irnbru@erols.com
My basking area comprises a flat rock sitting on two piles of construction bricks. This provides a tunnel under the flat rock. Sometimes the DBT will hang in the tunnel if it needs to hide. But, compared to other turtles that I have experience with such as the red eared slider and the red belly turtle, the DBTs don’t seem to be as interested in hiding. I guess what I am saying is that DBT’s seem to be more sociable than the other turtle species that I have experienced. If I come into the room the DBts want to watch me and not hide. What I did for a hiding place for my red eared slider was to go to Home Depot and buy a piece of 6 in diameter white PVC pipe plumbing. You want to cut it to about a 6 or 8 in length. Then I cut the pipe in half along the length. The result was that I had two separate pieces that are arch shaped. One of these pieces provides a nice tunnel for the bottom of the aquarium. The red eared slider would run inside the arch whenever he is scared. The red eared slider is now slightly too big to fit completely in the tunnel, but when he gets scared he just sticks his head in the tunnel! I tried putting this arch in with the DBT’s and they ignored it! If your DBTs are just babies, a large piece of floating romaine lettuce will suffice for a hiding place if you don’t mind changing the water every day. Good luck, Bob