Habitat - Indoor :: Pics of my - ahem, I mean Tuck's new tank!!

[mat012]

Finally got some good pics. I would love to here your suggestions. Especially for lighting. I am not too happy with the lights just sitting on top, but if I mount on the wall I cant lift the screen top. Hmmm.

I still have to learn how to imbed the pics in the message, but here is the flicker link in the mean time


http://www.flickr.com/welcome/30802765/157699/

Sorry but I think you have to sign in with a Yahoo account. Anyone how to make this easier?

Anyway - still exciting.

Melissa

[Chrisbarnett]

Alrighty, Unless you have a photobucket, you will not be able to have pics just show in a message. I also have a Flickr, the one downfall of it is that you can't imbed pics in a message with a [IMG] code.

Anyway, you can easily get direct picture links to the photos to put here.

Okay so to do that, click on the image you want to post here, wait for it to come up larger with all the options in the bar above the photo. Then click on the option in the bar that says "all sizes". Then when that comes up, scroll down to the link area. You can then copy the photos direct link(It will be the small box, not the one with a ton of writing) and paste it in the message here. Repeat that for each pic you want to post.

Then we can just click on the link and see the image alone.

Hope it helps.

[mat012]

Sorry that has stopped working. I will fix it soon.

[mat012]

Try try again

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/261 ... 8224cb.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/261 ... a6ab_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/261 ... 36d9e3.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/261 ... bf0c8c.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/261 ... 93e1df.jpg

Now here is Tuck:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/261 ... 30cc9a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/261 ... 9f6a4a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/261 ... 7f1ebc.jpg

[Chrisbarnett]

Nope, that's the HTML link, Your on the right page, just copy the small URL link right below it.

[mat012]

Thanks Chris - I think it works now (fingers crossed)

[TheComputerGremlin]

All of the pictures that I post are from flickr ... First, your photo has to be public, not private. Next, you have to click on the photo and bring it up so there is only that photo on the page. Then right click on the photo and pick the option of copy image location. Paste it on the page with [img]before%20the%20http:...%20and[/img] afterwards. You should delete the stuff written after .jpg, it's usually .jpg?v=0 for me. Good luck!

[Chrisbarnett]

Very nice job. I see you went with sand! It looks great! Very natural.

The only thing that comes to mind is a backing, that would really finish off the look of the tank.

Also, make sure your turt can't get stuck in the hole of that piece of drift wood, He could drown if he got stuck.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Here ya go:

Try try again







Now here is Tuck:

[mat012]

Thanks a bunch gremlin!! For the posting tips too. With the learning curve gone it shuld go quicker next time.

[RESnTX]

Sorry for sounding girly...I love the "skirt" around the tank stand. Before I had a proper stand I used a table cloth and hated how it looked. I also really like your cool basking area. You should get better pics of it and let us know how you did it.

[Kingpin Gwin]

That's a great looking basking area.
What is that made of? How'd ya' make it?

[BullDog]

Looks great! I love that basking area!

[Take-One]

I caught you in the act of saying your turtles stuff is yours again!

The tank looks awesome! Does he go after fish?

[mat012]

Sorry for sounding girly...I love the "skirt" around the tank stand. Before I had a proper stand I used a table cloth and hated how it looked. I also really like your cool basking area. You should get better pics of it and let us know how you did it.

Fortunately I sew better than I do wood work. I tried to make a custom tank stand and it turned out so wobbly that (after my husband forbid me from using it ) I went and got a commercial metal storage stand from the shelving store for $100. I hate the look of them though so I made a cover for it to hide everything on the shelves. Thank goodness Mamaw made me sew!

Thanks to Chris I did go with sand decorated with the river rock. I didnt wash it well enough though and had to fill-refill the tank to clean it through. Still I am keeping the small filter in to polish the water a bit. I am also cleaning the fine filter pads in the canister weekly for a while.

The basking dock experience was also trial and error. I had left over plexiglass from a past project and cut it to shape. I made some curves on the edges for a more natural look. I bent it after heating with a heat gun. This was the easy part. I used aq. silicone to glue small rocks on the surface and around the edges. I pressed them on in batches rather than glued one by one. This left some rough edges though. The silicone is also picked at pretty easily and I didnt want Tuck to pick the stones off.

So I coated the dock with three coats of 2 part epoxy resin (foudn it at lowes for table tops). This took forever as drying and curing took 72 between each coat. But it worked - the dock is smooth(ish) and solid. Attached supports to the sides of the tank as grey goose does, and super glued an additional vertical support piece. Added rocks, drift wood pieces and fake grass (fry hiding grass from petco) to make it more natural and add a bit of privacy.

Then to put it in the tank. OPPS - ok BIG oops. I made it too wide - that would be why I dont do wood work very well. I hear measuring is the key . Thank goodness my saw would go through the plexi, rock and epoxy. After a trim it fit perfectly.

Whew- I am so glad I got that thing in. After the wobbly table and a smelly kitchen for a week and a half (with the silicone and epoxy smells) my hubby was very concerned about my attachment to this turtle.

Next - lighting. Gosh I hope this little one if a boy! Upgrading frightens me right now