RES swimming water depths?

Today i set up a completally new habitat for my RES. Well tommorow i plan on adding much more water to its tank. Previously my turtle had just enough water to move in. Its feet could touch the bottom. Well i learned it needed to actually swim. My RES has not been in very deep water though for probably almsot a year now. If I give it really deep water tommorow will the turtle hae any problems with the much deeper water? Also is this tank set-up ok? It is a 10 gallon aquarium with thin layer of gravel on the bottom of water, i have about 3 inches of water ot swim in, to the right the gravel slopes up completally out of the water, has an old fish tank light above it, i have 1 water lily bulb in it to grow. If you haev any better sugestions to improve my tank please tell me. Sorry couldn't get any pictures, would take too long with my internet connections. Thanks!

RES swimming water depths?
Ok, you need to make a lot of changes. First of all, a 10 gallon is way too small. The rule of thumb is 10 gallons for every 1 inch of turtle shell length. It is impossible to properly heat a 10 gallon with a basking bulb on one end, while keeping the other end cooler.


NO gravel with turtles! They will eat it and cause fatal intestinal impactions--I've seen it.


Water depth should be 1 %26amp; 1/2 times the length of shell. A 2" long turtle needs 3 inches of water.


You need a basking spot--a log or platform the turtle can crawl out of the water completely to bask. You must have a heat bulb that will heat the basking spot to about 95F. Use a digital probe thermometer to measure the basking temps.


Turtles will die without UVB lighting. This is a flourescent bulb that gives off rays like the sun. They are specifically made for reptiles. They need to be within 12 inches of the basking spot and they must be replaced every 6 months as they lose potency. Keep the water extremely clean and treat with a dechlorinator. A water heater is also necessary to keep the water at 75-78F.





http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/
Reply:KimbeeJ is correct with everything she told you. If you have had your res for about a year (I've had mine for about a year and a half) I would assume that if it was growing right, it should be about 6". You need to upgrade your tank. I would recomend going as big as you can get right now, b/c you'll have to keep upgrading as the turtle is growing. You need a proper basking spot, with the proper lighting as you heard, and the more water, the better, but make sure your turtle has plenty of floating resting places, Ie. driftwood, fake plants, etc. Get rid of your gravel/sand, your could severly damage your turtle. You can buy floating zoomed turtle docks relativly cheap, and search online for them, petsmart will price match most competetors, so if you find something online cheaper (Which you can.) Also, you'll need a water heater to keep the water at about 80-85 degrees. Be careful with filling your tank up all the way, if your turtle has not been out and about swimming, it may have some trouble. Other than that, good luck with your changes.





Ps. If you cant make these changes, maybe you should consider a new home for your turtle.

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