General Care Discussion :: cant bask vs. wont bask?

[ice]

so...for the past day or so it looks like my little guys been ready to bask. he creeps real high up onto the dock and pulls up his back legs like hes gonna just jump right onto the dock. but a few minutes ago he was doing that, and it looked like he couldnt push himself all the way up. like he was try to, but he either was in a bad position to do so, or he's too weak.

i used my magnet cleaner thing to pull down the end of the dock a little, but that leaves a space by the wall that his foot fell into. and i dont want him getting stuck.

any ideas? i was him to be happy

[SpotsMama]

Can he walk on dry land, like if you take him out of the tank?

[ice]

yea cus i took him out yesterday and put him on the dock to see if he'd like hangin out there. but as soon as he got the chance he popped out of his shell and ran back into the water. i didnt know turtles could run that fast lol

[DavidY]

Sounds like you need to extend a ramp further into the water to make it easier for them to climb onto the dock. They should be able to climb up on their own if they really wanted to, but the easier it is, the more enticing it will be.

As far as running back into the water as soon as they can, that's pretty typical especially for the little ones. It's a very strong natural survival instinct for them.

[ice]

hmm...how might i extend it? theres only about 4 inches from the end of the dock to the side of the tank.

i put how much water i have in my tank inch-wise in the first post

[DavidY]

I dunno, maybe put a brick or rock or something so that it comes up to an inch under the surface of the water and next to the platform. Then the turtle could swim over to the brick/rock and use it to boost himself onto the platform.

[ice]

that sounds like it could work. i'd have to maybe put some silicone or something on the edges of the brick though so it wouldnt crack the glass if it tapped it. would he eat the silicone?

maybe i could get a piece of plexiglass or something and glue it to the wall and put a pvc tube or something under it for support.

[SpotsMama]

If the silicon wasn't smoothed out real well he'd eat it - like if it had pieces sticking out. But if it was smooth it would be ok, like the silicon seals that hold your aquarium together. If you're going to use silicon be sure and get aquarium silicon - it's non-toxic.

[DavidY]

or just use a piece of shelf liner, the kind that's a little thicker, almost like padding. Cut it to fit and put it under the brick.