Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HEEElp my turtle is not basking at all since i got him 2days ago,he stays in the water forever and never comes up to bask i have him in a 55gallon tank and i had the water filled up half the tank but then i lowered it down so the turtle would be able to stand on his feet and be able to stick his head out and breath and i also have some rrocks leading to the turtle dock where hes suppose to bask but he never wants to come out and bask i take him out of the water and put him in the basking area but then he just goes running back to the water so pleeeeeeease some1111 heeeeeeeeeelp me

Just leave him alone and let him get settled in. Most new turtles wont bask when people are around. Do you have a basking light over his basking area? They won't bask if the water is too warm, or the basking area is too cold. You can fill the tank back up, turtles love swimming and will not drown, unless your turtle has been kept in a shallow tank for a long period of time.
-----
A mans got to do what a mans got to do. A woman has to do what he can't.

Mom to:

1 little boy born 7/19/04
2 male RES, born 1999
1 ribbon snake, age unknown
3 FBT, ages unknown
1 female bearded dragon, born 5/2002
1 male lab mix, born 5/24/03
1 female calico cat, born 6/7/04

____

edited signature file; oversized graphic [phw 12/13/04]

Hi there! When I first got my 2 RES, they didn't want to bask either. Make sure the temperature in the water is not too hot because they won't feel the need to bask if it is. There were also times when I would come back into the room after a while of being out and I would hear a ker-plunk, and the turtles would jump into the water. Sometimes RES just do not like to be watched while they are basking and will do it when no one is around...