Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We recently bought a new tank for our painted turtle, and bought new tank furniture for him. We got him a ZooMed turtle dock that floats but the holder for it sticks to the side of the tank to hold it steady.
Here's a URL for a photo of one
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2006 113872

I worried that the painted would be upset with it because the last time I tried to change his basking area he didn't like it one bit & I had to go back to the old stack of rocks.
It turns out the painted turtle LOVES this ZooMed dock so I wonder do any of you use them for your mud or musk turtles? Have they worked out well for you if you have them?

I'm thinking of buying another one of these things after we get the new tank for the mud turtle but before I do I wanted to know how other people's muds like them or don't like them.
TIA
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PHRatz

I have seen those things but have never tried them. I bet they are easier to clean compared to the cork bark I use now.
The biggest worry I have always had is that artificial platforms are not 'soft' and can be abrasive to plastrons. But that is probably not a valid worry. It the surface rough or smooth?

>>I have seen those things but have never tried them. I bet they are easier to clean compared to the cork bark I use now.
>> The biggest worry I have always had is that artificial platforms are not 'soft' and can be abrasive to plastrons. But that is probably not a valid worry. It the surface rough or smooth?

Gosh I hadn't even thought about the roughness. I read your reply over an hour ago & have been wanting to go touch it to see how rough it feels but he's been on it all morning & I don't want to disturb him lol. He's still there now!
I was at the vet's recently with the dog, every time the vet gets a turtle patient in she sends me to the back to look at it. LOL
I saw a large diamondback terrapin sitting on this same large turtle dock & actually seeing one in person is what prompted me to order one. My mud isn't the speedboat swimmer that my painted is so I've wondered would Scooter the mud really like this thing or not?
I've kind of worried about him having a bigger deeper tank too but I think if I put in the right furniture he'll like it.
If my painted ever gets off that thing I'll go touch it & let you know how rough it is.
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PHRatz

I only questioned that because I have seen a Tetra product that looks like it was made from molded fiberglass. This one in particular looks like a bridge of some sort but the surface is very hard and somewhat rough. I don't know it these factors in themselves would contribute to shell rot or abrasions though.
But for me, I would rather play it safe.

Ok so he finally got off of it & then I cleaned his tank.
I have to say this thing is so light weight & it feels smooth to the touch to me even though it doesn't look smooth. I think it's made of plastic, I should've kept the box so I could read what it is made of.
I have to say I am not afraid of this thing scraping him because it feels smoother to the touch to me than his former stack of smooth rocks felt.
Will the mud turtle like it? I don't know...
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PHRatz

Sounds fine. I can be a bit of a worrier too.
Thanks!

>>Sounds fine. I can be a bit of a worrier too.
>>Thanks!

Hey nothing at all wrong with beig a worrier! Better to worry too much than not enough.
I guess why the worry over it being too rough didn't occur to me must've been because when I first got it I didn't think it felt rough. It's not like me not to think about things like that.

I've realized though before I run out & get Scooter the new tank I really need make some decisions on furniture for the new tank before I get it. He's going to need a new hide box because the Rubbermaid one he has now won't work in a deeper tank. It'll float away so I think I'll get some new things first, then get the tank.
It's going to be a big change for him & I want him to feel secure right away & not have to worry about him being too upset.
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PHRatz

I went to the pet store the other day to buy "groceries" so while I waited for my food to be bagged I looked around at the new reptile furniture they've gotten in.
I saw a turtle dock not made by ZooMed & I see now why someone would worry about the roughness of the surface. That thing I looked at was very rough, all over. I don't know why someone would manufacture it, I never would've bought one like it.

The store also had the new floating log that a turtle can get on top of or inside of but darn it, it was in a sealed box so I didn't get to actually see it. I've seen it in mail order catalogs for 10 dollars less, I'd like to see what it actually looks like.
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PHRatz

I think that might be the one I have seen too. It just seemed very hard and rough...as if it was designed by someone who knows nothing about actually keeping turtles.

>>I think that might be the one I have seen too. It just seemed very hard and rough...as if it was designed by someone who knows nothing about actually keeping turtles.

Exactly, it's as if someone who knows nothing about actually keeping them designed the thing.
Which shouldn't shock me I suppose because there's been so many worthless products like that in the past.. but you'd think since reptile keeping has become more popular in the last 10-15 years or so manufacturers would be a little more savvy than they used to be.

Since I recently saw the old plastic turtle bowl with the palm tree stuck in the middle for sale in the NEW pet store that opened here.. I shouldn't be surprised by anything.
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PHRatz

I used one of those in my eastern mud turtle tank, and she never used it, but then again, she has never been a big basker any way.

Katrina
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1.2 Eastern Muds - Fred, Ethel, Edith
0.1 Iguana - Tiffel
0.1 Bearded Dragon - Foster
Foster turtles: More than I'd like the husband to know about.

as you can see in my pic i went with a nutural look as if it were in a creek or something and my rocks arent even close to smooth. my turtles escpecially the snapper are always hiding under the ledges and in between 2 rocks. they are really tough these guys and as longas your not keeping it on a beltsander i dont think you have to worry about it hurting the shell(unless they are young and have not gained the shell hardness yet)

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0.1.0 normal corn het hypo,anery
1.0.0 snow corn het hypo,anery,amel
1.0.0 amel corn unknown hets(4ft 8inch long)
1.0 sinacorn
0.0.2 snapping turtles
0.0.1 3 lined mud turtle
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