Turtles normally spend most of their time underwater. But there are certain things that can happen that will make a turtle avoid being in the water. So let’s what are those things. And see what we can do to get your turtle back in the water.
The most common reasons a turtle is staying out of the water are water quality, water temperature, respiratory infections or other medical conditions, pregnancy, improper basking area temperature, or UVB light.
While this list can seem overwhelming at first, it’s very easy to spot the problem and fix it. All you need is a good and simple guide that you can follow, like this one. Now, let’s take a closer look at each possible problem and see how to solve it.
The Temperature of the Water
We’ll start with water temperature since this is one of the most common problems that make turtles stay out of the water.
Turtles are what we call cold-blooded animals, and this means that they can’t generate their own body heat, so they are dependent on the surrounding temperature to maintain a proper body temperature. This is one of the main reasons why turtles are very sensitive to temperature, and will actively avoid areas with a temperature that is too low.
Turtles need a water temperature close to 77°F (25°C), if the temperature is lower than that, they will avoid getting into the water.
The exact temperature for each turtle species will differ slightly, but 77°F (25°C) will be good for most turtle species.
To solve this problem all you need is a water heater that won’t break easily, (as turtles tend to break things), and which has an adjustable temperature.
Here is a link to the tank heater that I’ve been using for the last 5 years: Submersible Aquarium Heater. I don’t have too many things to say about it, it’s a good and reliable heater, it comes with a guard, and you can easily select the temperature. So everything that you want from a heater.
If you already have a heater, but your turtle is still avoiding the water, you might want to see how powerful your heater is, and also check the temperature of the water. Some heaters are not very powerful, and while they are able to heat the water during the summer, they might not be able to do the same thing in the winter, when the air temperature is lower.
The Quality of the Water
If the quality of the water in the tank is bad, your turtle will do its best to avoid it as much as it can. area.
Despite their rough aspect, turtles are very sensitive to the quality of the water. More specifically, they are sensitive to the chemicals used to treat water. In order to make it safe for consumption.
There are two ways in which you can find out if the quality of the water is your problem. The first one is to test it, and you can do so using those strips: Aquarium Test Strips 6 in 1, this kit contains 100 strips, so it should last you for a couple of years. Or you can use whatever kit that you like, as long as it measures all the levels that you need.
And speaking of, here are the levels that you want to have in your turtles’ tank:
- pH between 6 and 9
- Chlorine and ammonia level of 0
- Nitrite level of < .5 ppm
- Nitrate level of < 40 ppm
The second option is to see if your local water treating facility changed something in the way they treat the water. In most cases, tap water won’t change overnight. And if the water would have been bad from the start your turtle would have avoided it from then.
If the quality of the water is the problem, you can easily solve this problem by treating it. For the past few years, I’ve been using API products, to lower the chlorine levels of my water, and the results have been great, so I would recommend you to check out their Amazon Store Page if you need any treatment for your water, there you will find chlorine treatments, pH treatments, and many more.
Now, let’s move from the tank to the basking area, and see what could have gone wrong there.
The Temperature of the Basking Area
There is also a chance that your turtle might not actually be avoiding getting into the water, but instead, it might actually be trying to bask. And if the basking area is not properly set up, your turtle will spend more time here than in the water.
Basking has two main functions, the first one is to provide heat. This heat will do two things, first, it will help the turtle increase its body heat, and secondly, it will remove the bacteria that are stuck on the shell.
The average temperature of the basking area should be between 90 and 95°F (32 and 35°C).
While turtles need warm water in the tank, so they don’t get cold. Most of the heat that they require is gained in the basking area, which needs to be slightly hotter than the water.
If the basking area is not warm enough, your turtle will spend more time here, hoping that it will somehow manage to get all the heat that it needs.
This problem is usually caused by using a heat bulb that is not powerful enough, or by placing the heat bulb too far away.
I have an in-depth article covering this exact subject in greater detail, which you can find right here: Turtle Basking Light Wattage (Illustrated Beginners Guide)
Here is an illustration from that article that covers the basics:
In the illustration, you can see what temperature you will get based on the power of the bulb and the distance.
To find out if this is the reason why your turtle spends too much time basking you can either see if the heat bulb is placed correctly, or you could use an infrared thermometer.
My advice is to get an infrared thermometer since heat bulbs will provide a fixed amount of heat, and if the temperature in the room drops by a few degrees, the same thing will happen to the temperature in the basking area. So the temperature isn’t constant, and on warmer days you might want to move the bulb further away, and on colder days, you might want to move it closer.
The UVB Light in the Basking Area
Besides heat, basking areas also provide UVB light.
UVB light is a light spectrum of the UV light that plays a vital role in the production of Vitamin D3 which is essential for the calcium in the body. Without UVB light turtles won’t be able to get the proper amount of calcium which can lead to improper bone growth, metabolic bone disease, softshell, shell rot, and many other bad things.
So, turtles are always doing their best to get as much UVB light as needed.
Normally UVB light comes from the sun, but in the basking area, just like the heat, UVB light is produced by a light bulb.
