General Care Discussion :: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 5:53 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

If you can post some new photo's of basking area , I will put them old/new side by side to look at maybe something very simple to "him" and not much to you. Piggley was very picky but I watched everything. For Sedge watch how he even put his feet down on basking area , watch everything. That's another reason I like stock tank and my chair right next to it. I can see every move Piggley makes all the time ! Instead of standing by a tank. ATBA's are great looking but most from your sofa are to high to see every move one makes , at least to me. Does Sedge when walking up on it use his foot to test it , touch it several times , checking if to hard/soft or hot/cold like Goldilocks ?

When I do full maintenance I always dry dock Piggley. He also gets a good scrub down with a surgical scrub at that time. He does very well now knowing it's for the better , prevention. I do believe he understands his home is being cleaned for him too. Every week for simple maintenance and small water change's/vac he stays in and helps in a turtle way. For full house cleaning ( 1st of every month) he's dry docked. About three hours , this gives my larger water change and new carbon etc time to circulate before he goes back in since I do not use any chemicals , not even water conditioner. My large water change is about 35 gallons for my 125 gallons of water , this keep's the cycle going for my setup. I have never used chemicals in over five decades and don't plan to start. He will do well. He may at first get mad for an hour but after he realizers that you cleaned his home Sedge will be happy and all good again.

You may have to go through the alphabet to figure out why he's not wanting to bask but do it's for Sedge. Observe everything that's how Piggley tells me what he likes.

See how hardy turtles are , he's over that incident. Like I said turtles are just like children , must watch all the time , one second then into something.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:07 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Ok, when you dry dock him I guess you put the light there but he has room where he can get away from the light? I'll add pics. Actually my routine is usually to eat breakfast at my coffee table while watching him, and I can see his dock from my couch. Since I always put about half his pellets on the dock, I watch him climb up there and get them and go back in the water.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:15 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Kingbird seasons are changing , does you a/c and heater use the same vents or separate ? May just be a draft ? Didn't you move his tank when you built the ATBA ? Even if only a little move could be catching a draft.
No lights UVA/heat/UVB , it's a 20 gallon tote with no water and a rag for him to play with and placed by the picture window so he can see me outside cleaning his filter. And yes he does watch me , I think he's saying I got him trained to clean my home ! Mostly think he's laughing at me while he plays with the rag ! Piggley is fine with it. Sedge will adjust to it.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:40 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

But its mighty chilly in my house! He won't be warm enough with no light- I could use a space heater, but he would have to stay in the bathroom.

I haven't moved the tank since a year and change ago when I moved to my current apartment. Less sunlight in the winter and colder temps in the house (but not tank) are the only real differences in that department.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:12 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Have a desk / work table with a lamp , could put him by it for warmth.

Forgot the move , sun hits at a different angle on this house , different curtains , may be making temps vary some ? But you been in new house awhile this basking problem is what only past month ? But something has changed.

Just looking at the basking area ( early May ) your light's are several inches higher than when you changed and added more plastic plants on it (very end of May ) with lights much lower ! I would assume the bulbs are the same type in both placements . Some bulbs a few inches makes a few big difference. Which of the two earlier setups he used more ? Then set this basking area change the same for the lights. Just a thought. Maybe I will see something on this latest basking area change when you post pic's. He's getting a little older may be asking for something different ? Like a young boy at 11 wants his room setup his way , then the day comes he's a teenager all's different !

Do you have a IR type for the temp's or still using that round dial type it may be off for temp's ?
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:54 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsm9PiVii

