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I have a baby res.. a couple of days ago I notice that "she" is just basking alot and not swimming as much. We have tried to get her to swim but she just won't. She seems to be okay health wise and she has heated water at 75 and a hot rock at 80 and a uv light.
I'm very sad... some help please...

Hi Hope 27,
What size tank is she in, what do you feed her, when she does get in the water does she swim normally? Do you have both UVB light and UVA light? They are both important, UVB is artifical sunlight and UVB is heat. Do you see and snot or bubbles coming out of nose? How big is your baby? What is your set up like? The more info you can give the more people may be able to give suggestions or info.

She is in a twenty gallon tank. She is only maybe the size of a half dollar. Yes I have both kind of lights. There is nothing unual about her other than she isn't swimming. I don't think she is eating either. I did have her in the sink yesterday while I was cleaning her tank. Oh yeah I have her in maybe 2 inches of water... so the tank isn't full. She ate a little yesterday but I don't think she has eaten at all today. I've only ever seen her eat when she didn't know i was watching her.

Did you just get her? If so, she is probibly just getting aquainted with her new home. It is quite normal for them not to eat for sevral days after you bring her home. Also, RES are great swimmers why don't you put alot more water in the tank. My sister has a baby RES in a 20 gallon and has it 3/4 full! I have four and both my tanks are as full as they can be without letting the little guys escape! Some times it is best to gradually put water so it is not such a huge change all at once.

I've had her for a few weeks. and the first week she was in the new tank she was okay and then all the sudden she stopped swimming and stuff. I don't want her to feel like she is drowning. I guess that is my worry.

RES are very good swimmers, just increase the water level by a couple of inches a week so that your turtle gets used to being completely in the water, also, turtles don't produce saliva like mamals do, they need to be in the water to be able to eat

hmmm....does your turtle always have its eyes closed...or maybe it struggles to walk....does it hold its head unusually high when basking? If any of these things are true then your turt could be sick.

Whats wrong if the eyes are always closed or they hold their head high? Cause Orion always has his eyes closed and is sleeping when he is basking, at least 90% of the time when I see him, and Reyna always puts her head up really high when she is awake and basking...

Hope_27, what do you mean by "hot rock at 80"?

Therizman, there's nothing wrong with a turtle basking with its eyes closed or with the head held high (my turtle does both, but not together).

If a turtle was holding it's head high because it was having difficulty breathing and/or was frequently yawning, gasping or doing open-mouth breathing, however, that would be a different story.

Ok, thanks Marisa. Reyna just always has her head up when she is awake and basking, and Orion just seems to always lay up on the basking rock and fall asleep.

ummm .... ive had my turtle for about a year and a half and she is about 9 inches in length i noticed it was a female due to its large hind legs and other similarties ... when my turtle basks most of the time she stretches her neck and feet to absorb more light so there is nothing wrong if your turtle streches its neck while basking its just trying to get more heat and digest food

Welcome. Large hind legs don't necessarily mean it's a female. And long front claws and a big broad tail with the anal vent closer to the tip of the tail than the shell would mean she is a he.

How big was your turtle when you got her?

when i got my turtle she was about a inch and a half .. i know she is female because her anal pore is closer to the shell .. i read it in a book i just didnt mention it earlier .... she has never had any problems basking or swimming im just a bit concerned with her diet

Read your post under the other forum. You've had her 18 months and she's grown from about 1.5 inches to 9 inches? Really fast growth isn't good. It's good you're concerned about her diet and want to do something about it. I gave some suggestions in response to your other post.

I am very worried because recently my two RES are always with their eyes closed. When they are basking and even swimming with their eyes closed. The little one I have had for a little less than a year (his name is Franklin) and he started swimming with his eyes closed for almost a week now! I am very worried. What does that mean??