Equipment Review and Discussion :: Canopy for basking?

[CountryGirl68]

While searching for furniture for my intended 75g tank, I came across this canopy with an access panel:



Does anyone here own one of these? I'm curious if this would be a good place to put a basking area for the turtle. I don't mean put it right in that area but: would this allow for the tank to be filled up higer without risk of the turtle escaping?

Just wanted to know in case I decided to purchase. I guess the only problem would be where to put the light.

[steve]

Do you mean as a guard for a basking area near the top of the tank? I don't think 8" is high enough because the turtles might be too close to the lights (depending on water level) and that canopy might trap more heat than you'd like. The wood might also be exposed to more humidity and water condensation than is intended... but those are just some thoughts about it.

[CountryGirl68]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about the light being too close. Thanks, Steve, because I hadn't considered that it might trap more heat. Chicken wire it is!

[cprcheetah]

Just a word of caution....my Zeke tries to escape the chicken wire and pokes his head through it....worried he's going to get injured or stuck. My hubby is working on an above tank basking spot...

[CountryGirl68]

Hmmm, hadn't thought about that either. Thank! With no one at home most of the day, I'd die if I came home and found my turtle "hanged".

[Shavannah]

I bought some 1/2 inch hardware cloth that comes in small rolls, about $6. I rolled it out and flattened it and used a staple gun to attach it to some 1x2 strips of wood cut to fit the outside of the tank top. You can use metal snippers to trim it up and pliers to bend back and crimp the little pieces so there's no sharp edges. The only thing I forgot when making it was I left out a hinged lid option, so now I have to take the whole lid off when feeding and checking tempuratures, etc. Not a big deal though. It took me about 3 or 4 hours to put it together. It's an inexpensive solution and also lets all the lighting in without blocking any UV rays. On the back side where the filter is attached, I cut the wood shorter and snipped the wire to fit around it. It seems to be working great and my turtle really enjoys all the extra light. I had a glass top on it before I read on here that it blocks the rays. My turtle is more active and doesn't shy away as often. Let me know if you have any questions about the specifics of the lid. I can post a picture if you want to see it.

[marisa]

I'd like to see it.

[Shavannah]

I will try to post a picture sometime this week. I'm in the process of making a new basking area out of PVC and flat stone. I saw some similar on here, and thought that would work out nicely because Gandalf is starting to weigh his floating dock down. When I have that all put together, I'll post the pictures of the lid and dock area. Thanks for your interest Marisa!