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For a turtle of about 4 or so inches is 82 degrees F. to warm for my turtle. He doesnt seem to bask but i just put him in the tank two days ago. People are telling me it is normal at first to not bask. Oh and as I was writing this he ate his first pellet.

Congratulations on your turtle eating a pellet! That's a milestone!

The temp is a bit warm so a turtle of 4" that's healthy. You can lower it to around 75 degrees. If he ever gets sick then you could raise it.

People who are telling you it's normal for your turtle not to bask at first are right. They're pretty shy until they get used to you and their new home. Give him/her some peace and quiet and privacy until he/she settles in.

Alright thanks for the info. i will go buy a water heater tomarrow. What kind should i get? ( one that is totally under water or what?)

Oh and how do I lower the temp. safely for the turtle

So your tank is at 82 degrees without a heater? Is the tank setup near a window (does it get direct sunlight)? Do you have airconditioning? You could lower the temperature a little by blowing a small fan across the top of the water. Try to blow it away from the basking area so the turtles don't get too much wind while they're basking.

If that's the normal room temperature, then your turtle should be able to handle it. Just be careful if it starts to rise into the mid to upper 80's. On especially hot days, you can bring the temp down some by doing a partial water change. Just don't change the temp too drastically or it could stress the turtle and get him sick.

You don't have a heater already? How did the water get so warm?

You can lower the temp by putting in some ice cubes. Or by adding some cooler water.

A good kind of heater to get is a Visitherm Stealth. These are plastic so the turtles can't greak them and they are very accurate and will last a long time.

Yes it is 82 degrees with out the heater, I just have the lights on top of the screen lid. It is pretty warm in my room, even though I have the air on. My room is up stairs always a little warmer.

I am going to bed soon because it is 10 30 were I am. Should I put like 3 or 4 ice cubes now or wait till the morning

Oh, and the Visitherm Stealth is a submersible heater. Set the thermostat on it at 73 to 75 degrees so it won't come on unless it gets cool in your room.

But if it's that warm in your room all the time then you don't have to rush out and get a water heater. Just make sure you've got one by the time it starts to get cool.

I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. The ice cubes won't do much and would only last less than an hour. If you're concerned, you should pick up a small fan the next time you go to the store and set it up near the tank (make sure it can't fall into the tank) so it is blowing gently across the water and away from the basking dock. The air will allow some of the water to evaporate more quickly which will cause the temperature to drop a couple of degrees.

o ok thanks for the help

no problem

I will turn on ceiling fan for now

Good idea.

If the basking lamp is contributing to higher water temps, then it's possible that your tank is not large enough.