Habitat - Indoor :: Donna - Basking Problem

[DonnaG]

Well it's been 19 days since new ATBA installed and they will NOT bask!! Turt will go up for food when I leave it on the dock, but will not bask... Caroline doesn't go up at all. I took out the door mat thinking they didn't like that and just put down light-colored plastic shelf liner held in place by rocks. They will get as close as they can UNDER the new dock but not ON it.
Water: ~75. Dock: ~ 96 degrees. Starting to worry.

[cutepanda86]

How much water do you have in the tank? 75 is awfully toasty.

[DonnaG]

It's 150 or 120 gallon tank. The tank heater isn't on. It's pretty hot in Houston but the a/c is on of course. besides, they've been in that tank for about a year at that temp. The only thing different is they outgrew the floating dock so they got an upgraded basking area.

[cutepanda86]

Hmmm.... Well if the water temp is the same... The only thing I can think of is try to remove them from the tank and place them inside the basking area (one at a time of course). Maybe if they see how to get down, they'll go up. It seems silly but I know my Sheldon took a while to get used to his new digs when I brought him home so maybe they just need a nudge. Otherwise I'd contact Steve. He might have a better idea.

[steve]

I'd move the lamp closer to the edge of the ramp... let them feel the warmth. The UVB also needs to be over the basking area -- it doesn't entice them, but it's the best way to have their skin absorb the rays.

[cutepanda86]

See? I told you Steve would have a better idea.

[DonnaG]

Okay, I moved the lamp as close to the water as I can get it. Yeaterday they would just hang out under the plexi ramp. I also put foil under the basking mat so the light wouldn't shine through to the water. (They were hanging there all stretched out in the water.) now it's mainly dark under the dock.

After I moved the lamp I checked the temp in the afternoon after the lamp had been on for about 7 hours and it was just under an100 degrees. Maybe it's too hot? I can't raise the lamp any further but I could buy a smaller bulb. I don't remember the wattage on this one. I guess the black walls and being more enclosed traps more heat up there...

It's so frustrating. I KNOW they can get up and down the ramp because Turt goes up there for food. Yesterday that's where I left ALL his food so he went back n forth a lot. I figured if Turt starts hanging out up there, Caroline will follow because she's the baby.

I put him up there last week and closed the end off to make him stay for awhile but all he did was fight to get out. I thought was such a pretty dock. Maybe it's too roomy?

BTW, These message started out about the new dock but turned into a basking problem, should I quit posting about this here?

Thanks for helping me.

[cutepanda86]

It is perhaps a problem that it is 100 degrees. I know that anything close to 95 and my Sheldon says "screw it" and hangs out in the water. Of course my water at that point is a balmy 76 to 80 so why would he leave it? lol

[steve]

I split the topic for you.

It's a little warm, but older turts are pretty good at knowing when to move. If you have a standard fixture, you can use any incandescent bulb (as long as the wattage does not exceed the label). I would incrementally move the light back to the original position to see if they are being drawn by it.

You're not the first to have their turts refuse a nice ATBA. I would add some natural looking decorations up there... fake plants, cork bark, etc.

[Gurgi's Mom]

Looking at the pic of your ATBA... perhaps they feel like they do not have a quick enough "escape" route... would it be too difficult to modify and open the front - extending the walls along the tank rim, instead of turning in which currently make a narrower "doorway". I hope you understand what I mean. I think opening it up -with no "doorway" would help your turtles not feel like they'll be trapped if they go up there.