Habitat - Indoor :: Cork Bark needs support for heavy turtle

[peretzmatthew]

Hi,
I'm using a huge piece of cork bark that 'seems' to fit snugly in my 70 gallon tank - I thought it was the nicest solution for an above tank basking area.
The problem is that the turtle is pretty big and heavy - she is probably about 9" across and inevitably (even with the water supporting it) the bark shifts and slants downward instead of remaining flat and she's left with no basking area. I keep trying to fix it but it always ends up that way.

I need some suggestions for some kind of minimalist support that I don't have to spend hours and hours 'configuring' from someplace like Home Depot or something like that - I don't want to block up too much of the swimming space or that defeats the purpose of an above tank basking platform

I know I could probably use some configuration of the white plastic tubing???

Is that my best option and any recommendations for that in detail of how to buy it - tubing diameter, sort of a layout for what's best - and do I have to cut/saw it myself and put in angle pieces to make a cube?

I think you'll get my idea - but I need to do something... and soon! She's unable to bask really - although she keeps trying!

Thank you in advance for any and all help!
Matthew Peretz

[steve]

A pic might help with generating some ideas, but a couple of quick and simple ideas are suction cups or magnetic algae cleaners to add support.

[peretzmatthew]

Wish I had time to take a pic but I'm a student and I'm not sure I will - mainly it's just a big piece of cork bark up near the top of the tank at the right size - it's the 'depth' of the tank in dimensions - so it's snugly in there -but even with water 'supporting' it (which I though would be enough) she still tilts it. I tried the very small but ridiculously strong neodymium magnets but they're not enough - maybe the big magnetic algae cleaner would be - I have one - which isn't enough obviously - I'd need to get two (or a second one) - this idea could work if they are strong enough. I think that my 'quarter-sized' magnets, no matter how strong - were just too small. I like the cork bark because it's natural and it seemed like a good idea - but it's just unable to bear her weight and the process of her climbing up onto it out of the water alone starts to set it out of balance. I tried again today and it's already tilting down into the water. I'll try to get a pic - but I just spent half the afternoon unclogging the vacuum cleaner that SOMEBODY used to suck up large pieces of pasta Used up my free time!

[mukyo]

Buy a big suction cup with hook that is removable and leaving holes only..
. Usually its the one for hanging toothbrush in batthroom.
Get a bunch then a cable tie long enough to circle your wood.
Run the cable tie through your suction cup hole.
Make as many set like this as needed. The whole length if needed.
Then stick them.
Bigger cups is better then plenty small ones.
And black ties might look better with wood.
This is cheap solution. Again as veipa said. Without a pic quite hard to imagine.

[peretzmatthew]

suction cups don't last over time- and the magnet idea won't really work since she tilts it down as she climbs on to it from the water... but I'll try the magnet idea today to see if it 'might' work. I was thinking I needed something to support from underneath that runs from the bottom of the cork bark to the bottom of the tank - like that white tubing - but that's a project to get the right length and configuration - I'd probably need to build a 3D rectangular shape of sorts. I hope the magnet idea works... I'll try to post a picture today if I can find the time.

[MEandYouPhoto]

Here is a crude drawing that I did at work using MSPaint. Basically you drill 1.25 inch holes in the Cork Bark and use the 1 inch PVC pipe to create a support skeleton the cork bark will float on top of the water and yet be supported by the skeleton, (No more tipping turtle)

[peretzmatthew]

That was AWESOME of you to do! Thank you! If the magnet idea doesn't work I will make your plan a reality! Thank you again!

[Kado]

I've seen some where people also hang their basking platforms from the top of the tank.