Habitat - Indoor :: Above tank basking spot. I'm nervous.

[RedEaredJade]

I've just given Jade an ATBS, as in just gave it to him tonight, and he clearly has no clue what to do with it. This is also his first night in a properly sized tank. I'll admit it, I've JUST gotten my act together in a lot of ways. He's never had to swim up for a breath, but he's demonstrated a few times tonight that he can. He's not thrilled, but he can.
I'm a little nervous about leaving him alone tonight. I'm thinking of leaving the light on in the ATBA so he can see it all night. I'm just worried he'll take too long to bask and get sick or something. Any advice/tips on how to get him using it? I tried putting him back into it by lifting him up the ramp and into the baking area, but he clawed out of my hand and ended up squishing his nose on the side a little. Sooo, yeah, that was kinda funny, but he was not amused. I'm trying not to worry, but I've worked really hard on this new setup and I'd feed terrible if something bad happened to him because of trying to take better care of him. The ramp is extended a good 6 or so inches into the water, is made of egg crate so he should have plenty of grip I think, and it's at a roughly 45 degree angle.

[ljapa]

It's not uncommon for a turtle to take days to bask before trying an ATBA. One thing you can try is putting some pellets up there.

[RedEaredJade]

Thank you so much for responding! Or should I say, RESponding?
I'm also in the process of trying to get him to eat his veggies, so I'm holding out on the sticks, but if he needs them to get up I will certainly try it. If he goes a few days without basking, will he be okay? Or do I need to "dry dock" him for a while every day in a separate container, or even put him up there myself? I can take the top off the basking area to put him on there.

[ljapa]

A few days without basking will be fine.

My turtle, much smaller than yours, took four or five days. One thing I did to help, besides food bribery, was to move the floating platform she was used to using up to the ATBA. I don't know if that helped or not.

[RedEaredJade]

Oh, that's a great idea! Thank you.

[RedEaredJade]

ljapa! Your idea about putting his old dock at the base of the new one worked!!! I got his heat lamp set up last night and I could see Jade kept looking up there. Well, today he went up and I caught him basking under his heat lamp and his UVA/UVB bulb!

[ljapa]

Great to hear!