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So I haven't quite gotten around actually building anything yet but I will add to this as things move on. I'll hopefully have everything done before my filter comes in in a few weeks.

******So I am just going to edit this part instead of post a whole new "reply". Also, very picture heavy + a video******

To begin, here is my tank
It is 150 gallons, 72x18x27 with nearly half an inch think glass





And for reference, here's me next to it >.<


Now to begin, here is a quick pick of her old set up


Now, a basic "line" up of what I am doing (no water)






While I am working on her new tank, her old one needs to be drained so I can use her old zoomed basking rock for her temporary "new" area so here of some pictures of Raph in the bathtub!





Now with things starting to drain and such, it's time to work on her basking area!

The thought out is simple, cause I want to work on something better later.

I take all of this and make it into a stand of sorts, so she doesn't lose swim area underneath

LIKE SO!


Next we lash the egg crate and the zoomed dock onto it.

For a nice snug fit

So we get this!


Now we fill it with water and add the second zoomed dock onto the stand to squeeze it in.






Now its time for the fun to begin!


First she goes right to the middle and checks out the Top Fin tree root, which I got at my local petsmart.


She's not sure what to make of it

She thinks its cool

And just like her stubborn owner, she climbs it instead of swimming to the top


SUCCESS!! Does it taste good?


And now to swim off fully satisfied


And finally, a full lap from one end of the tank, to the other. Checking her good old castle


To being scared of her "friend"


She ends her adventure with a smile



Now this video is unedited and may or may not contain some curse words from my brother so I do apologize for that but the video should be very close to what the pictures entail, both taken at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EFgoOodPl8&feature=g-hist

That is a very large tank.
Can't wait to see what it turns into!

Got a few more things to decorate the tank with but in the midst of my researching I came across something called African sinking root wood. Anyone here use that and/or recommend it?

I believe that is also called Mopani wood. Its absolutely gorgeous in a tank but be aware, like any wood over time it will degrade (I am talking years of course) and as it is a wood, chances are that even if you spend a month soaking the wood and changing the water it will still discolor your water with a greenish tint, (do some research on tanins so you understand) Dozens of turtle owners here use it and love the look of it. You just have to decide if you want green/brown water or clear water. If you are ok with the more "Natural" look of the discolored water then by all means use the Mopani wood but make sure you have a super super strong filter (Fluval FX5 is highly recommended)

If you want the "look" of wood without the mess of tanins I might suggest getting a couple of these http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... lInUS%2FNo and arrange them in the tank so that the highest ends are against the outer walls of the tank (this will give the turtle more swimming room) Take a look at my thread to see an example. viewtopic.php?f=14&t=33545

Funny enough, I did get that exact one because I saw your build thread earlier. I also did a lot of reading about the discoloration that the wood can do and didn't like that thought of pretreating taking upwards to a month or more before it stops. Never thought about the fact that it degrades over time though. Thank you for bringing that up.

So I was going through a list I made on what I need for the tank and it occurred to me that above all else, I'm going to need more river rocks for the bottom, Raphael loves to play and move the ones in her current tank. Anyone know where I can get enough for this tank? Basic guides I find say 1 pound per gallon

If your not picky about your river rock I got a 50lb bag at Star Nursery for $5 I think. Check any local landscaping stores or nursery's.

Finally got it set up, will post a ton of photos and a video as soon as I go through them all and get them up loaded

There we go, all up

Litch wrote:There we go, all up

Very nice.

You may want to watch evaporation with how little of the ramp sticks in the water.

I love the wood picture with her climbing it / on top of it. She can't climb out the top where the dock is, can she? She looks like she's a heck of an explorer.

apondfortimmy wrote:I love the wood picture with her climbing it / on top of it. She can't climb out the top where the dock is, can she? She looks like she's a heck of an explorer.

She kind of is but I have 3 dogs in the house so she tends to not even climb the edge as much anymore to watch the photo's and who ever is playing on the computer/watching tv.

I have 3 pieces of Mopani wood in my tank and never had a problem with discoloration of the water. You do need to pre-soak it, but it doesn't take a month. I soaked mine in a bucket with warm water (replacing the water daily with hot water) for 3-4 days and it was fine. Over a year later and it still looks great.

where did you buy your background? I can only find 24" tall backgrounds and I have a tank your height. Frustrating!

There is a local fish store called Pristine Aquarium that I was able to get it from. You may have to look online. I got lucky with mine