yellow bellied slider hatchling not basking

Question
hello. my partner and i bought home a yellow bellied slider hatchling on tuesday (it is now friday). he is eating ok, the water temp is as advised, and we have a UV light fitted to the lid of the tank. he is swimming around a fair amount. we have a turtle dock but he has not yet basked. can you think of any reason for this? does he need an extra 'basking' lamp directly above the ramp? could the ramp be too large for him to climb onto (he is only about 2") or do you think he is just adapting to the tank? Please advise. i want the little guy to settle in and be well & happy. many thanks.

Answer
Hello Grace, a basking lamp is neccessary for him to come up out of the water. Air temperature is just as important as water temperature. If the air temp is too cold he probably wont want to come out and bask in the "sunlight"

So yes, he does need a basking light.

He might still be too afraid to come out of the water. Everything around him is new and that can be scarey to a baby turtle. So if at first he doesn't come out he may just be afraid.

Good luck
Yexalen