Habitat - Indoor :: new ATBA suggestions.

[blulite]

hi guys im going to upload some pics of my new ATBA in a short while. i need your input on what you think i should do next i have a few ideas but i am quite stuck at the moment. so give me a half hour and ill have the pics up.

to givve you an idea of what it is so you can start pondering your ideas.basically my tank is 5ft long and 2 ft square.i have taken a hagen 33" tank and broke it down, stand also. i then proceeded to build not just a basking area but a vivarium ATBA. it is the whole length of the tank.

the thing im stuck with is the floor. i have invested in some slate roof tiles to use as the floor but i want to have a sand pit at one end and a resting place at the other. with a gap for a zoomed turtle dock to be used as a ramp for the entrance. i need your help to decide what way to go with the entrance. due to the fact turtles grow.

[blulite]

ok so heres the pics, as you can see in this first one the ATBA is starting to take shape. i have installed the lights and some doors that slide upwards to open. whic one of them has been taken off in this pic because i needed the extra access.



my ATBA was mede entirley of this tank and stand. oh except the strip of timber that runs along the top front edge. this was taken from the box off the new cooker.and 2 strips on the sides that hold the dors in place which were taken from the old pine bed frame. (yes i do hoard timber).



ok so now heres the details. here we have the lamps. they were embedded throught the top because the size the holes would of been if i had sat them above was a disgracefull 6 1/2 ". yeukkh. the lamps are ikea clamp lamps. which took me ages to find 2 identical ones. a the moment i only have the uvb because i broke the heat bulb. im finallyhappy with their positioning though.








ok then so onto my problem. the floor. i have positioned the tiles temporarily. there is a ramp at both ends. the one on the left is to allow a cut to be made in the tile for access. the one on the right hand side is to keep the sand in the pit. (eventually). from the peaks of these ramps the rest is a raised flat bed. however i have doubts on wether im going to need to alter my design to accomodate for growth in the future. or if the turtles will realise there is a sand pit at the other end. e.g. will they climb and explore. you see if i cut the access to accomodate for growth then there may be a change there is not going to be enough bridging for them to explore the other side.







the floor is shaped something like this ________ but with a shallower slope.
__/ < \__

access will be available where the < is. and a sandpit at the other end. i was also thinking of putting a waterfall in the middle. that will run to the other side as a stream. this is mainly so the sand gets washed off the turtles before they get back in the tank.