Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just upgraded our 3 yr old RES to a deeper tank and she has much more swimming room. We created a new basking area that allows her access underneath the basking platform to swim. It is comprised of three ceramic floor tiles stacked, in a stepping pattern, supported by metal "brackets" hung from the sides of the tank. It's very solid, does not move, swing, sway, at all. The temp on the platform is approx. 84 degrees and the platform is 10" below the heat lamp.

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, and outgrew long ago.

It has been 5 days now. Should I be worried? Is this detrimental in the long run? How about short-term? She loves the water and always sleeps underwater. The water is currently 80 degrees and we do not have the heater in her tank- we have it in the filter, heating the recirculating water, and it is set at 75 degrees, so it most likely is not even coming on. Her room is warm, on the south of the house and we have no AC. Our summer has been one of consistent 90+ degree days so I am sure that is why the water temp stays warm (though she is not in a window or getting direct sun).

The ONLY thing that has changed in the past week is her set-up itself. Room temp, south exposure, etc, is the same as it was before we changed things around.

I am worried. Need I be? I hate to compromise her health. She has *knock wood* had no health issues ever. Any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

I'm not sure why she doesn't want to bask, but i'm guessing maybe she does not like the tile. Perhaps the tile surface is too hot and burns her. Maybe put a piece of repticarpet on it and see if it makes a differnce. I used a piece of cork wedged in my 40 gallon tank as a basking area. Good Luck

I will try the repticarpet and let you know how it goes. The texture of the tile IS slightly different than her plastic ramp but not much.

I will try the repticarpet and let you know how it goes. The texture of the tile IS slightly different than her plastic ramp but not much.

a quick search shows that is is not recommended for use with aquatic turts. Has anyone else tried it and had success? My RES can be pretty destructo so I would hate for her to ingest it.
Let me know. Thanks.

Hi,
I'm not sure if Repticarpet is safe for sliders or not. I've never used it for anything but my snakes. What I did with my slider is cut a piece of acrylic to fit one end of the tank. I bought these little plastic lightswitch cover things that, when turned sideways and attached to the side of the tank with aquarium sealent, made perfect 'shelves' to hold the 2 foot basking platform on. It took my slider one day to get used to the platform. Now she loves it.

I covered it with strips of no-skid bathtub stickers so that she has something to hook her claws into to get up.

Many sliders are fearful of basking out in the open. You might try hanging some fake foliage around the basking area to offer some privacy. Of just covering that side of the tank (on the outside) with a towel for now, until she's used to it.

Double check your temps. If the land is not warmer than the water, she may refuse to bask. Too warm of water will also cause this problem.

Excessive basking can cause shell problems. But I'm sure she'll start before that happens.

What an excellent idea to put the heater in the filter! I just went through buying and drilling PVC pipe to put the heater in so that my Shelly wouldn't break it.

Good luck!

Thanks for the ideas. I actually broke down and took her old platform, sawed one 'leg' off (stairs) and siliconed it to the tile! That way, she still has her familiar steps and platform but it terminates on the tile. And it IS a larger area and the texture may be bothering her. I think I will try the no-skid product, too. Now, when I put her on the steps and onto the platform, she at least lingers a bit longer...but still has not basked. Just slides right back in. She sure does love having all that room to swim in, though. And she seems fine so maybe I just need to be patient.