Habitat - Indoor :: NEW ATBA ---WOOD---???

[raptr20]

This is my old Setup


I just baught a 100gall tank. I am trying to Think of a way to make an ATBA. I want to cut back on the plexi glass this time and use mainly wood. I am wondering if chemicals from the wood will leach out into the water (I am assuming so). i have also notice with my plexi glass shelf that it always seems to be dry. will the wood be able to dry out or would i be replacing the ATBA every year due to roting? I want to use would for astedic reasons hopefully sanding in down nice painting the outside of it and of course having a window. i am just looking for some feed back. i have seen alot of ATBA in the sticky forum but i havent seen to many wood ones. people who have wood ATBA let me know whats going on with urs and if you think s it a good idea to make it out of wood?


Thanks alot

[BullDog]

Generally, it's not a good idea to have wood for the ramp or bottom of the atba. As you say, treated woods will leach chems into the water, and a piece of wood on the bottom will not dry out properly because of 1) turtle bringing water up there and 2) evaporation.

What you can do though, is use wood for the sides of the atba. This really is the only bit you can see 90% of the time anyway. For the bottom and ramp, you can use plexi or eggcrate, and that way you don't have to worry about it going mouldy.

[raptr20]

i was going to make the ramp out of plexi glass any way (last one worked really good). i guess i am just wondering how i would attached the plexi glass/egg crate(shelf) to the wooden sides? will sillicon stick to wood? or is there another kind of glue thats safe?

is egg crate strong i have a pretty big guy i think the vet said 2.5 lbs give or take.

I want to be able to fill my tank up pretty much all the way and i didnt want to use the lib of the tank for the shelf becasue i want to place the sides of the atba on the lip. or...

Can i place the atba on the rim of the tank itself and just put the shelf on the lip? will the turtle be able to push it around?

right now my setup is all on the lip of the tank and the shelf is glued in because i was afrid if i build in on the rim it will move to much.

thank you guys so much and have a happy thanksgiving

[raptr20]

have a happy thanks giving if you are in the US i mean if not have a great day

[BullDog]

For how to attach it to the wooden sides, I think some people have drilled holes in the wood and used zap straps to attach it, or if they use plexi glass, they may have screwed it to the wood.

I find egg crate is pretty strong. My big female has egg crate for her basking area. I've never weighed her, but she's 8.5", and pretty darn heavy!
I initially just had egg crate for the bottom, but after a week or so I noticed it was actually cracking down the middle. So I took a scrap piece of plexi and just put it under the egg crate. I've got the cheap white egg crate. There is some that is thicker, that may hold up on it's own without support, but I don't know.
I haven't had a problem with her ramp cracking.

For how to place the atba, I've got it both ways on my two tanks. On Frankie's tank, just the bottom is fit into the lip of the tank, and the walls (an inverted plastic basket) are sitting on top of the rim. I used suction cups fastened to the outside of the tank to hold it in place. Not esthetically the best, and Frankie can push it around a cm or two, but it's been working pretty well so far.
On Ralph's tank, I have egg crate walls siliconed to bottom, so it all fits down onto the lip.

I find it's mostly just trial and error. Set it up how you think it might work, see how much it can move around/how sturdy it is, and adjust it as needed.

[raptr20]

do you think i can use treated (either galvinzed, or maybe S-steel, or like brass) L brackets to attached the plexi glass to the wood?

[BullDog]

I think stainless steal would be OK. Not sure about the others. It's not going to be in the water... The only thing, you'd want to cover them up with something so your turt can't rough up his shell on it.

[blulite]

use copper brackets if you can get them. after all somewhere on this site it says that a bit of copperis good for the turtles.

for my atba i got an old hagen fishtank and matching stand, took it apart hacked a bit off here and there and now i have a huge atba that looks like a vivarium. just got a few things to do and im finished. (pics later)

[rockyntrixi]

Hey, raptr20!!! I never thought I'd see another 'Vermonter' on this forum!!! I am working on my own 'ideas' for a ramp....it's not as easy as I first thought it would be.

The first homemade ramp was made from plexiglass (as the bottom and the actual 'ramp') and then some industrial hooks that went over the top part of my 55 gallon tank. The area where I 'drilled' into the plexiglass broke due to the turtles weight and I had to put a cover on the tank since they started to climb out.

I am now thinking that I will take wood that is prefinished and normally used for making your own shelves and connecting two together with rust-proof brackets. I will then take another two other 'shelves' to create a back and one of the sides. For the front, I will take plexiglass and then put it on a hinge so that I can easily open and close it. After that, I am thinking about lining the whole thing with either a plexiglass or light diffuser (egg crates), so that I can remove just the liner to clean instead of taking everything apart. The actual ramp will be an old zoo med basking platform that will be attached with a metal door hinge.

I am still tossing things around in my head and modifying this or that. I didn't think it was possible for the plexiglass to brake, but when I talked to someone who worked at Home Depot and they told me that plexiglass cannot be drilled??? He had suggested lexan or acrylic because it is much stronger than plexiglass.

[bearsphan3.14]

$$$$$$$ That tank is boss $$$$$$$$$$

[raptr20]

i drilled through my plexi glass no prob. this is a old post as well. have new pics of my new setup/tank/ATBA on like page ten of the "post your pics of your ATBA" board. i used wood for the sides and a plex glass shelf and ramp

[Rubicon]

I know it's old but I would never use any kind of metal for an ATBA. Just my preference.