Habitat - Indoor :: .

[sddawgg]

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[steve]

I think Starchick's Above Tank Basking Area has a clean, straight-forward design. Perhaps she and a few others with an Above Tank Basking Area might be able to help. There definitely needs to be a write-up!

[TheComputerGremlin]

sddawgg - Perhaps you can answer a few questions so people can help you more.

1) What size tank do you have? What size turtle?

2) Are you looking for a plastic-based basking area or wood-based basking area?

3) Are you incorporating a nesting area into the basking area?

Depending on what you are looking for, simple basking areas won't use many tools, though they will vary depending on whether you want plastic- or wood-based. Plastic, you could end up needing a heating gun, a hack saw, glue. Wood, you could end up needing a hammer, a saw, nail gun or staple gun, etc.

A simple basking area can be made out of this plastic square stuff often called egg crate, you could also use plexiglass (I have an in-tank basking area made out of plexiglass and PVC pipe), I've even seen laundry baskets and rubbermaid containers being used!

[Turtlebiz]

sddawgg - i made an above the tank basking area using egg crate from Home Depot (about $12 for a 2x4) and a sterlite storage container from Target (I think it was between $10 and $15). You will also need wirecutters to cut the egg crate. Not sure how much they cost, I found them in my garage. And something to attach everything together. You can find aquarium glue at pet stores, I bought lanyard at a craft store, and many stores carry zip ties.

I cut out the bottom of the container with a lip around it as the top of the basking area and cut out an opening on the side for my turt to go in. I also cut out small holes on the opposite end to attach the container to the egg crate.

I cut out a piece of egg crate that would fit over the one side of the tank and tied everything together with lanyard. I also cut the ramp from egg crate and tied that to the platform and it rests on one of those Zoo Med basking docks to stay afloat for easy access. You can also use aquarium glue or zip ties or something else to attach everything.

I added the egg crate "cage" on the rest of the tank that isn't covered by the basking area to prevent escapes and also around the outside of the basking area itself for more privacy. It works really well for me because i no longer have to worry about Bobbers escaping and it gives him extra swimming room while i save to upgrade to a bigger tank.

I hope this was helpful to u! I have posted some links to pictures of the basking area below. Sorry if they didn't come out so well, but I think you'll get the general idea.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i107/ ... garea1.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i107/ ... garea2.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i107/ ... garea3.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i107/ ... garea4.jpg

[sddawgg]

1) What size tank do you have? What size turtle?

2) Are you looking for a plastic-based basking area or wood-based basking area?

3) Are you incorporating a nesting area into the basking area?

1) I have 30x12x12 tank. I have two turtles about 5 inches.

2) At first wood-based, but now I want it to be plastic-based since it sounds a little bit easier.

3) No, because I heard that turtles do not mate until they are fully grown.

I cut out the bottom of the container with a lip around it as the top of the basking area and cut out an opening on the side for my turt to go in.

This is the only part I didnt understand.

Did you cut the container using some sort of heat?

If so, did you have any tool for that? (I had to use the heat from a candle when I tried to cut my plastic storage and it definitely wasn't easy)

[meltedspork]

1) I have 30x12x12 tank. I have two turtles about 5 inches.

Right now you shouldn't even consider building an above-tank basking area until you get a new tank. From those dimensions I would guess you have a 20 gallon tank? That is WAY WAY WAY too small for two 5" turtles. You need a MINIMUM of 100 gallons for two turtles that size. (10 gallons per inch of shell = 50 gallons per turtle). Depending on the sex, you will need anywhere from minimum 200-240 gallons when they are full grown, if you don't have to separate them.

Sorry to be harsh, I'm not trying to be mean. Just please get your turtles a bigger home.

[zoologist]

i have an easy to make above the tank basking area. the only materials needed are plexi glass and an aquarium sealent. its cheap too here is the write up on mine:

Any questions, feel free to contact me!

