Hi all,
However do you get your turtles to bask?! I've had mine for about six weeks and may have caught one of them basking like the second day I had them. Since then, nada.
I FINALLY managed to get the basking platform about 10 degrees higher than the water by turning the A/C in my apartment on full blast and then putting three lights on the basking side of the tank (75 watt incandescent, 50(?) watt halogen and another 60 watt incandescent) - this brought the basking temp to about 93 degrees, and the water on the cool side of the tank to about 83.
I can't seem to get the water any cooler than this, I guess because my apartment gets too warm (unless maybe I install a better A/C or put a fan right next to the tank?). I think the warmth of the water might be the problem. I was hoping that it at least wouldn't hurt my turtles b/c they're still so young (they were a little over an inch long when I got them in early May). I read that hatchlings should be in 82 degree-ish water.
The other thing is they're still terrified of me (freak out and frantically paddle away when they see me), so maybe they just bask while I'm gone. But I even tried putting up a shield for them so they couldn't see me, and would periodically sneak a peek - still nothing.
Help! I don't want them to get sick from not ever giving their shells a chance to dry off!
Thanks much!