General Care Discussion :: turtle doesnt bask :(

[ice]

i just got him 2 days ago, so i know its kinda soon. but from what i read they bask somewhat often. so im wondering what the problem is. i have a turtle dock like this one http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_ ... 3273454657

it seems like he can reach it fine so idk why he wont go up on it. the water temp is usually around 86 i think, and the basking area is about 88 or 89. should i make the basking area warmer or the water cooler?

also, if someone could point me in the direction of a picture of shell rot id appreciate it. i wanna make sure my little guy doesnt have it[/url]

[adam85491]

The water temp should be around 76 or 78.

[ice]

yea i saw that in one of the stickies. sorry for not reading. i have a book that says around 85 tho 0_o but ill turn it down and see what happens thanks

[adam85491]

Your welcome. The temp increase is what encourages them to bask, so correct the temperature and see if that helps.

[SpotsMama]

Yes, like adam said, when the water temperature is cooler (around 78) and the basking area is warmer (88 to 90) then the turtle will feel motivated to get up and bask. They bask because they like the warmth at the basking area.

[Hoooneylynn]

And youve only had it 2 days? It needs to get adjusted. My turt didnt bask for 2.5 weeks when I got her. Dont be surprised if it doesnt eat right away either.

[Rocky YBS]

And youve only had it 2 days? It needs to get adjusted. My turt didnt bask for 2.5 weeks when I got her. Dont be surprised if it doesnt eat right away either.

what i wanted to say lol.
my two turts (when i first got them) they were stressed so its better to let them settle.
i didnt see my turtle bask for about 2-4 days.
they will bask when they are ready!
(p.s is the basking spot easy to climb on?)

[ice]

the dock looks easy to climb on to me but it might be a little tougher for a turtle :-p
i have one of those magnet things that go on the inside and outside of the tank for easy cleaning on the inside, so i used it to pull thedock down a little lower so itd be easier to cllimb on. lets hope it works

[DavidY]

A new RES needs to be left alone in peace and quiet for while so they can adjust to their new surroundings. They need to feel safe, especially the young ones. Your turtle may come up to bask if there is no one around (after no movement or sounds for an hour maybe?). As soon as they hear a noise or see any movement, they'll take off like a rocket into the water. Try leaving him alone except to feed and clean for a few days. He will adjust eventually, especially when he realizes you aren't going to hurt him.

[pumpkinsherbet]

when you use that dock, put the part with the bar *under* the water and take the bottom suction cups out. turtles like to wedge themselves into tight spaces, and my aeryn got stuck in that thing not once but twice. other people have talked about their turtles trying to eat it.

it could be basking when you're not around, or like hoooneylynn said, just needs to get used to its surroundings.

[ice]

here are some pictures i took of my set up. im not sure why my water is so cloudy i've switched out 30-50% of the water for the past 3 days. i was hoping it'd clear up but i guess i still need to work on it. maybe my filter is too small. maybe my tank is too small too i hope not
anyway, here's my friend





oh and that foil thing in the 2nd pic is my heat lamp. it wasnt warming up the basking spot enough so i put foil on it. now its up around 90. i didnt take a pic of my uv light but its 2 or so feet above the tank and it lights the whole thing. its that not such a good way to do it?

[yertle_the_girl_turtle]

It sounds a bit far away to me... I keep my UVA light (the one for basking) an inch or so away from mine... But, you should wait for an expert to come around to answer this post. I still don't have my UVB light or filter, so I may not be the best person to answer... But I hope I was right and I helped.

[ice]

thanks i think it might be close enough. its like a small desk lamp pointed down at the tank. it seems to light up the basking area-as well as the rest of the tank-quite well.

[DavidY]

The UVB light needs to be within 12 inches of the turtle to be effective. Flourescent light bulbs cannot emit UV rays much beyond 12 inches.

[DavidY]

You should also have a much bigger tank for that size turtle (10 gallons for every 1" of turtle shell length). Also, you may want to get rid of the gravel as many turtles have died from filling their stomachs with the stuff.