healthy turtle not basking at all..any help?

[Cyndij33]

I have a dbt in a 175 gallon indoor pond.. Water temp is around 74, basking area is plenty big with 2 basking bulbs set apart from each other..one is 75w, the other 100w..
The turtle is not sick, he eats like a pig, chases the fish and swims perfectly.. But he has stopped basking completely...I think it's been like 2 or 3 months since he's even stepped foot on the basking island.. ( I know because it's sand and I laid it flat to see if there's any disturbance..) he used to bask all the time but not any more..
Does anybody know why he's not basking??I'm stumped....

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O yeah, I forgot to say that the basking area also has a 36 inch double t5 fixture for the UVA and UVB needs..

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I don't have an answer for you but I'm curious if someone else does.
Does he have any shell rot from lack of basking?

 

[wellington]

Do you have a reliable temp gauge to measure the temps under the basking spot? It may have gotten too cold or too hot.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Or too much light!

Mine stayed aside of the 26W coil uvb for 3-4 months until I brought the temps back up and now they are basking again with the second 26W on.

I have to ask what gave you the idea they need that much light ? Someone has given you info that doesn't line up with anything I've used or any other breeders have used.

Granted I've only had 3 females that have laid eggs .. no great accomplishment I realize.. but it does mean something is right. There has to be something else that is causing this - what part of the country do you live in.

Plus it could be the water temps are too high. They [ Northerns ] go thru a brumation [ hibernation ] from anywhere from 60F in the fall until 60F in the spring again.. that's normal. For my brumation the water gets into the 40's with ambient temps low 60F max.

Tell me more please so I might be able to help.

You won't believe the temps 4Life allows his to go down to overwinter!

AND Team - the only reason a terrapin would have any shell rot would be poor water quality.. especially in FRESH water. Almost never is there any issues when kept in brackish water!

 

[Cyndij33]

I have the lights because the room is naturally dark..I turn them on at 8am then shut them off around 8pm.. And they aren't hung very close to the basking spot, but they are close enough to keep the sand warm..He used to bask all the time..nothing at all has changed..I haven't even seen footprints now, any where near the lights. Like he doesn't even try to figure out if it's too hot or cold..And the sand is formed as a small incline so if it was too hot,he could move down where its cooler..
I live in eastern P.a now..
And no there isn't any shell rot..I keep the water crystal clear and I skim out floaties every day..
And also I've read that coil bulbs can damage the turtles eyes.(I don't know if this is true or not)
but not everybody has to use the same things..

So do you think I should lower my water temp??

 

[Redfoot NERD]

High watt [ over 26 watt ] coil could very well be too much. If you want to light the room.. then light the room. Most keepers [ in PA ] I know seldom turn the lights on more than 4-6 hours a day in the winter.. if at all. And they/I never heat the water! In fact some over your way have them outside now.. because that's where they live. Yes that means they don't eat or see much light for all winter long.

What changed is the outside temps.. so you let them go with the weather changes Cyndi - take the heater out of the water and reduce the lights ON to coincide with the daylight outside.

Not everbody has to use the same things is true ----- but there are things that are the same.. and those things are what you do to keep your turtles healthy and happy.. what is natural to them.

 

[Cyndij33]

Gotcha, I will take the heaters out..Im just scared that he will get an r.i from the cold water.. But that sounds right to me, now that somebody explained it..
I usually do go with the daylight outside, I turn the light on in the morning, then when it gets dark, turn them off..
I'm only going to keep one bulb on and see if he takes to it..
Anything else??
I will let you know if this does the trick...

 

[Redfoot NERD]

It's been almost 2 weeks.. what/any changes did you make? And what happened then?

 

[Cyndij33]

I took the heaters out, I raised the strip light and only have a single t5 color bulb to light the whole pond, and I moved the basking bulb to the platform that helps him get on the island, so it's only like 4steps away from the waters edge..
And I haven't yet caught him basking.. It's hard to tell now because it's not so sandy and I can't see footprints...
Maybe when summer comes around he will start again...idk or I'm still doing something wrong..