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Ever since I got the 55 gallon setup done and the turtles in there they have been acting strange...The main concern I have is the digging under the heater and not basking

How big was their previous tank? If you upgraded from something significantly smaller, they're probably just hiding to feel secure. Give them a few days or a week to get acclimated and they should come around. If all temps are optimal and the basking spot is easily accessible they should be fine.

jenaero wrote:How big was their previous tank? If you upgraded from something significantly smaller, they're probably just hiding to feel secure. Give them a few days or a week to get acclimated and they should come around. If all temps are optimal and the basking spot is easily accessible they should be fine.

I went from a 10 gallon to a 55 gallon and it has a medium Zoo med turtle dock...they used to have a small Zoo Med dock...All temps are good

If it's set up properly, then just give them a while to get used to it. Do you have some plants in there or a soap dish or something to let them rest while they're swimming up? They're still babies and that's a big upgrade. They might not be able to make it up to the basking area without exhausting themselves.

I know they can reach it...I even saw one on the dock one time....They hang from the ramp all the time...I will just give them time

i gotta admit, i love this new tank setup. smurfs right though, they prolly just need a small rest area to make it all the way to the top. they might like the warmer water near the heater too.

If I put the heater low enough in the tank, squirt will dig under it and scratch his shell against it. he loves it, it seems. Maybe thats what your little guys are doin?

When they scratch their shells like that, it's usually a sign of shedding scutes. Maybe they just need something to scratch against.

the sand near the heater is probably making a warm soft comfy spot they like

when my 3 inch was a baby he moved from a litle container to a 5 gallon he swam around so quickly and when he saw the basking hole he would swim really quickly in it and hide. once everything went smooth he would stay there and sometimes peek his head out. he would beg all the time day after day and every 3 days i gave him 2 pellets. soon later i added a 5 inch female and they wore in that tank but the tank was small and they had cold water and stuff it was really bad. the water was full of shedding and i didnt know much. they wore really sluggish and when i found a 55 gallon, i moved them into there the tank was full of rocks and feathers. so i dumped buckets of water in the tank and they wore moving around soo happy and swimming and stuff. now they're pretty comfortable and happy together. believe me chris i know it takes time but turtles are different so just give them time

I have been seeing them bask several times a day now and it makes me very happy

BammBamm digs under anything put in his aquarium if he thinks its too close to the bottom of the tank. He likes to be able to get under and around everything. Maybe your turtle is wanting there to be a little more room under the heater.