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Hi I just had my husband create an ATBA for our turtles. We made it out of acrylic. For the ramp he bent it so it angles down into the water and then drilled holes in it for "footing" So far they haven't gone up there. Will they be able to climb up our ramp? I'm thinking of getting some terrarium grass to set on the main basking area...should I glue some of this on the ramp? Any other suggestions for what to put on the ramp to make sure they can climb it. Also how long are they ok without having a place to rest/bask until they get used to it?

Thanks so much!

Can you post some pics?

I'm having similar trouble with my guy. I put him up on the ATBA, but he finds his way back to the water and hasn't gone up on his own.

Turtles won't go up to their ATBA immediately. They are shy and skittish creatures and can take some time to adjust and become familiar with the environment you've provided for them.
I've got an acrylic ramp with holes drilled (see the build thread linked in my signature). There's no carpet or anything and my turtle has no issues getting to the ATBA.

Turtles are great climbers, but make sure the angle of your ramp is not very steep. You want a ramp and not a ladder

What are the temperatures of your water and the basking area? Do you have both a heat light and UVB light on the basking area?

I used non slip bathtub tape on my ramp and some shrimp on the basking area to entice them. Worked great they figured it out pretty quick.

It's been a couple weeks with the new ATBA, and I know he can get up and down the ramp with no issue because I've seen him do it several times. Problem is he doesn't stay up there. I've tried putting food up there, treats, etc.

My water temperature is around 72-74 degrees. The ATBA temperature is anywhere from 85-95 degrees depending on where I take the reading. I have a UVB lamp and Heat lamp over the ATBA. I've moved the heat source closer to the ramp, per Steve's suggestions.

I'm not sure what to do at this point! Should I lower the water temperature even more? I thought 72 was right around where it should be... but I'm worried about the little guy. These 2 weeks, plus the time before, means I haven't seen him basking in months... help!

72 is fine for water temp. sometimes they bask sometimes they dont. Talking about my turtles. They seem to like it better if basking temp is around 115° i know that sounds hot i can only tell you what my turts like. I use a 75 watt bulb about 10 inches from platform .They dont bask alot during winter! Dont worry about it they bask when they need 2.

I would give him some more cover around the tank, even if that means you can't see him. Can you post a picture of your setup?

Kansasslider wrote:72 is fine for water temp. sometimes they bask sometimes they dont. Talking about my turtles. They seem to like it better if basking temp is around 115° i know that sounds hot i can only tell you what my turts like. I use a 75 watt bulb about 10 inches from platform .They dont bask alot during winter! Dont worry about it they bask when they need 2.

RES are native to South Texas (where I'm originally from), and I can tell you from experiencing sidewalk burn, that any basking surface will get up to at least 115, especially during the months of July and August. In July and August, the temp rarely goes below 100.

steve wrote:I would give him some more cover around the tank, even if that means you can't see him. Can you post a picture of your setup?

Steve - I'll take a new video tonight and post it, as I have added some plants since my most recent video.

When you say add some cover, are you referring to the tank or the ATBA, or both? Would having cover in the tank be related to their basking behaviors?

He might just be a bit skittish, but there could be other factors involved.

I hear ya - thing is I have had him for over 4 years. It's only somewhat recently that he's stopped basking. He used to bask all the time. And the setup he has know is "technically" the best... he has more room to swim with the ATBA, etc...

I watch him periodically throughout the day on a webcam and he quite literally does the "swimming into the wall" thing (like in the video I have posted before) all day... in the exact same spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn1eijA25C4

Does he have room to swim? It looks like there are a lot of decorations in there, and his clearest space for swimming is right by that corner. Can you think of anything you changed in terms of his environment right before he stopped basking besides the ATBA?

I think he does - here's a better video that may show more of the tank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_lzGI-k5WM

I can take out some of the "decorations" but I don't know that they're taking up that much room. Also, he sleeps on/near those larger pieces. So I'm not sure if removing those would make things worse? Steve recommends adding some cover - as of right now that's the only real cover he has (I have added plants recently too, I'll add another video tonight)

I can't think of anything that has changed drastically other than the ATBA. The only thing I can think of is what led to the ATBA in the first place. About 6 months ago, I'd say, he managed to craw out of the tank. I thought that there was PLENTY of room between the basking area and the tank lid, but he was able to climb over 8" to the lid and somehow pull himself over. He fell to the floor, and I was TERRIFIED. But he seemed OK. No cracks in the shell, no trauma that I could see. No cuts. He seems a bit skiddish at first, of course, but for all intents and purposes he seemed just fine!

From there I lowered the water line, the basking area, and put up some cardboard in the corner (figured out that's how he got out, using the corner for leverage) as a temporary fix while I created the ATBA. Other than that, nothing has really changed. And I should mention that he wasn't basking much even before this fall. Now that I think of it, he hasn't been basking for much longer that I remember. I thought it's only been a few months, but it has to have been at least 6 months, because for a while, I know he wasn't basking but ALWAYS climbing on the basking area to try and get out, that's it. Never to bask....