Forgive my newbiness

[amethyst]

Is there anywhere with pictures of people's turtle tank setups?

The quake damaged our turtles basking area and without replicating it again (which we really don't want to do incase it happens again) we are at a real loss as to how to rebuild.

I'm just off out to take the kittens to the vet (oh and the kids to school LOL!) and I'll be back with tank dimensions and how much water was in there.

[amethyst]

Ok, she's dinner plate size so pretty much all the store bought islands are too small.

Tank dimensions:

144.5cm long, 99cm deep, 86cm high (approx 110cm across the back, it's angled on one side so we can get to it), and it had 67cm of water in it.

Most people seem to say to stack up stones and driftwood to make a basking area but i'm unwilling to do that as to get it high enough it would take away most of her swimming space. I also reeeealy don't like the idea of stacking rocks in her tank (even before the quake).

We did have a glass shelf (with sides and was full of stones), with a ramp into the water which we never really liked but was all we could think of, but that cracked and we had to cut it out.

We even purchased an artificial rock from the water garden in the hopes that would look "natural" and be the right size, but it wouldn't sink no matter what we did so we flagged that idea.

Cost isn't a big consideration, as long as whatever we do will last and look really good.

Any ideas? Please?? :lol:

[blueyes]

Hi Amethyst, if you do a search under the Reptiles and Amphibians section there may be some pics in there

[blueyes]

Oooh, and I just googled turtle tanks and came up with heaps of neat pics, makes me want a turtle now lol

http://www.google.co.nz/images?source=o ... le%20tanks

[amethyst]

Thanks Blueyes!

I'm redoing the big tropical fish tank first, then the frogs, then the poor turtle!

I've been to 5 pet shops in the last 3 days and no-one's terribly helpful about what to do for the turtle. One today even said this "insert product here" will easily do a red eared slider turtle and got quite put out when I said it wouldn't do my 20 year old dinner plate sized turtle at all...don't think petshops expect them to live much past a couple years :evil: :roll: .

At least the fish and frogs are easy, you can just go out and buy stuff that's the right size and will fit nicely in the tank. The turtle tank is built into the wall and only has access from one side (although I can and have climbed into it when needed :oops: ), so I can't put big rocks in it because I have to climb into the tank anyway.

So totally uninspired right now, will go have a look at some of those pictures 8) .

[oO SKIPPY Oo]

have you spoken to Donna your local turtle lady she should be good for advice on the turtles since she has a backyard full of them

[livingart]

have you considered a pond outside?

[amethyst]

have you spoken to Donna your local turtle lady she should be good for advice on the turtles since she has a backyard full of them

I've just messaged her , thanks!

[amethyst]

have you considered a pond outside?

I'd much rather have her inside where we can interact with her. She's always been kept inside and I'm not sure how she would cope being outside by herself all of a sudden? She's a very social girl .

[livingart]

she will cope

her human friends may not though

[amethyst]

she will cope

her human friends may not though

Oh I know I wouldn't cope!! I'd miss her terribly!!

If her tank were easier for me to get her out I'd let her run round the grass a couple times a week but I can't climb in and get her out and climb out by myself.

[sneaky2]

you could hang a square of untreated ply from the top down on an angle

[amethyst]

you could hang a square of untreated ply from the top down on an angle

She'd just look at me like "you want me to do wha??" :lol:

[sneaky2]

wha?? :roll: :lol: