Habitat - Indoor :: Basking set-up ideas? Please

[lisa7]

Hi!
I'm new so I need a little help. I have a 3 inch red eared slider and her tank is all setup(tank, submersible heater, powersun UVB, Fluval4 filter, cuttle bone). I need some ideas for basking strutures. Orginally I used on big rock that comes out of the water - she wouldn't get on it. Then I stacked some small rocks on top of each other. That she will put her front legs on but not get out of the water. I've 'sneaked' and watch her so i know that she isn't jumping off when I come in the room. I've had her over a month and in that time she hasn't basked once. Of course she was a 'neglected' turtle when I got her. Tiny plastic tank, no heater, no basking or UVB, etc. The water is 78, the basking spot is 90ish (varies slightly with room temp). I thought about trying the commerial basking products - Zoomed Turtle Log or Turtle dock. Do you think one of these would be better? Is there a better basking that I could create. I worry that she isn't getting enough UVB, and certainly her shell never dries out (so I worry about shell rott). Please let me know if you have any advise.
Oh and one more thing - she will only eat commerial food. With time, will she eventually eat some veggies or is she too old for a diet change? Also I was told she is 3 years old and she is 3 inches - is that about the right size?

[jenaero]

Personally, I'd go for the Zoo Med Turtle Dock. I've been using them for years. I've had to replace a couple but they're pretty sturdy. These docks are good because they don't take up any of the swimming area and they can hold a good amount of weight. They're not that great for adult turtles tho.

If you're the creative type you could try to build something similar to the commercial products to save money.

3 inches is pretty small for a 3yo. If you start offering veggies she will eventually figure out that it's food. I've had some turtles that would chomp on veggies right away, and others that have taken a few weeks.

[jozzep]

A turtle dock is a great option for "little turtles".Once they grow there is no commercial option.You will need to build.

[vear]

My turtle is 3 yrs old - 6 inches. I'm in the process of building an above tank basking area (there's a picture posted in the "indoor" section). I bought some thin wood, screws and made a box that will sit on top of my tank. The hardest part was cutting the sections because I don't have any power tools. But home depot can do that for you in seconds.

About the veggies - when I got my turtle, it would only eat pellets... but I started offering other options and leaving him alone... he eventually started eating. If that's their only option, they get hungry and eat.

Good luck!