Habitat - Indoor :: Just set up a new tank

[jrd1mra]

I just upgraded my RES from a 10 gallon to a 30 gallon. she is about 5 inches, but the 50 was just way too big for my apartment.
The 30 is so big, she looks so little in it. I think she will be much happier, already in less than 24 hours she seems to be more active and less weery of every little bump and movement.
So, it is a lot deeper, the water. I have a nice basking area, which she already used today.
my question, since the water is about 12 inches deep, can I use a cinder block in the tank? One of those 8x8 halves so that she has a place where she can sit under the water and poke her head out? (she likes to do that).
I found that trying to pile rocks was way too unstable, and put risk on the rocks falling, possibly breaking the tank.
I think the cinder block would be a good solution, square and rigid, it wont move. Wile at the same time its weight is no more than rocks.
do you see any problem with this?

[marisa]

I've seen cinder blocks used to support basking areas, can't say I really care for the look of them. You don't want an abrasive surface for your turt to bask on (Mine tend to move around basking areas to adjust to the heat, and concrete would wear down their plastrons really quick.)

Since the tank is smaller than you'd want (and you know your turt really should be in a bigger one), I'd try to maximize the space in the tank by having a basking area he could swim under. Corkbark is good for this, and there are pictures of basking areas members have made in the Photo Gallery. You might look there for ideas (they don't seem that difficult to make).

[jrd1mra]

she's got a basking area that floats. This one is a submersed area that she can sit on. I think I'm ok, after reading your reply, I put a smooth flat rock on top of the cinder block. Yes the block is a little ugly. she is actually still small enough to fit in the hole in cinder block so it may also provide her an underwater hiding spot, If she is brave enough to go in it!
I just want to know if there are any chemicals or other things that are used in making the cement that could be bad for the turtle. Or see if there were any strict advice against using the block before I let her loose in the tank.

[marisa]

I don't know what cinder blocks are made of. I've seen pics of people's ponds made out of concrete, I've also heard that concrete ponds aren't the best for turts. Bricks, I've heard, can leach arsenic, so it's your decision.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you wrote, but if your turtle has a basking area that floats, why is a second one necessary...in a 30 gallon tank, that should really be bigger? Why sacrifice the space? If by floating basking area you mean that it moves around, try to anchor it under the UVB light and heat light. Your turt has the area under that for an underwater hiding place...

[jrd1mra]

The first basking area is a zoomed dock. its held in place with suction cups. It works just fine.

What I am talking about isn't really a basking area. The brick sits about 5 inches below the surface of the water. She likes to sit on it and poke her head above the water. It gives here a place to be under the water, without having to swim up each time she want a breath or to look around.

Its where she spends most of her time when she is not basking, she doesn't like to bask if someone is in the same room as her.
the rest of the tank is pretty much empty, except for a few river rocks. When I upgraded her tank, the block was the best solution I could find to reproduce the spot she likes to sit in the water. Rather than piling a bunch of rock up and risk collapse.

I wish I had a digital camera, Then you would see exactly what I am talking about.

[cam722]

I understand what you're saying. I think an easier solution would be to just put floating plants for the turtle to hang on and be close to the surface. That woudn't take up all the swimming space that blocks/bricks would and you'd also not have th risk of minerals or other harmful elements leaching into the water. There's really little sense of getting a larger tank and then taking up the swimming area with unnecessary stuff.

I thought I read on here somewhere about cinderblocks being bad for the water, I'll have to do a search.

[Spookster]

And keep in mind that as a female she is going to grow to be 9-12 inches in length. You said she is only 5 inches right now. She is going to get heavier and likely be too heavy for that zoo med dock. The minimum tank size for a 5 inch turtle should be at least 50 gallons. But instead of continuing to upgrade as that can get costly you are better off just buying a tank that will be big enough for when she is full grown which won't be too much longer.

[marisa]

I'd give her the swimming space and not use the cinderblock as long as she has that basking area. If you want your turtle to be able to rest at a higher level, besides plants, you could also silicone a ledge to the side of the tank (I've heard of some people doing this).

If your turt won't bask when someone's in the room, you might also put a barrier around the tank where the basking area is so she has some privacy if she does want to bask, rather than staying in the water.

[khobbs]

I just put in two plastic soap dishes (never been used) on both ends of the tank a couple of inches below the water so that my turtles each have their own little space and it also lets them sleep under the water without having to swim all the way to the top. They can just pop their head up. I too have a 30 gallon and they love the swimming space. I put a river rock or two in the soap dishes so that it doesn't look all that bad. They love them. It gives them a place to hang on and hang out.