Habitat - Indoor :: How long before "forced basking"?

[DocShay]

Well I built myself an "out of tank" basking area on top of my tank. I used my old small zoo-med basking platform as a ramp up to it, only its kind of short, only goes into the water for about an inch - still looks like my turtles can get up it fairly easily.

I'm just assuming they don't know how/where to get up, or are a little stressed from me taking them out of the tank while I was hooking it up.

Still needs some work (IE getting both UVA lighting on both sides inside the tank) and some other minor things.




Also, any suggestions on what to make a longer ramp with? I can't get corkboard here, would regular plywood be okay to be submerged like that?

[N4784N R4613]

You should start by aiming the heat bulb over by the ramp, and then if you see then basking up there(if could take over 5 days for them to get used to it), you can slowly, a little bit a day, move the heat back to where you want them to bask, and that should draw them back to where you want them to bask.

If you don't see them up there, then you need to make the ramp longer, with more traction, and maybe a less steep angle. You could use a piece of plexieglass, with something on it for traction.

If you use un-sealed plywood if will leach all kinds of stuff into the water. But if you have to use it, and have no other choice, then you can seal it(like the hull of a boat) so that it is water proof. Or you could even try getting the large size zoo-med basking platform.

Good Luck!!!

[DocShay]

I'll give that a try, thanks!

ps the LARGE zoo-med platform in local shops here is about 55$. INSANE!

[N4784N R4613]

Wow, that is insane. Can you order off-line, or do you live outside the U.S.?

If you can order off-line, it is only $17.00 plus shipping...

http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalo ... _docklarge

[DocShay]

I'm from canada, BigAl's (US) doesnt ship to canada, i've looked through their canadian site before...prices are SO much higher compared to the US.

They want 39.99$ for it.

Must find plexi glass, also how can I bend it? Without a propane torch...

Possible to do it on a stove element?

[N4784N R4613]

I have never bent a piece of plexieglass before, so maybe someone with more experience will post here and tell you how to do it.

Here is how someone else bent it...

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... 119#101119

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... 146#101146