General Care Discussion :: We turtle won't get out of water.

[lunabebe4]

I just got my turtle, res about 4.5 inches, female. I got her from a petstore so I could give her better living conditions. She was basking and had a really dry shell when I picked her up because they only gave her like 1/4 inch of water! Well now in the 50 gallon tank she is swimming around but will not get out of the water. The water is between 75-78 and the basking area is at 90.is it just cuz it's a new place? Should I be worried?is it normal for her to be splashing during the night?

[Keith]

When I got my little Simon he had been living in similar conditions in the pet shop, with only 1-2 cm or so of water. We tried to put him in deeper water, but it totally freaked him out. Probably because this was not something he was used to! So we very gradually (over several months) rose the water level to a more suitable level for happy turtles. He now has deep water and swims around like a fish. But he still prefers to sleep in shallow water, so we've built a little podium around 4-5 cm under the surface where he can sit and just stick his head up above water whenever he needs to breathe or look around what's going on. I've never seen him sleep anywhere but there.

[steve]

Some Basking Requirements:
www.redearslider.com/basking.html

[laurapa]

Oliver did not really know how to swim when we first got him. He was kept in the minimum required water depth in his previous home, so he grew up without ever really swimming.

When we added depth to his tank water, we had to kind of teach him how to swim. My husband held up his belly while he paddled (it was very cute), but as soon as he let go, Oliver's butt would sink.

The solution? Putting a piece of lettuce in the tank to float there. Oliver couldn't figure out how to swim before that moment, but once there was food on top of the water, he figured it out FAST. He spent the next few months teaching himself new strokes. It was really cute to watch.

It may well take your turtle a little while to be confident enough to bask in his big new tank. He might feel too vulnerable right now, and he is still busy exploring. Make sure there is a good ramp so that he CAN get up there, but otherwise you'll probably see him bask soon.

Also, most turtles sleep underwater at night.

He'll figure it all out soon, I'm sure!

[lunabebe4]

I woke up in the middle of the night last night and she was sleeping on the ramp to the dock, so at least she got up there, I think she is just exploring the new big world for her and getting used to things, and the lights might be brighter then she is used to since they had there lights covered by plastic (for being petstores, they suck at keeping pets happy and healthy). When I feed her, i gotta keep her in water correct?

[laurapa]

^Correct! Just let everything float on the surface. She'll attack it!

[lunabebe4]

We got her goldfish yesterday when we got her as a treat, (they were out of rosy reds) and she gobbled 3 of them yesterday. Today we pt 5 pellets and some lettece and my bf said she wont touch the floating pellets and he cant tell how much green leaf she ate but he knows it wasnt much. Is it just cuz she is full from the fish yesterday? also i have cuttle bone for her but she has no interest in it what so ever!