Habitat - Indoor :: How much sand for nesting area?

[ry4nk1msres]

Looking to build an ATBA this weekend, one that would potentially have the capability for my turtles to nest in.

My question is: How deep does the sand have to be in order for the eggs to be safely buried? THis will determine how high of a "lip" I must make around the basking area...and of course, how much sand I need.

Thanks in advance!

[Wilmainschool]

Im pretty sure i read on here that a nesting box needs to be twice as deep as their shell length but im not 100% on that.

[steve]

Would this dirt area be next to the tank of above it? Nesting areas usually need to be as deep as the turtle is long.

[ry4nk1msres]

well, the area would be above the tank. So were talking one deep bed of sand here huh?

Maybe it isn't feasable to have a nesting area with the current setup. In which case, would using sand just for a basking area be an alternative?

[steve]

Sand will be kicked into the tank, so it might not be the best material. An above tank nesting area really isn't done with conventional aquariums.