General Care Discussion :: GOod idea?

[rawrbaby]

added more water and moved everything around.. but I couldn't find anything for a new basking area, so I put the old on top of a pot.. it doesnt look that good but its good for now. But when I put the turtle in he sank to the bottom, and was having alot of trouble getting up because he is so tiny. So what I am doing today.. is cleaning the whole tank, and putting it back to the way it was before and just adding a bit more water. so its like 4 or 5 cm above his shell. and I will add more as he grows and learns how to swim better. Good idea ? or no?

[jenaero]

I think a picture of your setup would help. I'm having a hard time picturing it.

[megcornell]

He may have had trouble just getting on the basking area...is it smooth or is there traction to help him climb up? That;s a consideration when building a basking area. Also, I don't know where you're located but the big chain petstores... petsmart and petco have turtle docks for 8-12 dollars, that would be a worthy investment to make your turtle happy and healthy.

[CountryGirl68]

It's okay to increase the water level in your tank a little at a time, especially if you are concerned the turtle isn't used to it. As long as you do increase it gradually so the end results in the turtle having plenty of swimming space.

[rawrbaby]

Okay. aha well I got rid of the whole idea with the flower pot and stuff, and put it back to the way it was originally. Here is a picture.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h254/ ... 021549.jpg
so yes that is my tank. haha
my turtle is not in there though.. I was feeding him at the moment.. although he didn't eat. lol

[CountryGirl68]

Please get rid of the gravel in the tank. If the turtle eats it, it can cause problems such as impaction. And you definitely can add another 2 to 4 inches of water then increase the water level gradually.

With the water level that low, what are your basking temperatures? Are you providing UVB as well as heat?

[rawrbaby]

ahh I just cleaned the tank.. but I will do it after. and the guy at the petstore said that the gravel wont do anything :O
and I can't add more water cause my basking area isnt tall enough, so I am waiting.

and I dont know the basking temperature and yes its a UBV

[marisa]

Some more water, no gravel. If you have a UVB light, do you also have a heat light (can't tell from the pic). Use a regular lightbulb along with the UVB light. What are the temps?

The rock is the basking area? There's no real slope to the top of it, and it looks pretty smooth (nothing for your turtle to grip). Can he get on it easily? If he can get on it now, I think it might get difficult for him to do so as you raise the water level and the height of the basking area...

[rawrbaby]

the light is in my room.. I didn't ahve the light on it when I took the picture. and the light is the heat.. and yes he can get up and down off of the rock. it has lots of little ridges and stuff for him to grip. Like I bought the rock specifucally for basking. like it was made for it. and I am going to go get a new thing for basking that moves up with how the water goes up for my turtle when I start to raise the water level..

[CountryGirl68]

Just be careful with the dock you are referring to. Some folks here had their small turtles get stuck between the grips/bars of the dock and drown. If you do get that type of dock, someone here (don't remember who) said they didn't put the suction on the bottom of the bars so the turtle could get free. Just some advice.

[rawrbaby]

Thanks