Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One more question in regards to my new tank. I currently
have corkbark for the basking area. My problem is my sliders
are 10 inches and 3 lbs, almost too big to rest comfortably.
Do any of you have larger turtles and if so what do you
use?

Thanks
Linda

I've see people build a platform from 2 bricks or the like and have a piece of wood or something on the top. If it's hard to get on, have a ramp extending into the water.

we piled up gravel on one end with flat rocks on top

Thank both of you for your ideas. Cute babies!!

Linda

thx. They're both the same age, but one eats a lot more than the other. We want to put them outside in the pond with mom and dad, but we're afrid that dad might hurt or kill them, he's very territorial.

Linda, gravel is the biggest cause of death and of course worst hazard for turtles so avoid it if you can(Ever hear of impaction?) Buy pebbles, preferrably large ones. Moreover, rocks on top of gravel are prone to slide, which could cause suffocation and drowning. Turtles are apt to dig, you know, and I'd lost some this way.

Good thing for big red ears is a log. If you can manage it, find very sturdy, unmoving, large rocks too. But however you make a basking spot, always be careful of rocks because they shift. Hence, drownings.

Logs will keep this from happening.

Right, gravel can definitely cause an impaction. My turtle stopped eating, and after a few days I saw gravel in his stool. I now have larger stones on bricks with a broken branch I found in the woods and boiled on the top, as a natural shore on one side of the tank. Cuts down a little on swimming space, but he loves being on that log under the hot light. Eventually he'd even sit there while I was 2 feet away running on my treadmill.

I would not personally use any kind of rocks or pebbles.
These are big turtles and I don't want to sacrifice room.
I want something that allows basking but that they can
swim under. Corkbark is wonderful but one piece isn't wide
enough. I am trying to find something else. Possibly 2
put together.

It's hard to remember when these guys were tiny

Linda

I've seen in my local pet stores half logs that you might find usable. They're made of some kind of plastic, but it holds up under the hot lights. If you plug the tiny holes where water goes in, it may stay floating for you. They have lots of ridges for the turtle's claws to grab onto.

I built a platform out of that white plastic PVC piping. The piping forms a frame and you put the log or platform on top and affix it with non-rusting wiring or screws. Be sure water can get into the pipes so they don't float.

I built one out of wood and used pvc piping to hold it up against the side of the tank.

another picture

If you don't mind me asking, how did you attach the PVC piping to your tank?