Part 5: How to Build an Above Tank Turtle Basking Platform Dock DIY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Hello! This is part 5 of my 5 (finally!) part series on how to build an above tank turtle basking platform. This platform fits a 75 gallon aquarium but could easily be scaled to different sizes. Check out my below link to the pdf of the blueprint and materials list! Please leave any questions or comments! Thanks for watching.
Materials list and Blueprint PDF: drive.google.c...
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That is gorgeous
Thanks! :)
holy crap my man. you deserve several gold stars. THANK YOU for this PERFECT DIY instruction video. so thorough and clear. i'm building mine on a 40 gallon tank (i have 1 small western painted turtle)in a couple weeks when I get back from out of town.
Wow, thanks! Good luck on the build! Your turtle will thank you :)
Hi! I love the mini series on the DIY basking set-up. I know you said we can modify the dimensions to fit the tank. I was wondering if you can give me advice on how to do the sliding doors or what I can substitute for them giving that I have a round front tank (idk that makes sense?). I have had my red ear slider turtle (Tillie) for 5 years now and hope to have her for many more. Again, thanks for the helpful videos and blueprints, I appreciate you.
Hey! Aren't turtles awesome?! Round front? Hmmmm, It would be tricky but you can bend acrylic with a heat gun. If you could get a consistent curve you could match the glass and instead of a slider on top and bottom you could put hinges on the sides attached to the frame. (you can drill into acrylic, just have to do it carefully). You could use a magnet keep the doors closed. Just an idea! Thanks for watching!
Long Live Your Turtle Those are good ideas I’ll definitely have to try out! I was going to wait and ask you about the filter once I saw your video. But I don’t know what I am doing wrong, I have bought several filters and for some reason they dont work on my tank. Is there a trick to it? I currently use a vacuum to clean her tank and do it atleast twice a week. Also, I saw that you moved to Colorado. Welcome! Hope you like it here and are adjusting to the weather just fine! Thanks again for your advice!
Doris
@@CaliCoLadiee Thanks Doris! I love it here. What kind of filters have you tried? I clean my water once a month and filter every two to three, so you can do it! I have a really powerful filter, Fluval FX6 which isnt in everyones price range, I got it on sale. But I suggest a canister filter, and to add biological media to it beyond what it came with out of the box (take out some sponges (not all) if that is what most of the filter comes with) bacteria in your biological media is your powerhouse and will do the dirty work for you.
Good job! I love it.
Thanks!
i bought a bath tub for my 2 turtles and I wanted to build a basking area. I need some information, can u please help me.
Were the turtles shy and hesitated to go on the basking area?
can I use rubber carpet on the ramp because the one you used is not available where I live?
uvb light are also not available where I live, how many watts do I need for a turtle halogen lamp, I need to order on ebay.
Is a 60 by 70 basking area enough for turtles?
thanks man your video gave me a couple ideas .
LOL you okay there at 10:51?? I'm guessing you meant to edit some of that out :D Other than that great videos, I've been watching the whole series in preparation to build my own inspired by your design!
HAHA, wow good catch, that was brutal! Hope the series helps! Good Luck!
Did you have any issues with the weight of the basking area on top of the tank?
Never did! I installed it on a 1 year old tank. The weight is reasonably distributed across the frame. It is pretty heavy, I think about 30 pounds so I would not recommend this design for older tanks. Thanks!
@@LongLiveYourTurtle Good to know, thank you!
Really loved to see the actual designing of the top basking platform.....Thanks a lot.
Very good video and so informative....just perfect for what I want for my turtles thanks so much
What an amazing job. Thank you for your step by step directions and the links to the materials. Excellent!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Omg this is awesome I have the same 75 gallon tank but I really do need this exact basking for my turtle ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BUILDING one for me please!$$!!$
Hello! I cannot build this one for you but I am working on a half tank basker, the Turtle Basker 3000 at the moment, I hope to sell it on my Etsy store at the end of the month. Thanks!
Well done series of videos. Luckily my only female (a 17 yo musk turtle) of the six turtles (2 male cooters, 2 male painteds, 1 male three stripe mud) has never become gravid so I have not had to provide them with a nesting spot.
Nice, you have a lot of turtles! what kind of setup are they in?
Awesome job! I modified your design for my 40 gallon breeder tank. Now my RES has full use it the tank. Some of my mods I made was to make the top as the exact size of the tank. I was then able to use my screen from the tank to cover the top of the combo. It fits great and supports my lights. I also used some vinyl background and covered The black painted area to give the basking area more depth. It really pops now. I also used a ceramic tile instead of the peel and stick vinyl tile. I did this because I thought it would keep the area warmer and it will dry faster. The last thing I did was to paint the platform with flex seal. I was worried about the wood getting wet and thought that adding the flex seal will keep it longer. Thanks again for making your video and instructions, it really helped!
Wow!
Dude this is a master class on turt basking!!!!! You really just made an apartment for your turtle(s)! lol. how much is the rent gonna be?!
Haha love it! I should charge them... but I'll need to find them a job first....
Very interesting video. My question is. How much y'all charge to make the same for a 55 gallon wide tank ? I can send you the measurements. I'm don't have the tools for the cutting.
Do your turtles try to push the top off?I have a large RES who will be 20 this year. He can almost reach the top of my 75 gal tank from his basking platform that is about 2/3 down the height of the tank. I really want to try an addition to give him more swimming space. I'm also wondering if he can fit up the width of the ramp.
