Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:15 am ATBA for destructo-turtle
I am in the middle of an ATBA build for my 7yr old female RES, Tobi. I am building a frame out of PVC and a dock and ramp out of cork. I am using an all plastic hardware net to enclose everything in. I have the bottom of the frame all built and am ready to put up the sides, but I'm not sure how tall to make the walls. She is destructive and thinks she can fit into the tiniest of spaces. She has ruined 2 heaters, (by pulling them off the wall and breaking the element inside-I now use a stealth heater), one waterfall style filter (by knocking out the intake tube and it ran dry for days while I was on vaca-thank goodness I came home early or I'm afraid there would have been a fire -I now use a submersible filter and wedge the heater in the corner next to it), and the frame for her floating dock by repeatedly pulling it off the wall. I once caught her nearly escaping from her tank, from the floating dock, by using her weight to push up one side of the dock and wedging her shell underneath the canopy that housed her uv lights, and pushing it up and out of her way! She has a shell length of 10 inches. Im not sure if i should make the walls short (8 inches or so) so she cant climb up the sides - but then im afraid she'd prop herself up and wedge herself to try and push up the ceiling- or if I should make the walls really tall so that even if she stands on her hind legs and reaches, she wouldn't be able to be destructive-but then I'm worried about her possibly climbing too high and falling/injuring herself. She is a monster but I love her! I've had her since she was a hatchling and I can't imagine my life without her! Please help!