And just like the heat bulb, the UVB bulb has to be placed at a certain distance depending on its power. Unfortunately, UVB bulbs are not as standardized as heat bulbs, and different manufacturers provide have different rating systems, and you can’t simply rely on how many watts it has.
I have an in-depth guide on how to choose the right UVB bulb for your tank setup right here: Best Turtle Light Bulb (Illustrated Buyers Guide). Here is a short extract from the article that will cover the basics, if you want to know more you should check out the article.
When it comes to choosing UVB bulbs things are a little more complicated due to the huge variety of wattages, in which UVB bulbs can be found. And then there is the fact that most manufacturers have a different rating system, and some of them have no instructions at all.
So, for UVB bulbs, I am going to give you the exact distance for a few bulbs that I’ve used before that comes from a reputable manufacturer, and I will provide links to Amazon, where you can get them
| Zoo Med | |
| UVB Bulb | Distance |
| ReptiSun 5.0 Mini CFL | 5 inches |
| ReptiSun 5.0 CFL | 7 inches |
| ReptiSun 10.0 Mini CFL | 7 inches |
| ReptiSun 10.0 CFL | 10 inches |
| ReptiSun 5.0 T8 Linear | 6 inches |
| ReptiSun 5.0 T5 Linear | 8 inches |
| PowerSun 80W | 7 inches |
| PowerSun 100W | 10 inches |
| PowerSun 160W | 22 inches |
And in case you have something between the UVB bulb, like a net, or a grill, you want to move the bulb closer by one inch, as anything in between the turtle and the bulb will reduce the amount of UVB rays.
One more thing to keep in mind is that UVB bulbs will stop producing UVB rays, way before they will stop producing light. On average I would say that a UVB bulb only produces UVB rays for only half of its lifespan. I measured the amount of UVB light produced by the bulbs and noticed that after about 6 months, the amount drops considerably, so I change my light bulbs at around 6 months, and I would advise you to do the same.
And if you want to measure how much UVB light your bulb produces you can use this device. While it’s a little bit expensive, overall it will save you money since you will know exactly when the bulbs run out of UVB light, and it will help your turtle remain healthy. But it’s not a requirement.
Pregnancy Can Cause Strange Behavior in Pet Turtles
A pregnant turtle will act very strangely, she will stop eating, she will stop basking, she will bask excessively, she will try to dig everywhere, or she will swim frantically. Pregnant turtles don’t do this because they don’t like the tank, they do this because they want to find a good place where they can lay the eggs.
Turtles usually lay their eggs in piles of leaves or holes that they dig, but never in water. So the tank is definitely not a suitable environment for this.
The first thing you have to do if you want to know if your turtle is really pregnant is to find out if it’s a male or a female, so you should read this article that is going to tell you if that’s the case: How to Tell If Your Turtle Is Male or Female (with Pictures).
And if your turtle is a female, and you want to know if she is pregnant, then you should read this article where you will find all the info you need: How to Tell if Your Turtle Is Pregnant.
If your turtle is pregnant there is nothing that you can do to make her calm down. You will have to wait for her to lay the eggs. Until then this strange basking behavior will continue, but there is also a possibility that it will change overnight. But overall there is not much that you can do.
One important thing about turtles is that female turtles can get pregnant even if there is no male around. The difference is that the eggs won’t be fertilized so no baby will come out of them. So even if you only have a female turtle she can still lay eggs.
Respiratory Infections Stop Turtles From Staying in the Water
Respiratory infections can drastically reduce the amount of time a turtle can spend in and underwater, so a turtle that suffers from a respiratory infection will spend more time in the basking area.
Here are some common signs that your turtle is suffering from a respiratory infection:
- Discharge or any kind of mucus coming from the eyes, mouth, or nose.
- Swollen eyelids.
- Red eyelids.
- Yawning or wheezing sounds when your turtle coughs or breaths.
If you notice any of those symptoms you should go to the vet as soon as possible.
Other Health Problems
If none of the things that we discussed so far seem to be a problem, then there is a good chance that your turtle is having health problems, that don’t have any visible signs.
In general, in turtles, most health problems will only be visible when they are in an advanced stage. Up until then the only way to notice them is by looking at behavioral changes, one of them being the fact that they are not spending time in the water.
The best thing that you can do in this situation is to go to the vet and have your turtle checked.
Final Thoughts
And those are the reasons why your turtle is staying out of water.
While health problems can be a reason, this is rarely the case. Most often than not it’s a problem with the temperature.
The temperature of the water can easily be maintained constant with the help of a heater. But the temperature of the basking area has to be checked from time to time, as it’s easily influenced by the temperature and humidity of the air.
I usually check the temperature of the basking areas once a week, and if needed adjust the position of the bulb.
In the wild turtles very rarely live in places with perfect water temperatures, and good basking areas are not always accessible, and they still manage to survive. If the water or basking area is slightly colder for a day or two. So while it’s important to maintain a suitable temperature, you don’t have to stress yourself and measure it daily.
I hope this article answered all of your questions. If there is anything else that you would like to know, you can always use the comment section below and leave your question there. I will do my best to answer it as soon as possible.
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