Photo Gallery :: Basking/Resting areas *Under Construction*

[grey goose]

Yes, those plastic brackets are one of the things I'm worried about. I'm also thinking that all those little nooks and crannies in the tiles are going to turn into an algae trap.....
I do have some 1/4" pvc with these little "Flare ends" not sure what they are called, but they make the pvc look like a roman column. But I must say, I was shocked at how strong both areas are as is.

[scripta_elegans]

If they do loosen up over time, you'll have warning right? I would guess you would notice the tile or brackets pulling away? I could be completely off, but I would guess that with that much silicone, one part would pull away before the whole thing fell...?

[grey goose]

Trust me, there is no way this thing can collapse all at once. There are three separate layers or beads of silicone plus each tile is attached to the next tile from the inside out. Silicone was also used as a grout between tiles.
But plastic does not "take" to silicone as well as glass or Lexan. so there is that one percent chance that they would come loose either from the lexan or the glass. But even if that happened, the shelves would still hold. I thought of cutting small triangles out of acrylic and use them for support underneath but the turts might bang into it and scratch their shells.
At any rate, they'll be plenty of rigorous testing once I get the water in. I've been roughing all the electric in now, and I've inadvertently left tools on top of both ramps.....no probs.

[cprcheetah]

Any worries about the tile scraping their plastrons?

[Andrew7769]

many people have tile basking areas and they haven't reported problems so im assuming the turts should be fine

[grey goose]

They are actually very smooth, like marble, despite the little nooks and crannys......I think I may be scrubbing the algea out of them every so often.

[grey goose]

Lighting and wiring:
I had two goals in this phase, all lighting must be static, meaning locked down tight, no chance for movement (no fixtures sitting on screens, or clamped to the tank). They would also have to be out of the way when cleaning, feeding, playing, etc.
The other goal was to have no visible wires! My original plan was to buy a nice cabinet, take the power strips, wires, airlines, filter tubing, etc., roll it all up in a big ball and stuff it inside. Alas, I just could not bring myself to pay what they wanted for one around here. So I bought a cheap iron stand, and decided to make the best of it....



All the lights are securely mounted using solid wood.


The basking light is a simple wall sconce with a 40 watt halogen lamp. Note the adjustment knob. The UVB is an "old school" stainless hood with a compact bulb. I was told that hood is from the 60's, when tanks had slate bottoms! The light on the far side is a simple 18" fluorescent.





Hiding the wiring was a bit harder. I decided to to mount a finished piece of wood with a small shelf directly to the frame on the under side of the tank. Then I mounted two power strips, one on a heavy duty timer for the lights, the other straight to the outlet for heaters and filters. I put a dual air pump on the shelf, and will put that on a separate timer so it will run for about 20 minutes three times a day.



Here's a shot of the back. Also note the black looms tied to the frame with quick release nylon ties. (In case I have to service/change anything). The only wires that are visible from the front are the two power strip cords going into the wall.



Back up top, I used 1/8" acrylic for the covers (only because I could not find Lexan thick enough to suit me). I then added handles for easy on/off. (I think they are stainless).



Finally, to keep the little monkeys in their tank (the basking area is a mere 5.5 inches below the edge) I made up a wood frame and used 1/2" hardware cloth coated with vinyl. I was a little worried it might overheat from the basking lamp, but so far so good. It just gets a little warm...



NEXT: Background, interior decorating, water, filters, heaters.....Oh! and turtles.....

[SpotsMama]

How cool! Very high concept, high tech. Can't wait to hear what the turtles think about it.

[scripta_elegans]

You are the most ambitious goose I have ever come across! Wow! It looks swanky AND functional!

[grey goose]

Oh, I already know whats going to happen once the "gang of three" get in there. All will be quiet for about a week, then the little vandals will start wreaking everything.

[CountryGirl68]

It's almost like you're building a Hilton Hotel for your turtles.

[grey goose]

With room service!

[steve]

lol... great (and professional) work!

[WeirdMeta]

That silicone stuff, is that what they use to glue the glass together on aquariums. I assume I'm possibly right I just wanted to make sure. Can you get that stuff at a typicial hardware store like Home Depot.

[SpotsMama]

You get tubes of "aquarium silicon" at a pet store or aquarium store. I don't think it's exactly the same as what you would get at a hardware store. I'd stick to the stuff made especially for aquariums.