General Care Discussion :: Basking all the time

[joeybsmooth]

I have a baby and he seems to bask all the time , is this normal ?

[octpusgirl8]

What is he like otherwise? When he's basking and you come near him, does he stay on the basking dik or does he shoot into the water? Is he lively? Is he eating?

[taylor_a]

How long have you had him? The first 3 or so days I had my baby all he did was bask. Didn't move, didn't eat, whatever. But I chalked it up to him being in a completely new surrounding with no little buddies around (he had like 14 others at the pet store :S) But now he's completely fine, and swims more than he basks and eats like a pig.

[joeybsmooth]

I had him for like a week and a few days. I don't no what he is eating , but he is eating something. Like I put 6 sticks of food in a little carrying cage with him. When left for a few hours. When I came back the sticks where still there but he pooped. So he must be eating something.

Some times he shoots in to the water , but most times he just stays there.

[marisa]

A carrying cage is a little ribbed cage with no water that you place him in to move him? This is a hatchling RES (Red-ear slider) you have? If so, RES are aquatic and can only eat food that's in water (they have fixed tongues and need the water to push the food down). If you just put him in some sort of dry container to let him eat, he can't. You could, however, put him in a feeding container that contains water (same temp as the tank, if the tank water is around 78F) to let him eat; it will help keep the tank water cleaner.

You're right---if he's pooping, he must be eating something, probably his poop in the tank.

What's the temp of the water and basking area? Are his eyes swollen at all?

[joeybsmooth]

I saw cage for lack of a better word. It is a tell plastic thing that you can put water -in. I don't have a temp for that basking area but the water is 73-78 all day long. And his eyes are ok.