General Care Discussion :: RES baby wont bask

[doctor]

Hey guys. I have a baby RES. I got her this past october and she is still really tiny... Maybe 1" or 1.5" shell length. (I know this is illegal but I wasn't aware of this at the time of purchase. got her from some guy on the street in chinatown). Anyways. I have her in a 40 gallon tank which I always supply with clean water and she is doing great. The one thing I am worried about is I have never seen her bask. I bought a basking platform for her on amazon.... she always will go on the steps and stick her head above water but will never go to the top of the platform and hangout (atleast I have never seen her do this).

On the tank itself I have a UVB light which provides light for it. I have a UVA light but I never use the thing because it gets the water way too hot.

I have been "force basking" her every 3 days or so when I change the water for the tank. I usually put her in a container with no water for 30 minutes or so when the water is getting changed to dry her off.

Do you guys have any ideas on how to get my turtle to bask? Suggestions? Thanks so much. This is my first turtle I have ever owned and I love her!

[PridgNYC]

The basking platform needs to be about 10 degrees warmer than the water to encourage basking. The UVB light doesn't put out much heat, so just using that bulb won't encourage basking. The turtle needs both UVB and heat to bask. You can just use a regular incandescent bulb for the heat if your UVA light heats up the water too much.

[steve]

Which brand dock are you using? You might also need to cover the sides to offer more privacy but as PridgNYC described, temperature is the key aspect.