General Care Discussion :: New to RES - and he fell =(

[hellohiloe]

Hi, I just got a baby RES. I have him in a 29g tank right now with an above tank basking area. I'm still in the process of rigging the setup so that the top is covered. For now I have a screen mesh clipped around, but near the water heater and filter there is a gap. He must have climbed out because I found him on the floor last night when I got home. He was really dry and seemed lifeless. I actually thought he had died =( until I rinsed him off and he started moving around. I checked for cracks/injuries (found none) and put him back in the tank. Today, I noticed his neck is shedding some. Its not much and its wispy. He's acting pretty normal - just hitching a ride on this floating plastic plant.

So is the shedding ok?

And how long can a RES be out of the water? He's about 1-1.5 inches.

Thanks!

[steve]

Welcome to the forum. Shedding is pretty normal, just make sure you keep a close eye on the water temperatures. Glad he's OK!

How long they can be out of water depends on a lot of factors.... age, health, temperatures, location, etc.