General Care Discussion :: 10 year old healthy male no longer basking - any ideas why??

[peretzcroton]

Hi,
I've got a male RES - about 9" - in his own tank (55 gallons) and for all of these years he had no problem basking - a few years ago I put a Reptology Turtle Topper ATBA that he used regularly. Nothing has changed that I can figure out.
He hasn't grown too large to fit up the ramp.
The basking area temp is just about the same as it has always been.
The platform is stable.
The water temp is good.
He's eating his turtle sticks and cuttlebone.
He's not lethargic or anything.
He just won't BASK.
I've tried turning off the heat lamp and leaving just the UVB and vice versa.

He (like his former female companion - he had to be separated from her because he almost bit her neck off - literally - years ago) used to bask routinely just like she does. It's a shame they have to be in separate tanks but the vet said it was the only solution (and this was about 3 years ago). But this is all besides the point since he was fine on his own.

Maybe it's just a life stage thing where he just isn't interested. I can't figure it out. Maybe he stopped liking the artificial nature of the Reptology rig and would 'prefer' something like his former roommate has - which is a cork bark platform that I then spent ages building a plexiglass container around so she could have an ATBA.... who knows.

I don't think it's the water conditions - he's healthy and nothing has changed there either.

Any suggestions appreciated

[devilduck]

How long hasn't he been basking? Has anything changed in the habitat? Are you sure he's not going up there when your not around?

[steve]

Has the lighting set up remained the same?

[peretzcroton]

Everything I could think of has remained the same.
That is what I was trying to get across in my post but I guess I didn't make myself clear enough.

It has been several months that this has been going on.

Yesterday in the late afternoon of course I found him on his platform with just the UVB light on since his basking /heat bulb had blown out. Perhaps it was too high wattage... But it was the same, 75 watts he's had for years.

[ljapa]

Yesterday in the late afternoon of course I found him on his platform with just the UVB light on since his basking /heat bulb had blown out. Perhaps it was too high wattage... But it was the same, 75 watts he's had for years.

Maybe as he has gotten bigger, the temp on the top of his shell is too high with the bulb placed where it is. Is the basking area designed so he has some control over how close he is or is it level?

Maybe replace the bulb put move it higher?

[peretzcroton]

But he hasn't gotten bigger for years... At least not noticeably. But I will try what you suggest. It doesn't seem to affect him one way or the other though... whether he basks or not. He never did bask as much as my female did though. It's like he just prefers being in the water all the time.

[steve]

What kind of basking area do you have? Do you use a thermometer to measure it's temperature?

[peretzcroton]

I explained that above. And I was using a digital infrared thermometer or whatever technology it uses to point to the basking surface to take a measurement. The temps varied depending on whether I used a zoomed 75 or 100 watt or even just a standard 75 watt incandescent. Ranges were typically between 90 and a bit over 100 at the basking surface. Varying this didn't matter for all of the years he did bask and has not mattered in terms of getting him back on the basking platform. I'm just not sure it matters...is he going to suffer if he doesn't bask? I might have to switch to a UVB tube instead of the bullb method over his basking area though. He's not getting the UVB, which concerns me more than the heat /basking aspect. I don't know the implications though of either for a healthy turtle of his age. I

[devilduck]

If his shell looks healthy then I wouldn't be too concerned. I noticed that in my turtle's case if the water is warm enough he basks less.

[peretzcroton]

Wouldn't you just predict this? He's back up on the basking platform now and then - - about two hours after I posted the original or second post. I did put in a 75 watt incandescent bulb instead of the 75 watt Zoo-Med (I think it was) basking bulb (much more intense heat all that).

So maybe it WAS the bulbs I had been using after all! They were probably too hot as someone suggested. I guess I'll just go back to using standard household bulbs and maybe someone can clue me in again on what the temperature on the basking platform should be???

[devilduck]

I think it's recommended that the basking temp be around 90-95 F.

How close is the light to the platform?