General Care Discussion :: not a swimmer?

[chefglue]

i have a little red ear slider about 2.5in long and 2 inches long. I never see him swim ever just waddles around the tank. How much water should be in the tank i dont want him to drown.

[emma]

Red Ear Sliders cant really drown unless they get stuck under something, the current is to powerful, or they are sick and weak and dont have lots of energy. You should have the water as deep as possible. How many inches deep is your water? How long have you have your turtle?

[megcornell]

RES are aquatic turtles, they are born swimmers. They should ideally have as much water in the tank as possible. If you are worried that he is not a strong swimmer, start with a few inches (deeper than the turtle is long so he can truly swim) and add plants to the tank for him to rest on. Then gradually add water to the tank.
When you say he waddles, I get the impression that the water is very shallow, which would make it impossible for him to swim. I'd fill the tank up as high as you safely can and observe his swimming abilities. If he seems to struggle, then lower it and add the plants.

[chefglue]

i ve got 3.5 inches of water in the tank. When i fill it up he just sits there with a paniced look on his face and stands on his hind legs to try and stick his head out

[SpotsMama]

To give him time to adjust then, try what Meg suggested and raise the water slowly, an inch or two at a time. Then wait a day or two, then add some more water. Make sure he's got some plastic plants that reach to the top of the water that he can sit on to rest.

[kestrel21]

My turtle does the same thing, she stands on either of her back legs and sticks her head out. I tried putting some more water but she still tried to do the same thing so I lowered the water again.

I will try what everyone has suggested.

[camee1991]

Ditto the above posts! Just keep adding water slowly. Turtles can be VERY lazy if there isnt enough water. They will just stand there...lol

If you are worried just make sure you have a couple heavy aquarium plants or wooden looking things that your turt can stand on when it doesnt want to swim. It will get more confident as it swims more

[marisa]

chefglue, if he can waddle around the tank, he's walking. How do you expect him to swim in water that shallow?

How big a tank is he in (gallons)? I'd fill it half way, make sure he's got a good basking area to get on, and add some plastic plants for him to rest on. I really think he'll adjust to a higher water level fairly quickly.