Habitat - Indoor :: Acrylic tank question

[JimmyJam]

Okay as some of you may know, I have a 45 gal acrylic tank for Crush. I am sitting here making my list of things I need to buy for it, also thinking of how I want it set up.

My question is this... Of those of you that ARE familiar with acrylic tanks, there is that acrylic divider that is on the top of the tank. Would it be safe to cut it out and sand the edges?

My reason for this is because I would like to make his basking spot basically just above the tanks rim. I will post a pic later when I get batteries for my camera, but I just want to confirm that it won't break the tank, or decrease it's water holding strength.

[Chrisbarnett]

I have an acrylic tank, a 55 gal.

And no, your not supposed to cut out the top divider because it will weaken its water holding strength. Since acrylic is so susceptible to bowing, that needs to be there to protect against that. That's what I have read about it, but it sure would be nice if we didn't have to have it there.

[untsmurf]

Chris is right, you shouldn't cut it out. But you can build your basking area above them, or incorporate them into it. It's not that hard.

[PcBuilder14]

Just make whatever your using as the floor for the basking area the same hight as the divider and it will be flush.

[JimmyJam]

Just make whatever your using as the floor for the basking area the same hight as the divider and it will be flush.

Well I had an idea to fill the tank about an inch or so from the very top... Then I wanted to insert a nice looking piece of cork bark that would aid him in climbing up to his basking spot, and use perhaps some kind of removable piece of tile over one side so as to cover the large opening to allow him to bask.

I was going to do something simple but I want it as natural looking as possible, it gets my rocks off for some reason.

The one flaw I saw in the setup I kept in mind was that using a tile of some sort would block out lighting that I WANT to enter the actual tank itself. I'd hate to have most of the tank all dark, and this is what I would like tips on. I could do as someone showed and place the cork bark on the divider itself, but it takes away from the will RES aspect of it(Meaning I wanted to add some fake plants and a nice background to kind of let him feel hidden).

I was thinking of using plexiglass or maybe a small gauged screen, what do you think?

[JimmyJam]

Since nobody has posted anything I guess y'all don't know what I mean... So here's the pic I was telling you all about...

First pic is just to show the actual top of the tank:


This pic is to show how I want my top. I would like something to cover one side as I mentioned, while having a piece of corkbark to help him get to his basking spot. I want to use a thick plexiglass I guess so the tank itself will be well lit up. And this is only an example, I won't be using newpaper to make a trap door for him to fall in haha and of course he will have a canopy.

[Chrisbarnett]

When i make an ATBA, my plans are exactly the same as your pictures.

I was going to use eggcrate(light diffuser) as the ramp and platform, so that light will still come through the floor of the basking area

[untsmurf]

If you want the entire tank to be lit up, you can get underwater lights. They're pretty cheap and work really well. That will allow you to use some more natural materials for the basking area.

The only thing I would warn you about, is to make sure you can remove the ATBA pretty easily so that way you always have access to the entire tank. For cleaning, maintanence, and emergency reasons.

[JimmyJam]

If you want the entire tank to be lit up, you can get underwater lights. They're pretty cheap and work really well. That will allow you to use some more natural materials for the basking area.

The only thing I would warn you about, is to make sure you can remove the ATBA pretty easily so that way you always have access to the entire tank. For cleaning, maintanence, and emergency reasons.

I checked some of them out, and I think Crush would just try to eat them so I don't think that would be a good idea.

[PcBuilder14]

That would be funny! A turtle lit up from the inside! It would be like a lightbulb.

[JimmyJam]

That would be funny! A turtle lit up from the inside! It would be like a lightbulb.

Haha made me laugh.

As my gears started going again, I thought to get a couple decent sized pieces of driftwood and hiding them inside the wood so even if Crush gets curious he won't be able to get to it. Man I am so smart!

[PcBuilder14]

Ther ya go!

[untsmurf]

They're pretty tough, and they're definitely too big for digestion. All he'd be able to do is pull it off the wall. And even that would be hard because the suction cup is really concealed. At least with the kind I have anyway.