General Care Discussion :: Since separation, not basking

[PatriciaTheora]

I recently had to separate my two RES, both male, because the slightly bigger one, Mikey, was getting aggressive and biting Mal. But since they've been separated, Mikey won't bask at all. It's been close to a week, and the only time he gets on his basking platforms is to partially hang off of it to sleep. The water temperature is as it should be, as well as the basking area. He's healthy, he eats good, but constantly swims back and forth in his aquarium, ignoring the basking area.. I do my best to be a wonderful turtle mom, but this just doesn't seem right, and I have no clue what to do.

[devilduck]

Turtles don't like change and they take a while to get used to changes. Every time I move or change my basking area it takes Fred a couple weeks to adjust. Give them some time.
I noticed now that it is winter Fred is not basking as much either.

[slider_keeper]

I just finished Toku's new tank and he has been in it for a whopping 6 hrs. I will let you know when I notice him basking. I suspect it will be a few days since his entire surroundings has changed.

[PatriciaTheora]

It just scares me, but thank you Devilduck for the reassurance. I've even tried to gently place him upon the platform, and he slides off. When I'm in my room, I keep as quiet as I possibly can, because I know any noise can spook them. But Mal is basking wonderfully. I'm running through my head of why Mikey won't bask, maybe he doesn't like the platforms, maybe I should get him bricks too, since Mal likes those a lot. Ugh! I'm just stressing out over it.

And Slider_keeper, let me know when he starts basking, hopefully he does soon! Good luck!

[slider_keeper]

I will, I have full confidence he will soon;) As for Mikey, he might be basking when your not around, turtles have different personalities like we do and Mikey may just like to bask when it is all clear of a potential predator (you). Just give him some time and I'm sure he will be soaking the rays, if he isn't already;)

[steve]

I recently added a background to my tank and it took a couple of days for the basking to return to normal... nothing in the tank was changed.

[PatriciaTheora]

Steve, It's amazing how such a little change can make them iffy about their normal turtle business.

I have heard that if they don't bask, like Mikey is doing, they can potentially get sick. I don't want my baby get sick. They basked more when they were in the same tank, but I just cannot keep them together anymore, Mikey, the slightly bigger one, goes straight for Mals neck, and I'm not going to let him attack him every chance he gets.

[steve]

Just make sure the basking area is as warm as it was before... or maybe a little warmer.

[adbritta]

I can't get Flippy to bask since I've changed from her old basking area (one of those floating rocks that anchor to the tank with magnets and go up and down with the water - she would knock it down), to one of the ramps. She'll hang out in the water right where the ramp submerges, but I haven't see her actually basking on it, and she used to bask fairly frequently. She would only get down if I came right up to the tank, and I'd say I spend 60% of my day in the same room with her. I'm hoping she'll start basking more when the temperature is more stable. I bought a new mvb but they didn't have 100w in stock, so i bought 160w. I kept it at the right distance during the burn-in, and constantly checked the temperature, and it stayed right at 90-91. Then I checked it yesterday and saw it had gone up to 94, so I moved it up a few links (it's suspended over the tank). Earlier this evening, despite being even farther away, it was somehow 96 on the basking area. I moved it up even farther and got it down to around 86, but I'm not sure what the problem is. Shouldn't it be less hot now than it was during the burn-in? I think what might be happening is that it starts out around 90, but then as it stays on longer the basking area just keeps getting hotter. I'm thinking maybe I should shut it off for about 15 minutes in the middle of the day, splash some water on the area to dissipate the heat, and then turn it back on. I never had this issue with my old bulb.

[PatriciaTheora]

Awh I feel it. It worries me so much. He never had any issue basking until I separated them, and I don't want him to get sick, even though he seems fine now. I'm trying to entice him a little to bask, I bought him his favorite food, live fish..but he will only eat them if I catch them with a net and hand feed them to him, because he's a bit on the hefty side and the fish are too quick lol. And then something wonderful happened, but only for a minute..He climbed up on his platform :3 I think he's going to start basking more now.

Adbritta, I used to have to splash water on the platforms too, I don't have the money to buy a proper temperature gauge, but I know if I place my hand on the platform and can't keep it there because it's extremely hot, my turtles probably won't like it either. I hope she starts basking soon, I'm sending turtle love your way! -Sends turtle love-

[slider_keeper]

Just to let you know, Toku started basking for the first time, since I built his new tank and new basking logs and branches, yesterday. I didn't witness the basking yesterday but I could tell he was up there at some point in the day when I was at school. But I got a picture of him basking today. I posted the pic in Toku's build thread.

[devilduck]

I just peeked downstairs and Fred is basking again! Took about 1.5 weeks Snuck away as not to scare him.

[PatriciaTheora]

Lol Yay! Lol I do the same thing..I know we all look like creepers, but I think it shows we love our turtles

GO FRED!

[adbritta]

I feel like I hover around Flippy more than my best friend hovers over her newborn. If Flippy is sleeping, it's like, "Shhh kitties, don't walk so loud."

[PatriciaTheora]

RES love is a quirky kind of love, extreme measures will be taken to keep our turtles comfortable and happy. :3