General Care Discussion :: My turtle still won't bask..

[LynnZ]

I got my baby RES two weeks ago and he/she still won't bask. Is that normal? I know they have to get used to their new home, but does it normally take this long? I'm worried that I'm doing something wrong. I'm keeping the water temp around 79 F. Is that too warm/cold? I have a basking area for my turtle, with a heat lamp and UVA/UVB lamp. I'm not exactly sure how warm the basking area is. I have seen him bask before, but when he saw me he jumped right back into the water, so he was only on for a few minutes.

[papoopeepoo]

If he's gotten up there, and jumped off when you get there, he's probably still nervous. Hatchlings take especially long to get acquainted with their surroundings. He'll be fine, just be patient.

[Jeff]

If you've seen him up there before he's probally doing it, just not when you are around. They are very quick getting off their basking areas and into the water so when he see's you, or feels you comming he just jumps right back in the water....

I was having the same issue with my little guy, so I set up a video camera and recorded him all day. And sure enough, he was basking when I wasn't around. If you have access to a video recorder you could try that method.

Also get yourself a digital thermometer to stick near the basking area. They are 6-7$ and they do a great job of monitoring the temps. The basking area should be 10degrees warmer than the water to entice them to bask.

[queenjane]

79 is good, but for little guys you could probably even take it to 81 and be safe. Check the care sheets to make sure.

90 degrees F is a pretty ideal basking temperature. I use a small ceramic heat emitter and it works wonderfully.

RES won't bask if they aren't used to a new environment or if they don't feel safe. I'd let him be and not hover over the tank for about a week and see if nothing changes. Usually, they won't bask if you're even three feet from the tank, because they think you're going to eat them.

When even the smallest thing in Tank's habitat changes, he'll freak out and may not bask for two weeks. When he was a hatchling, he wouldn't bask for a very long time in the beginning.

It's not a big deal... He will bask eventually.

Make sure you are not feeding only pellets and shrimp, even if the baby ignores them. Babies tend to not want to eat sweet potato, lettuce, carrots, anachris, or other veggies, but OFFER THEM ANYWAY. A diet comprised solely of shrimp and pellets is going to harm your turtle.