General Care Discussion :: New Map turtle not a great swimmer

[kittyclover]

I just adopted a new Map turtle who is about 2 yrs, she came from a Reptile Rescue. I don't think she has ever been in really deep water before. The level of water she was in at the reptile rescue place wasn't too deep cause she could stand and stick her nose out of the water. I have her in a 90g that is almost filled to the top, only about 3inches short of being completely full. When I put her in the tank she sat at the bottom for a bit and then when she needed to breath she stood up, stretching and stretching till she realized she's gotta swim to the top. She kinda flails around and doesn't seem to know how to float. Right now she sitting on top of the power head for the under gravel filter.

It's weird cause my Res was in a 30g before and water was only standing depth of his body, when I moved him to the 90g he was really good at swimming right away and was swimming up and down in the tank for hours he was so happy. I'm kind of worried about her drowning, but if I lower the water they wont be able to get onto the ramp of the above tank basking area.

[steve]

Can the ramp for the ATBA be adjusted/lowered? Can you add one of those resin platforms that she can rest on? If not, and she isn't getting used to it, then I would consider a different basking area (until she gets used to the depth).

[kittyclover]

If I extend the ramp I think it will make it too steep to climb. I put a piece of egg crate angled like a ramp so she can climb on it to be able to rest and breath, not really sure what I can do about a basking area though, I have a small suction cup one but that wouldn't suffice for both of them. Maybe I'll try to find some bricks to support a slab of slate rock I have. Are maps usually good swimmers?

[AllTheCandies]

both of my turtles are not good in deep water. I would definitely get a different basking area.
Mine are currently in only like two or three inches of water and that's what I worked them up to. I tried like five inches deep and after about ten minutes they were struggling so hard I thought they were going to drown or something.

[steve]

Their swimming ability should be similar to RES. Would you be able to get any cork bark for a basking area?

[kittyclover]

I didn't end up lowering the water but made a few areas where she can rest and stick her head out of the water. She is actually doing much better today. I think it was just new to her and when she would get to the top she would panic cause she couldn't touch the ground and ended up flailing and splashing all over the place.

Today though she is a bit more graceful following Hiro around the tank all day and has figured out how to float at the top of the water to be able to breath. She still doesn't swim as much as Hiro does, she walks across the bottom more then climbs up on stuff to get air or will swim to the top now and float. She hasn't tried using the ramp to go up and bask yet.

Also she is too slow to get food before Hiro eats it all, I tried feeding her in a bucket of water but she wouldn't.

[steve]

Take Hiro out and put him in the bucket while you feed the map in the tank.