Habitat - Indoor :: Need help with ramp ideas!!

[Krzyspam]

So, after thinking about it for quite some time, I finally (with the help of my boyfriend) built a basking area. Its looking pretty good, and almost ready to be put on the tank, but I have one major problem....no ramp!! Originally I planned to use my existing floating dock (turned at an angle) as the ramp to the new basking area...until I attempted it in a trial run and realized that my measurements weren't quite right. My tank has one of those plastic support bars that goes across the middle of the tank. When I attach the dock as a ramp, it is angled in a way that would allow the turtles to possibly climb onto that support bar and escape. So, now I'm thinking of using plexiglass that I can bend to make it a little more steep than the dock was. How steep is too steep though!? If I put little rocks or supports on it so the turtles can climb, what angle can I bend it too? The steeper, the better, for this tank setup, but I don't want it to be bad for the turtles, or so steep that they can't climb it. Also, can I attach plexiglass to wood using aquarium glue? I don't have the tools to drill holes in plexi, so I was hoping to use glue...will it hold onto the wood? Thanks everyone!!

[Kingpin Gwin]

If you want to use wood, cork bark works great. You dont even need to fasten it, just cut it to size and wedge it in the tank. There are some good examples (including mine ) in the "Post your basking area pics" thread up top.

[Krzyspam]

I've already built the whole basking area. Its an above tank basking area. I am just trying to find out if I can attach plexiglass to wood using aquarium glue and also how steep the ramp can be. Thanks.

[Take-One]

Just as long as your turtle can climb it it will be okay. And aquarium glue is fine.

[BullDog]

As long as their shells don't touch the support bar if you were to use the old floating dock, you can just put something across the bar. Like, a piece of plexi, or any plastic, or even a piece of wood.
I thought I was going to have a problem with that for Frankie, so I put a scrap piece of plexi

(it's got holes in it because I was going to use it as a basking ramp at one point. It's tied to the atba wall on one side, and just rests on the middle support bracket.
I've never seen her even try to get out that way. Then again, she's pretty lazy

Same sort of idea for Ralph's except I built the extra wall right into the atba.


It works too... The other day Ralph was trying his hardest to lift himself up there! He had both paws on the middle support bracket and was reaching up with his neck! O.O

[marisa]

Corkbark.

[Krzyspam]

Thanks so much Bulldog!! I think I might try the plexiglass. Thanks so much for the pictures!

Marisa...corkbark for... ? Blocking the center beam? How so? I'm a little confused.

[Kingpin Gwin]

I have a piece of corkbark laying across the plastic beam that goes across my tank. That's my basking platform. It sits to high out of the water, so I used another piece as a ramp. It's just wedged in the tank under water, up close to the platform at an angle.