General Care Discussion :: my turtle wont bask

[krux5506]

my turtle seems to be spending most of its time under water, either hiding or just laying there. i got him a couple days ago and i havnt seen him bask once...

any ideas as to why this could be?

[sonyj]

What is the basking temp and what is the water temp?
What type of basking area do you have? How big is the tank/how much water? How big is your turtle (shell length from tip to tip not including curve)?

It isn't unusual for new turtles to need time to adjust to their environment before they feel comfortable & safe enough to bask or eat. You need to be sure that the habitat is set-up correctly and if it is then give him a little time and privacy.

[marisa]

Put a screen around the outside of the end of the tank where the basking area is to give him more privacy.

[krux5506]

the water temp is around 82 and the basking temp is around 87-90. the basking area is a couple flat rocks from outside propped on top of eachother and a dry flat one at the top (it looks easy for him to get onto so i dont think that is the problem). the turtle is about 4 and a half inches. the tank is about 15 gallons (not very big, i know) and there is enough water for him to "stand up" and still be covered.

[sonyj]

The water temp is too high... it should be between 72-72F. Since it is close to the basking temp (which is fine), this could be contributing to him not basking as well as the fact he is new. Try lowering the water temp. If you have a heater in there, turn it down. If this is from warmer weather, you can try doing partial water changes with cool water, or dropping in either ice cubes or frozen bottles of water.

Also, look into upgrading his home ASAP. Minimum tank size should be 10 gallons per inch of shell with as much water as you can fill it without giving them room to escape. A full grown RES will need at least 90-120 gallons, so go as large as possible now to save yourself money in the long run.

[krux5506]

i lowered the water temp a bit and he still hasnt basked...im thinking it could be the setup of the rocks. do they need sortof a ramp up to the basking area so they can walk up to it? or can it just be like a ledge they have to climb/pull themselves onto?

[SpotsMama]

They have to be able to walk up some sort of ramp. Since their shells won't bend they can't just pull themselves up with their front legs.

[turtleinc.]

how much water do u have in the tank there might be to much. my turtle would not bask etheir but i took out some water and left about 3-5 inches of water then he started basking more

[sonyj]

A RES's habitat should have more water than 3-5 inches. They are aquatic turtles and need all the water we can supply them with.

If the basking area isn't easily accesible or they do not have enough privacy they will not bask.

[turtleinc.]

that is only so he will get used to basking evetually u can put more water in when he gets comfertabul (i cant spell)

[marisa]

I'd still give him a bit more water (raise it gradually in stages). Since you got him only a few days ago, he just might need a little more time to become adjusted to his new home.

[krux5506]

yeah he started basking the other day and does it regularly now. i think he just needed to get used to the environment. thanks!