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I have a 5 year old RES named Giles. About a week and a half ago she started acting really irregularly trying to escape from her tank, splashing around, seeming just restless. I went online to figure out what was happening, and it seems that she might be wanting to lay some eggs. This is her first time doing this and I am at a loss, With my current Tank set up there is no way to attach a nesting box to the aquarium so I created an External Nesting box from her old 30 gallon tank, it is on my porch. I filled it with sand from the petsmart and made it slightly damp using a spray bottle...No eggs. So I tried a different approach, I saw a video online where he used top soil so I made a 50/50 top soil and sand mixture I put her outside in the nesting box with a heat lamp( its 59, to 65 degrees outside when she starts acting like she wants to go out at like 7 in the morn.) and cover the tank up 75 percent with a towel. She seems very content when I put her in there and leave her for two hours, but still no evidence of eggs. How long does this process go on? She stopped eating for about three days which had me very worried but she now is back to eating her normal amount. Do I need to do something differently? I would appreciate any advice, I am just really confused about this whole nesting situation.

I only have limited experience with the whole laying eggs behaviour, as my girl first laid eggs last year, twice! I was lucky to find out that she was extremely content with both my parents' and my bf's garden. The first time she was extremely restless for weeks, stopped eating and tried to dig in the tiles she basks on. The very first day I took her to my parents' garden she wandered a bit and then decided to dig near a lavender bush by the fence - I have some pictures posted in the Photo gallery. The whole laying process took about three hours (digging, laying, covering the nest), she was absolutely unfazed by my presence or by the noise in the street or... anything else, the girl was on a mission! The second time was two and a half months later, she was restless again and wanted out, but this time I knew what to do and the weather was much warmer (mid June), so out with her, she did her thing for two hours, undisturbed, and that was all.
As we speak, I think she may be having eggs again, she's a bit agitated, basks waaay longer than a few weeks ago, is more hungry, but I can't feel eggs yet. Soon...
Bottom line, in my experience, taking her outside to lay totally worked for me. Best advice I can give!
Hope my story is of any help for you or anyone else reading this!

Have you tried feeling for eggs?

There's really no exact numbers on how long it can take. If she doesn't find a suitable spot, she'll probably go back to acting normal then eventually expel the eggs in the water. Hopefully it only takes a few weeks.

She is eating normally and seems less restless, but she hasn't laid any eggs in her external nesting box. It is a 30 gallon tank with top soil and sand which I dampen with a spray bottle. Has anyone had any luck with external nesting boxes? If so what did you use? I live in an appt and the landscaping around here is just grass not much area for digging so I don't know if letting her roam around outside will really work. Thank you Xcristina and Steve for your comments, I am hoping I can figure something out so she doesn't have to expel them in water.

Well, letting her out is definitely worth a shot, in my opinion. If she really wants to lay, she'll manage to find a spot, and, believe me, those claws can dig through grass roots! Be careful and wash her when you bring her inside, you never know, there could be weed killers and stuff. Good luck!

Finding a bush or some plants could help. As far actual nesting boxes, very few if any are successful. I think the ones thats are permanently attached to the tank have a better chance of working.