General Care Discussion :: Erratic Behavior

[Ericj418]

Hey guys and gals! thanks again for all the previous help i received on this forum.

Currently I am in need of some information. It seems my turtle, Turtle, is behaving rather strangely. He is eating regularly and pooping regularly he gets enough exercise, perhaps he doesn't bask enough but i can't really tell because i'm in class most of the day. Recently it appears that his shell is about to schute and he's been digging at the rocks. He would pick up the river stones (they're large and flat! i took the advice about getting rid of gravel and replaced everything with large flat river stones) and move them about. just constantly moving them here and there shifting up his own poo that's built up under the rocks >_>. but he seems to be shifting the rocks alot and it appears like he's "grinding" his shell against the rocks too much like a cat would rub against a scratch post. Is there something wrong with Turtle? or is he fine?

[megcornell]

It sounds like he's just trying to accelerate his shedding. That's completely normal.
Double check your basking temps to make sure they are at a comfortable degree and will entice him to bask.

[SpotsMama]

If there's a lot of poo collecting between or under the rocks, you might remove some of the rocks so the bottom of the tank is easier to clean. You can pick up the poo with a turkey baster or fish net, or you can use a little battery powered vacuum cleaner. Also, a few minnows in the tank really help keep the bottom clean if the turtle doesn't eat them!

Basking temp needs to be at least 10 degrees warmer than the water to entice the turtles to get up and bask. Otherwise, they'll just stay in the water.

[Ericj418]

Basking temperatures are around 85-87 degrees, the water is round 80 degrees and sadly Turtle ate all of his minnows recently. The poop factor seems to be fine since the tank isn't really smelly, and the water is clear and clean ^-^. I believe that it's a shedding issue. Thanks alot for the information and support. i think i'll move him to a different tank that provides better basking.

[marisa]

You might up the basking area temp a few degrees (88-90F) and drop the water temp, at least to around 78F.

What kind of lighting is he basking under (heat light and UVB light brand)? How old is the UVB light?

Basking under proper lighting will do a lot to help him shed.