Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok my turtle has the perfect setup (i think) he has a nise big sloped rock to climb on and two lights, 1 uvb and on heat light to make sure its warm. its not too hot and its not too cold. but i never catch him basking anymore is there anything i can do to make him?

Hi,

Check your water temp first. If it is too warm the turtle
will more than likely not bask. I would also check your
basking site to make sure the temp is about 85 degrees.
Keep the water between 72 and 75 and I think you will get
good results.

Hope this helps!
Linda

the water temp is high 70's any lower and the turtle wont do much he just sits by the heater.

How long have you had the turtle? Did you recently change anything in the tank?
New turts sometimes take a while to start basking. Each of my two took at least a month or two. (although they might have gone up prior but just not when I am around).
Also, if you change the tank around, they seem to not bask until they are comfortable with the surroundings.

Personally, I'd pull out the heater, as if the water is 70, the heater is probably about 75, and he's just sitting near it instead of getting out to warm up. Odds are your house is about 70 degrees anyway so the heater will rarely turn on. Mine is set to where it only comes on when I do water changes and the water is pretty cold.

I keep my basking area in the high 80's to 90. Even at that heat, they stretch their necks out to get that extra inch closer to the heat. I figure these animals are cold blooded and use the difference in temps to regulate their body heat. By giving a wider difference, it helps them to regulate their heat. Granted, you don't want to freeze or burn them, but a wide range works well for me.

I have 3 turtles that are all about 4" and havn't ever had any illness or shell problems. They love basking and love swimming. They're very active.

OK, for water temp. Have you used a thermometer on your
basking site to make sure it is at least 85 degrees?

Linda

I am having the same problem. We just upgraded our 3 yr old RES to a deeper tank and she has much more swimming room. In order to accomplish this, we created a new basking area that allows her access underneath to swim. Well, she has not been on the platform to bask at all. I keep putting her there, so she knows what it is, but she slides back into the water. And she IS a basker. Would do it several times per day. On a goofy plastic stepped platform she had since she was tiny.
It has been 3 days now. Should I be worried? She loves the water and always sleeps underwater.