Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I noticed for the first time this evening my turtles doing their mating dance, which was odd not only because of the action but because they're so young. I got them both in June of 2005 when they were only an inch and a half to two inches long and now they're both four to five inches long. I'm not even entirely sure of their gender yet. I didn't think they'd start doing this for a few years.
They were swimming at each other with their noses almost touching, and one was vibrating it's front legs in the other's face, then they swam around one another and then they were both doing the vibrating legs thing. Is that proper behavior?

I'd like to put a heater in their tank to keep the water warm at night, but I'm uncomfortable with not having a cover over it. I know they make them and I've seen them, but since I've wanted one I can't find anything on them. Is there a website I can order one from? How could I make one otherwise?
Please do not comment telling me it's unnecessary because your turtle is fine without one, it will just be a waste of my time and yours.
I don't think the water temperature drops much at night, I just thought it would be more comfortable for them.

>> Is that proper behavior?
I think sometimes like other animal species they do this as youngsters out of play. It's natural behavior for them & when they do it as youngsters it's kind of like practicing for adulthood.
My painted turtle does this to his feeder fish. He's playing with his food. Sometimes when he's basking he waves at ME. LOL

As for heaters, whether you need one or not depends on where you live & what the temps in your house are. I live in a hot climate but I've always kept my aquatic tanks heated because inside the house they need it. My house is too cold for them in winter and when it's warm the air conditioner is running so it's still too cold for them inside the house. They stay heated year round, I bought submersible heaters with thermostat controls on them so that they'll turn off when the water is warm enough.

I've never been able to find a good quality heater locally, all that I had before I started using mail order shattered too easily. Drs. Foster & Smith catalog has a good selection of them, www.thatpetplace.com does too, look in the fish aquarium sections because I've noticed that they will sell the same heaters for fish as for turtles but in the reptile sections of some of these catalogs they'll mark the prices up a little bit.
As if because it's for a reptile it should cost more? I don't know why they do that.

There are lots of herp suppliers online that also carry good quality heater such as Big Apple, The Bean Farm, then there's Big Al's Tropical Fish & Aquarium Supply, I bought filter parts from them once they were reliable.. lots of online mail order catalogs have good prices on quality heaters that don't shatter like my cheapo locally bought heaters did.
Good luck with shopping for heaters.
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PHRatz

Yes, but I thought only one of them would be fluttering at the other, not both of them.

I all ready have a heater, I'm looking for a cover. But thank you.

>>I all ready have a heater, I'm looking for a cover. But thank you.

Well there ya go, again I posted without having my fill of caffeine lol & I misread what you were saying.
Still those links I posted should also have covers for sale.
Good luck finding one.
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PHRatz

Thank you.