Habitat - Indoor :: Basking area help

[tissigirl]

Currently I have Mr. Turtle a basking dock. It works ok, but because he is so large most of the time it sinks down so that he's not completely out of the water anymore. So i'd like to try to get a larger area for him so he can completely dry off if he wants, and also be able to walk around a little. I'm assuming I will have to build one myself. I've seen some I like on here that would work for what i'm wanting, but i'd like it to be clear like the aquarium so he can see out (and I can see in!).
Has anyone used plexiglass? I was thinking maybe a plywood base, and 3 pieces of plexiglass (bottom and 2 sides) using silicone caulk to hold them together. Has anyone ever done something like this, or do you think it would work?

[Spookster]

I've built an above tank basking area. The only plexiglass/acrylic I used was for the ramp. You might want to consider non-clear walls around 3 of the sides though. This give your turtle some privacy so they can feel safe while they bask. You can leave on side open for you to see in.

[tissigirl]

Oh, and one other question. Where can you get plexiglass? Do they have it at places like Home Depot? I'm sure if they do they would cut it for me.

[cam722]

You can buy pleixglass at Home Depot.. just remember plexiglass can be rather flexible and the thicker the "glass" the more expensive it will be. Also you need to make sure you support everything correctly over the tank. I tried making one like this myself with no luck .. I also put aquarium backing on the sides so they had a view without seeing people.. so you can get around the being seen and privacy.

[steve]

I would check a local hardware store first.. Home Depot isn't always the cheapest place for this kind of stuff. I also agree about covering the sides... most RES are particularly skittish when basking.

[tissigirl]

Mr. Turtle is far from skiddish! I've had him for 17 years and nothing freaks him out. Well, when I wipe the green off his shell he doesn't like me too much, but other than that nothing phases him!

But i may cover say 1 or 2 sides for a little privacy for him, and leave the front part open. He really enjoys being able to see around the room though. He spends most of the time following me around!

Thanks for the tips though. I'm going to take some measurements and see how much $$ it's going to cost. What do most people put on the bottom of the basking area? I'm thinking plexiglass would not be easy for them to walk on!

[marisa]

My experience with Home Depot is that they won't cut plexiglass, and I've only gotten larger pieces to cover tanks with from them. The hardware store in my town, however, has a wonderful cutting machine and they will cut pieces to my specifications. They aren't cheaper than Home Depot for the material itself, but being able to have it cut makes it worth buying from them.

You for the bottom of the basking area, you could silicone some flat rocks/smaller pieces of slate to give the surface more texture (make sure they aren't abrasive), which would help the plastron dry off more quickly. A piece of material such as slate that would fit on the basking area (and wouldn't fall off) is another option.

[tissigirl]

Cool. Thanks for the info. I'll check out a few hardware stores this week and see what I can find. I just need to take the measurements first to see how much i'll need.