General Care Discussion :: swimming

[chefglue]

i have a 6month res. i started to fill his take up almost fill something thats new to him its a 10 gal. He should not have a problem adjusting should he? sometimes he swims almost vertical to get air. he swims around fine under water but when he comes up for air he always looking to stand or hand on something

[BullDog]

They do like to rest when they're catching a breath. You can get a plastic plant or something for him to rest on
As for adjusting, they are aquatic turtles, so they're natural swimmers.

[mikee]

c-glue -- I think you should have filled it up 5 months ago. They are good swimmers just out of their egg. When he does get to the top of his tank he should have a ramp to his basking area. Also, you should consider a larger tank soon. The rule of thumb is 10 gallon per inch. Most of us have been through the up buying as they get larger. What kind of filter do you have and what about your lights?

[chefglue]

just got a top fin 30 gal filter, over head zoo med basking light, esu reptile uv light and tetra pre set heater. plus a basking ramp

[mikee]

c-glue -- What size filter do you have? How many gallons per hour does it pump? You need 5 times the volume to the water in the tank. GPH?

[marisa]

A 10-gallon tank is small, and your filter options are limited with a tank that size. The Top Fin is from Petsmart and is rated for a 30-gallon tank? I've never used that filter and can't speak for it's effectiveness, but if it's rated for 3X the tank size, it should filter something.

How big is your 6-month turtle? If his shell length is anything close to 2 inches with the curve, he really should be in a tank twice the size of the tank he's in now, and bigger is even better. You're going to be looking at a tank upgrade in the no-too-distant future, and with it a better filter.