General Care Discussion :: my turtle wont go on his basking dock

[marc_]

my turtle wont go on his basking dock i have a turtle dock and do u no the bit that dips into the water my turtle just says on that bit not going on to the dry bit iv only had him like 4 days i dont no if this mite effect it ?
thank you
marc

[RunninWideOpen]

He's most likely basking when you're not around. They have excellent senses and will get off before you even enter the room.

Just to check, in case he's really not basking at all.....what is your basking temp? The temp needs to be 10 degrees higher than the water temp for it to be inviting to them.

[SpotsMama]

RunninWideOpen is right - the turtle is brand new and is still probably too shy to bask. It takes them awhile to settle down when they move to a new home. Once he gets confident enough to bask, within a few days probably, then he will probably still be too shy to bask when you are around. Listen when you are coming into the room for a little "plop" that means he's dived into the water. If you're not sure whether he's basking, try putting a little piece of a cuttlebone on the basking ramp and, when you come back later, see if it's been moved.

Eventually he'll get to know you and feel safe with you around and will bask right in front of you. How long will it take? Depends on your turtle's personality.

[steve]

Here are some ideas on what you might need to do:
www.redearslider.com/basking.html

[marisa]

What's the temp of the basking area and the temp of the water?

[marc_]

the temp is 35oC for the light and the water is 30oC

[SpotsMama]

Those temps are very warm. It's probably too hot on your basking platform for your turtle. Try lowering it to 31 or 32 (88 to 90 fahrenheit) and lower the water temp to 25 or 26 degrees (77 to 79 fahrenheit). You may have to experiment some to find a comfortable temp for your particular turtle - they are all a little different.

[marc_]

is it ture that the hotter the water bigger the turtle will grow?

[kmichael55]

well, it's true that in cold water the turtle will be unhealthy and possibly wouldn't grow as quickly... Too hot of water will damage them, I heard once that anything over 86 degrees F would slowly cook the turtle.

[Safdar]

Both too cold and too hot
Temperatures discourage a turtle from basking and thriving normaly

[marc_]

kk thank you =]

[RunninWideOpen]

hotter water will cause a turtle to grow quicker and shed more, but quick growth is bad for turtles. it can cause permanent damage.

[marc_]

kk thank you =]