All Turtles Message Board

TurtlesRock · Guest Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 4

I have a large yellow belly slider, her shell is about 7" and she's VERY disruptive with her aquariums. She likes to eat every plant that goes in the aquarium, loves to knock snails clear across the tank, or push rocks all over the place, and she thinks it's great fun to attack the water filter until it becomes unattached and then surf on it across the tank... Oh she's quite the little princess.

Currently she has a medium floating turtle dock, and it's really too small. I thought about getting her a large one, but even those look too small. She has no other platforms and she's in a 75 gallon aquarium with some goldfish that she refuses to eat.

Aaaanyway. I want to build her a platform but last time I did this, I used an upside down rubbermaid container, weighed it down with rocks and it worked well. BUT it clung onto algae like there was no tomorrow, and the underside became so full of algae I had to completely scrub everything.

So I was thinking maybe of using some other materials, but I'm worried they might be toxic to the turtle or fish. How do I find out if a material is ok for a turtle?

Also, does anyone know HOW you can get plexiglass (or is that safe?) built in custom shapes? Is this something I can get done at Home Depot or something like that?

AnimalLover · Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:06 pm Post subject: in response

LOL! You're turt seems to be quite a character!

I've seen many tanks set ups with custom built basking areas. Yes, you can use plexiglass and no I don't know where... I'm sure there is a place you can go to that cuts it down to size for you.

You can fill one side of the tank with substrate (river rocks, pebbles) and use the plexiglass to hold it into place. You'd need aquarium glue to glue it in place (sides of aquarium). the water would have to be high enough to get the turtle to climb on the landing area.

I don't have that on my set up which is also a 75gal tank, and don't intend on doing it anytime soon. I just have a very low level of water in my tank (my turts are still young) and piled up large river rocks with flat ones on top as the basking area. Some actually GLUE the rocks together which you might want to do, but it's permanent... unless you yank em off each other later.

You are right about the "floating dock" being too small. They are good for very small turtles onle, EVEN the larger one. One of my babies died a while back because it got stuck between the dock and the glass. I don't THINK they are VERY safe!

Another thing is putting a large piece of drift wood (can be bought at most pet shops) in the center of your habitat. It has to be heavy enough not to float around and big enough to allow the turtle to climb on and be be comfortable during their basking time.

I plan on doing that later when i find the RIGHT drift wood. So far I haven't found one that I particulary like.

Those are just a few ideas I've seen...

I hope that helps.... and good luck with your little princess of terror... (wnk)

Turtles ROCK! Very Happy

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fishandcandy · Level 3 Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 200 Location: Indio, CA

You can build a basking platform out of PVC pipe. I made one for my 60 gallon tank.
For the pvc and connectors I spent about $11 and it only took a little while to cut everything with a hacksaw.

turtle_grl77 · Level 4 Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 985 Location: Florida

Unless you know a plumber Laughing

I know one who is going to get the PVC and because I am not crafty like that he said he would build it for me too.

turtbert · Level 3 Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 272

I've just made a basking area for my 2 big turtles (or rather my dad has Laughing

) Not tested it out yet but it looks good and was fairly easy (although he has said he never wants to see it again Laughing

)

I'll post pics when it's on the tank but in the mean time. I used a cheap rectangular storage box and removed on side, used a length or perspex (it bends nicely and couldn't find plexiglass) along the bottom of the box bent at the edge to make a ramp into the water. Covered it with a length of plastic doormat for traction. Extended the sides of the box with perspex so there's no jumping out!

I have glass bars going along the width of my tank for sopport so it just balances on them. Very Happy

The only problem he did have was that the sealant wouldn't stick anything to the box (must have had nylon in it Confused

) so he had to screw it on!