General Care Discussion :: water level

[BrandonDavid519]

i just got a 4 inch res yesterday and i put him in my 55 gal tank with about 14 in f water. it seemed he was having trouble getting up for air. so i lowered the water level. but i have an above tank basking area, and the water level needs to be to at least 14 inches for him to get to the ramp to bask. is it safe to put all the water in, and let him learn to get up to the ramp by himself?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Dont worry. Higher the water level, nature made them natural swimmers. They are very, very safe in deep water.

[marisa]

It's important that he gets out of the water to dry off periodically. At his size, he'll quickly adjust to the deeper water level. You could add some plastic plants for him to rest on if you're concerned about his swimming ability. It will make the tank look nicer as well.

[Safdar]

Yes, if you are scared about him having trouble, put some plants that he can hang on to, to have support

[turtleowner]

don't worry. you need to put the turtle's water level as high as possible but not high enough for them to escape. turtles are born knowing how to swim so you can put the water as high as it can go.

[RunninWideOpen]

unfortunately some turtles are kept in terrible conditions their whole lives until they're bought by a responsible owner.....if they are ever bought by a responsible owner. sounds like you're one!

You should raise it back up, but you can do it gradually if you like. Add an inche every couple days or so. RES are natural swimmers, but he needs to adjust.

I've seen pet stores keep 20 RES in a little 4' long container with like an inch of water on the bottom. From the looks of it, it may not have even been water, just feces and urine. terrible.........