Materials needed
*Sheet of plexi glass $8-18
*Normal plexiglass sealant $6-7
*Plexi glass cutting knife $4-5

REMEMBER: measure twice, cut once! It will save you a lot of time, I know from experience


To begin:

1. Measure your tank width, from lip to lip. See where the duckweed is? (Pic 1) This is the lip of your tank. Measure that too, that’s where you’ll be balancing the platform.
2. Measure how long you want the platform. This is up to you, really. Personally, I made the bottom piece shorter then the two sidepieces. That way there is a little protection barrier on the sides to keep your turtle from climbing over the edge and off into space. With a scrap I also added more of a barrier by just taping it to the completed platform (pic 2)
3. Write down the measurements for 1 bottom piece, 2 sidepieces, and 1 back piece.
4. Go to home depot/lowes and ASK THE SALES PERSON TO HELP YOU. This is totally the key. They can usually cut the plexi glass for you free of charge. They will also know how to get the most out of one piece. Get your pieces cut and *keep the scraps*. While at the store pick up plexi glass sealant and a plexi glass cutter (usually right next to the plexi glass.) the cutter is for if things don’t measure out right, or you need to cut the scraps down for something. I used all of my scraps, by the way- they come in handy.
5. Ok! Now the fun part! Glue the back and 2 sides *onto* the bottom piece and let it set. This is going to take a long time and it’s going to be messy, just warning you. You’re going to have to sit there for a bit and hold each wall up until the sealant sets a little. Once all the sides are up you should have a 3-walled box. Congrats, you’re almost done!
6. For the ramp up to the platform I used my old turtle dock. You can put it in the middle, to the left, whatever. Turn it around so the long end is pointing into the water and the short end is on land. Put a HUGE glob of sealant under the dock and push down and hold till it sets. I also sealed all around the dock to make it watertight so water couldn’t get in there and rot the foam. (Notice how I didn’t actually turn the dock around, silly me. I got that idea from someone else on the forum) (pic 3)
7. If you pick it up, does it sag in the middle? Yeah, mine did. It’s no problem! Take a scrap and cut it down to a 1-2 inch width and the length of your platform. Seal it to the bottom, on the very edge near the turtle dock. This should reinforce it and keep it from sagging. (Also pic 3)
8. Congrats! You’re done with the platform. Haha, now its time to decorate. I sorta made a box of the open area on the platform with scrap plexi glass and since it was waterproof I planted grass. Torti loved it! When it got high she would bulldoze through it, flatten it over the end and slide into the water. Eventually it died, but now I have gravel and ornamental glass sandollars/rocks. It looks ok, I guess.

This dock is simple and cheap. It doesn’t look the best, but it gets the job done until you can afford/have the time to make something better. If you have any questions, lemme know!
-----
picture 1, lip of tank


picture 2, scrap barrier



picture 3, reinforced edge/glued dock



completed project:
no backdrop


backdrop

front view

side view


Torti basking





good luck!

[TheComputerGremlin]

ssdawgg - I would definitely recommend against making an above tank basking area for a 20 gallon tank. It will only bring you heartache! So much work for it to not last for very long.

I would start looking on Craigslist or local yard/garage sales to get a new tank as soon as possible. You can definitely find a good deal during the summer months, people want rid of their tanks. I would aim for at least a 100 gallon tank for the time being, that way if and when you need to separate them, you already have one tank ready and waiting. Normally, most 100 gallon tanks run between 18-24" wide, so you could start on a basking area to fit the new tank while you are waiting. Get the biggest tank you can, I know everyone has their limitations.

I know you are going to say, my turtles are fine in their tank right now. With a small tank like that, your turtles are more likely to start to fight and injure or kill one another. And that's no fun.

Now, back to your post. To cut that type of plastic, I'd probably use an x-acto knife or box cutter or razor blade type cutter. Just be super careful. You could also use a hack saw, if you don't mind some mess. And another option, you can heat a guitar string using a flame of some sort and slowly work your way through the plastic; just make sure you wrap the guitar string around some wood and then some cloth to protect your fingers.

And if you have a female, male or no male, she'll lay eggs eventually, with or without mating. Just so you are warned. You'll need to provide a nesting area for your female eventually ... If they are at 5", they'll be reaching sexual maturity soon.

[bently11]

This is an idea of an above tank basking area that I though of myself. It's really cheap and easy to make so it's perfect if you're on a budget!

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... 815#162815

[Turtlebiz]

I cut out the bottom of the container with a lip around it as the top of the basking area and cut out an opening on the side for my turt to go in.

This is the only part I didnt understand.

Did you cut the container using some sort of heat?

If so, did you have any tool for that? (I had to use the heat from a candle when I tried to cut my plastic storage and it definitely wasn't easy)

We actually heated the plastic up a little bit with a lighter and then used a box cutter to cut the top out. Drawing where you want to cut helps too!! Just be real careful with the box cutter because depending on how thick the plastic is it can be a little difficult