MikesRED]

Here what it looks like

[swiltz]

could it be that the water is a lil warm? so it doesnt feel like basking? is the lamp as close to the basking platform as b4?

[MikesRED]

The light seems to be the same distance as before

[PridgNYC]

I agree with swiltz, maybe the water is a little warm, have you measured the temp. They won't bask if the water is warm. They bask to warm up and go in the water to cool off. if the water is too warm, they never want to warm up by basking.

[MikesRED]

Is that because there's less water than before it doesn't get as cold?
I took the temperature of the water it's 73 degrees and the temperature of the light is 85-90 degrees on the basking dock!

[MikesRED]

Here the big boy by the way

[MikesRED]

Got him when he was the size of a quarter I have had him 9 years

[steve]

I'd move it just a bit closer for more enticement and then move it back once he gets used to it.

[MikesRED]

Steve,
I'm sorry I didn't understand
Move what closer...
The lamp or the ramp

[ataraxiamb]

How big is he?

[MikesRED]

His shell is 7 1/2 by 6 inches that doesn't include his body
His head is about 3 inches long and his tail is about 3.5 inches long
He's got a large body within the shell
wide back feet and long nails in front!
I worked in sewer plant (of all places!) and a guy I work with found him in the sewer
And gave him to me because I like turtles
As I said I got him he was quarter sized and its been about 9 years
Started out with a 5 gallon tank and been going up in size
I've been trying to keep up with him (larger tank etc.)
Also I have a yellow earred slider in the pond out back he's about 4 inches and lives with the fish
I want to keep him inside because I am afraid to put him in the pond--after all he been inside his whole life and hand fed
Plus I don't want him to be outside--he's not used to it
Boy thats some answer to the simple question "how big is he?"
I got a little carried away with the answer!

[MikesRED]

He's still not going up on dock?
Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[ljapa]

I think what Steve was suggesting about moving it closer was the light.

I just see the one light. Do you have a UVB as well as a light providing heat? Turtles are enticed to bask by the heat, so they can thermoregulate as well as by the UVB. They can actually see into the uv spectrum. With the light so far from the ramp, your turtle may not have the cues that walking up that ramp and turning left will provide that needed warmth.

With the old basking platform, was the light as far from the ramp?