Thanks so much for making these turtle basking assembly videos! I am currently building this platform using your blueprints. I should be finished before Xmas to show it off to everyone coming over for the Holidays. It is going together very nice! I can't wait for our Red ear sliders (Doug & Carrie) to go crazy with a full 75 gallon tank and discovering the ramp! I had been looking for ideas on a tank topper and this is just fantastic....again, thanks for sharing your videos! My only advice for someone building was that I used a special laminate table saw blade to cut the acrylic. This blade basically has more teeth and makes a very smooth cut on the acrylic and the thin wood used. I believe it cost like $45 but well worth it in my opinion. Your method using the scribe cutting tool looked too intimidating for me to try! And you're correct...Acrylic is rather costly! It's nice to know the wife and I aren't the only one's crazy for our turtles! Enjoy your Holidays!!! Take care! David
Thank you so much! I am glad you are making good use of my videos. I hope everything works out well. Let me know if anything can be improved (blueprint, directions, material list) I checked it but sometimes we can't be perfect. The saw blade is a great idea. If I was doing more acrylic work I will definitely consider using that blade. Thanks! Happy New Year and I hope Doug and Carrie lover their new basking area!
I thought that uva uvb lighting does not penetrate anything glass or plenty glass either.
At least thats what I read.
It looks so good! You should be super proud! You could sell on Etsy; I would definitely buy from you. I might attempt to make soon.... but I have zero patience or skills for stuff like this. Thanks for posting, and I love watching you and your turtles
Thanks so much! Maybe in the future I will build some to sell. Can't right now in current living situation. While it looks like a lot of steps, its actually pretty simple and paint covers up and mistakes pretty well ;)
Watched the whole series. What do you do for work? You're quite the craftsman.
Thanks! I hope the series was helpful for you! I am an engineer and sit behind a computer all day so building things like this gets me using my hands which is great fun!
Well done !! What a beautiful topper ! Love that ! I am trying a same topper, thanks for the Inspiration!
Thank you! Good luck!
My turtle craps like a machine. How do you filter your water?
Fluval FX6 (amzn.to/3b7hkiT) is a champion when it comes to turtle tanks.
Greetings from Mrs Turtlette 🐢Amazing and perfect. Appreciate your effort and talent. Look forward to seeing future creations.
Thanks Mrs. Turtlette! Check out my other DIY projects on my channel for more ideas!
Hi! I know this is an old video but I love your channel. Just wondering, have you not had issues with the reptile turf clogging your filter / turtle trying to eat the stray fibers? I’m building a set up for my RES similar to your design but my turt will eat anything in sight including turf fibers AND wood so trying figure out inedible grip for a ramp that she can’t scrape her shell on. Would love any suggestions 😊
Hi! My turtles nibbled on the turf once in a while but otherwise it wasn’t an issue or destroyed. Definitely did not affect the filter in anyway. Other methods you could try is buying a plastic mesh tile from rubber flooring (don’t buy rubber as that will leach chemicals into the water) or epoxy small kitchen back splash tiles in an easy to climb pattern. I do this in my Grecian basking dock build. Find the diy video in my channel!
Thank you so much for the tips!! Your Grecian dock is a piece of art amazing work 👍🏼👍🏼
Can you put a board across the middle closing off the basking area or do you need that open for circulation?
Like a cover? You want light over the basking area. In general as long as there is a way for air to get in (open above basking area, in the back around filtration) that should be good enough. I wouldn't put a cover over the whole thing though.
@@LongLiveYourTurtle Not a cover. The area in front of the ramp. In between the two halves of the platform.
I took pics but couldn't figure out how to put them on my comment.
Very Cool. thank you for sharing your ideas.
Thanks!
What kind of glue was used to adhere the turf to the ramp? I worry about using any regular glue since it’ll be in the water. Should I use aquarium safe glue?
do u need to cut holes for the roof for ventilation
You do not! It isn't air tight, the covers are just placed on sills around the top perimeter and the back portion where the filter intake and output go is open to the air, no worries there!
@@LongLiveYourTurtle have your turtles ever pooped on the basking area
@@randomrazr Nope! just the water, I've only ever had the turtles poop out of water when on travel in a box.
Can you make me a materials list? I have a 50 gallon tank and I would love to make this for our girl Mickey
what ssize is ur . tank
75 gallons!
Very Cool. Thank you.
looking at my egg crate platform i feel so dumb lol. in the future when im outta school i might attempt this tho xD
You got this, DIY is DIY and always more impressive than the floating suction cup ramps they sell, thanks for the comment!
It’s not too heavy to place on top of the tank? I am about to build this and I have the same size tank as you do but I worry that it’s going to put pressure on the tank and possibly cause a leak.
There is indeed inherent risk putting something heavy like this on the tank. I have not had any issues with mine (I have had a topper like this for 3 years now, cross fingers, knock on wood) There are similar designs out there on youtube that also have not been an issue for people. I would stick to a newer 75 g tank though, aquariums weaken with age. Make sure your tank is perfectly level and the stand is flat. Good luck to you!
Kudos this is an amazing video series and special thanks for the materials list!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Is that Aquarium from Eheim??
Please help thank you
Bravo Sir 💪
Are you still using the single bulb or using two ?
Using two now. The new design allows me to use a screen top. The screen top lets me put a mini double deep dome over the basking area. The merc vapor bulbs are higher wattage too and I would have to raise the light fixture. With the mini deep dome I can lower the heat bulb wattage and just rest the fixture on the screen (it is a lot simpler)
I need help!!!!!!! I had a red ear slider abandoned on me. I've been doing my best. I have had her now for 8 years now. I really need to talk to someone who'd be willing to talk to me.
it ran away? but turtles cant run?
@@randomrazr ???????
I have a question about the sand? How do you clean it?
You dont need to clean the sand
rinse it in a 5 gallon bucket
just put it in a bucket and let water overflow