I got a little carried away and made a time progression *shrug*

This goes all the way from the 5 gal tank he was in before I took him in to this month.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:05 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Wish more people gave more photo's they tell a lot ! Please don't take anything I say wrong this is for Sedge and may be a fix. For a glass tank you have great creativity , understand what you are going for 100%.
This is what I see Sedge telling me. Look again at photos most every place he goes is within one to two steps to get in the water or just a turn then into the water. Even wild turtles want to feel safe and have the most and fastest area to get into water. Your last plan would work great in a stock tank being it is much wider but for a glass tank may be to narrow limiting fast access to the water ,from a turtles view? Example , newest plan the left side , to escape to the water from the tile he must take several steps to cork , climb up , go over cork to get to the water. Turtles like to be able to see water and go straight in. Looks good but Sedge is saying no. Not that he's scared of you it's just that built in instinct turtles have. Must be good it has worked for them from the beginning , turtles been around a long time and survived.
If I was a turtle the Oct layup was perfect on the left side. You had a narrow cork to the front all the way to the side allowing more access to the water in only one step. I would feel safer. Yes was narrow but turtles will make good use of any spot that's safe especially where they can see the water. In the Nov pic he really only has fast use of the right side to get into the water. Note pictures when on the right side. One turn or one step in the water ! Maybe tweak a little to show water better from the land with more faster access he will bask more again. Yes hard in a glass tank but you have some good ideas.
Just me but those Petco dial type gauges are ____. I have a draw full all with different temps. Expanded the photos and saw anywhere from 100*to 105* if accurate that's hot. Piggley's basking area goes from 78* to 92* and he uses every inch of it. Piggley also has a separate dry dock at room temp and he use's it too ! If you use say a 75 watt heat lamp now a 50 watt would get that 105* down . Go one size smaller (heat bulb) on what ever size in there now. This is so you can keep fixture at same distance being it looks like you have a CFL coil for a UVB and those you can't move much more away or would be little to no use. That's one reason I got a UVB meter for best placement.
And the changes you made fall in that time frame when Sedge stopped basking. Too me if I was a turtle the Oct is better.
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Post Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:05 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Thanks litefoot.
It makes sense what you're saying about the smooth surface to the water. I kept trying to add more cork because the tile was getting dangerous when he jumped from the half log. But maybe I just need to strip things down again. I suppose the other way would be to cover the entire thing in cork so it's all the same level but I have a feeling he might not like that.

Also, I know the temp is high, but he in the past has always seemed to like basking more once this temperature right under that spot was 105. He increased basking a lot when I moved the light closer and it got up to that temperature. I thought it was too hot, but that's what he liked! Moving the lights up and down has always been on purpose for the temperatures, not just an artifact of the setup. I can raise it or lower a little bit based on the temperature.
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Post Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:15 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Very flat surfaces does not allow the plastron to dry completely.

Note it's being able to see the water and the amount of foot steps to get to it . Too many steps to escape on the left side. Not a quick access to the water. All his favorite spots in photo's are within one or two steps of the water . Look at the Oct setup side by side to the Nov and go back to the Oct one it's much better looking from a turtles eyes.

Hope you using the word " smooth " as [fast escape] to the water , I never used the word smooth. It's not being able to see more of the water to escape into fast. Turtles like to have fewer steps to get in it fast. From the tile to go to the left side he has to take several steps , climb onto the cork , cross it , then jump into the water. Wish I was better with words , hope I am getting my point across.
Yes the tile being " smooth" as in smooth is secondary I would use all cork so to dry off better. I as a turtle am looking "first" at the distance to get into the water and how long to a turtle it takes to get there. Right side from the tile two steps to the water to be comfortable and safe. Left side from the tile several steps before he gets to the water , not comfortable or fast way.
I love large basking areas to offer more temp range they are great but they do block the view of the water in a small areas. Just an idea ever think of getting rid of the tile and make three medium size islands. One in the middle of tank and one on each far side. Sedge will be able to have several temp ranges and be able to see the water more for faster escape ?
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Post Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:58 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Yeah by smooth I just meant a straight line of sight. I don't think the distance is the issue- like you said it's that he has to climb to get to the left escape.
I don't actually know if he liked the October design that much- I think that was one of many iterations that I tried after he already wasn't basking that much. He doesn't like jumping off the tile without a ramp. That has been part of the problem on the left side- it takes space to make a ramp but he wants a ramp. I guess I should go back to that little plastic ramp I used to have.

I get that rough surfaces are better, but he also loves his main ramp (attached to the tile).

I'll experiment. Thanks for the ideas :)
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Post Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:03 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Keep trying you have some good ideas. Sure Sedge and you will find a compromise.
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:38 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Are the pictures at the bottom of the page the most recent?
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:06 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Well they are all labeled with the month and year. If you click on them there is also a caption for a lot of them. But it should start earliest and end with the latest.

Anyway, I made big changes yesterday...and at the risk of stoking litefoot's ego to much, he might be a genius :-P

I don't want to speak too soon, but I'll add pics in a few more days if Sedge still approves.

Only downside is a lot of tile, but Sedge often rests his plastron on the edge of the ramp anyway, so it's not just flat on the tile. Plus he has the old floating dock part in front that he sometimes uses. I tried lots of cork and he clearly rejected it (at least in the current set up)...and I figure no set up is good if he doesn't use it!
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:41 am   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

:)
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:43 pm   Re: Bored, stressed, or neither?

Hah! I saw your pre and post edit...you were going to give credit to Piggley and decided against it? :-O
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