Photo Gallery :: New Basking Area

[pkneeyahx]

cam722..
I hope you don't mind.. but I must provide some constructive criticism. Well.. this is what I would do with your setup..

I'd try to utilize the walls maybe.. build a corner shelf nice and sturdy and use a stud finder of course. Dimensions could be the width of the tank by half. The shelf itself could be an old barbeque grill cleaned really good set inside a wood frame. A side could protrude down from the shelf to the tank and be roughly 12 inches high in a frame style too with a plexiglass centre for viewing.. this frame side would be mildly supporting on top or built into the groove of the tank. Your lights could sit on top of the grill.. it would essentially be a half canopy, yet it's main support is a shelf for lighting.

just something I thought of. and if it ever needed removing.. all you would need is polyfil, time, a sander and the same colour paint as the walls and your laughing..

Adam

[cam722]

hahahah.. oh yeah I'm sure the person who owns this house would love my doing that, but thanks for the constructive criticism

[steve]

I'd keep an eye on them getting out too, I swear my turts have little springs in their legs!

[cam722]

Ok, for all that were concerned about the possibility of escape... I added another piece of acrylic to the side of the wall so now it reaches to mid-tank. I'm still going to change it some how and will post pictures once its complete. I'm a tad picky about this and well it never was how I exactly wanted it. Sometimes things on paper just don't end up looking the way you want them to.. so .. back to the drawing board.

[pkneeyahx]

hahahah.. oh yeah I'm sure the person who owns this house would love my doing that, but thanks for the constructive criticism

It would be just like putting up a shelf. Same thing.. the only difference is that it's a box..

[cam722]

Yeah well I'm not allowed to attach anything to the walls. So that's out of the question. I had to re-read that original post of yours, at first it sounded like you were talking about building them a patio with a bbq on it

[pkneeyahx]

:]

[Brianthedog18]

Just curious, what's that rock in the middle of the area for? Also, what material did you use for the actual ramp/basking area? I like that idea, and I might make something similiar when I get my new tank!! Also, how did you put it together...in other words, what is supporting it in the middle so it doesn't sag?

[cam722]

It's not a rock it was a piece of grapewood.. which I put the probe for the digital thermometer on to test the basking temp..

I used reptile carpet for the ramp and for on top of the basking area so they have something to "grip" in order to get up the ramp.

As for the not sagging.. there is a brace under the ramp which goes partially under the basking area to support it.. and the rest is supported by the rim of the tank. Although I've thought about making a frame out of wood for it.. and screw the plexiglass into that to make it all more stable and to make the additional piece of the wall easier to move so I can get the net to that section of the tank easier.. make it something like a door that I can open and close if that makes any sense The "improvements" are still in the planning stages though