Turtle Tank Ideas

[Anonymous]

Hey, I dont usually post things online, but I need help. I own a painted turtle that is about 2 inches from head to tail. I've had him for 2 and a half years now and I found him when he less than an inch long. Anyway, he's been in a 7 gallon tank but i just recieved a much larger tank (im not sure about the size...). I've been doing some basic research on ways to create a land space for him and I found that cork is probably the best answer. I was just wondering what you think about cork and what exactly I should buy. Is virgin cork the best for animals? Can it be submerged in water? does it come in blocks or just sheets? Can I buy it at home depot (or any other home improvement stores) or do I have to order it online? If you could help, that would be great.

Thanks a lot,
Jake

[digger]

Virgin cork is used mainly because it looks cool. Virgin cork comes from the first two cuttings of bark. The cork that is harvested after the virgin cork looks like wine bottle stoppers; it doesn't have a natural a look, but it would still be fine for your turtle. Cork can be submerged, but it floats, so you'll have to silicone it or weight it down. It is a good choice because it doesn't rot easily. I don't think you'll find it at home depot but you can probably get some at a local pet store that specializes in reptiles.

[Zurp]

Try looking into flat stone. Things like Mica patio stone, slate, and patio granite. Just make sure that you don't just pile tons of stone on one little square. Try to distribute the stones, and prop them against the sides. you can even put rubber feet on the lower stone, test on a table top to make sure it is leveled the way you like it. (Use only three rubber feet, it will always be level)

They sell a floating turtle platform at "Pet-Co". It will rise and lower with the water level. I am not sure about the quality of it though. I only glanced at it.

Do a search on google for turtle tanks, turtle stands, turtle islands, water dragons, turtle platforms... stuff like that... Try going to the "Google - Images" tab and searching... this way you can see if it is waht you are looking for...

EG...
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...q=turtle+tanks

[nimmie]

Hmm well I have a red eared slider, had her maybe 2 months (don't worry I know how big they get and so do my parents :lol: ) And so far she's maybe the size of two euro cents put together or an amerycan quarter, and so far I just stack up gravel in one end. But when the time comes for a bigger tank I will probably use some weighted styrofoam to make a land area where I intend to have some really groovy bog plants And then the rest will be just water, maybe driftwood as well or summat like that...I got the styrofoam idee on this old thread in Aquahobby's goldfish section of all things ... :roll: hahaha well good luck to ya!!
PS if you can measure the tank I'm sure some smart people (no, not including myself) will be able to tell how many liters or quarts it is.

[Toyman321]

What I have done to save weight is place a cinderblock in the tank because they are big, heavy enough to stay put (when your turtles get bigger they will "help" you re-arrange their tank. Cinderblocks by themselves are not great for the turtles shells but I have used silicone cement to cover the blocks with cork. The Cinderblocks also work well because the are hallow so they allow waterflow to pass through them.

Good luck!