General Care Discussion :: basking with no light? dillusional turtle?

[x3shift]

I've been wondering is it natural for the turtle to stay most of its time on the basking platform. Hes been sitting there for a couple of days. when the light is on he stretches all his limbs and reaches for the light. the only time i see it go in the water is when i give him food. otherwise its up on that basking platform.

How big is your turtle? 1 inch
How long have you had it? 3 months

What is the water temperature? 76 F
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? 3/4 tank
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 87 F
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? large rock
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? yes
When was the last time your turtle ate? eats everytime i give s/he food

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[reptilegrrl]

Well, some turtles like to bask more than others. But no, it's not normal for him tp spend ALL his time up there. I would worry.

87 is actually a bit low for a basking temp, imo. Maybe he just isn't getting warm enough.

[cam722]

You might want to up the water temp a few degrees too.. like to 78. I notice you say you don't have a water heater. Does the water temp stay constant or does it fluctuate say at night going down. If so, that could be one of the reasons it isn't in the water and up basking. Could it be that the turtle is in the water at times when you aren't around?

Also, I agree with reptilegrrl.. the basking temp could go up a few degrees along with the water temp

[sneakyburrito]

i have 2 baby res as well, and one of them likes to bask more than the other one, those who are wondering, my water temp is a constant 80 degrees, and my basking temp is fluctuates around 90-95

[x3shift]

mmm.. mine is almost like sneakyburritos res. while the other one is still basking with no light the other res is just in the water swimming. the water at night goes to around 74 F while in the daytime it goes between 76-79ish F.

[713]

samething with me as the two above
but today i found them both basking next to each other at the same time which is rare