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Hi RES community. Im new and i own a 12 year old female slider. Last year sometime in either Nov or Dec she laid two or three eggs in the water and I was oblivious about her laying eggs since I own no other turtles except her. So I don't really know what the symptoms/behavior of a gravid turtle. Yesterday was pretty unusual as she didn't bask at all and frantically swimming non stop, looked like she was trying to dig in the tank but i have no gravel. I also fed her yesterday where she ate a couple of bites then randomly just froze. Then after 5 minutes she took another couple of bites and again randomly froze. But she did finish her food in the end. She usually finishes her meal in less than a minute like a hungry dinosaur. I've just brought a container and potting soil for a nesting box in case she wants lay her eggs so she won't have to retain her eggs and become egg bind. But today when i came home from class she is basking now so Im wondering if you guys can give me some insight on what a gravid turtle's behavior might be.

Was she digging with her front legs or read ones?

Check this video
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY2pRyQgn9o[/youtube]

Going crazy like you described is classic. It usually occurs around the same time(s) each day when they want to lay a clutch. So it is not abnormal to be going psycho one day sand then chill out for a week or so. Place her in the nest when she is acting crazy and leave her be.
Be warned though, if she isn't used to the nest she may go cuckoo while in there too. Just give her an hour or so and if she doesn't calm down (i.e., spends more time trying to get out of the bin than wandering around for a place to lay eggs), then take her out and try again the next time she acts up. It may take a few times for her to get used to it.