DIY turtle dock ...
- Thread starter graver
- Start date
I usually just stack bricks and pieces of slate for my turtles. I guess you could fix a permanent one in a tank using some driftwood or slate and then gluing in with aquarium glue.
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
you could check out my 15 gallon build... it's not for turtles specifically, but would work well.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118697
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118697
legendaryfrog
Tactical Refreshment Action
Theres lots of aways to make a turtle dock; just be creative about it!
You can use pebbles, some large stones, or maybe a piece of driftwood.
You can use pebbles, some large stones, or maybe a piece of driftwood.
What kind of enclosure are they in? Aquarium, pond, cattle tank, etc? How big are the turtles, and is this their permanent home?
The suggestions below are geared towards adult sliders.
If you're not worried about looks, you can just use cinder blocks and plywood. Otherwise, like other people said, you can use various combinations of rocks and driftwood; my turtles are in a concrete tank, so I've just put some big pieces of limestone in for them to bask on; this could be more difficult in a glass or acrylic tank, though. If the turtles are in a tank where space is limited, you might consider creating a table-like basking area from wood, so that the turtles can swim under the basking area.
You could probably also make a lightweight, naturalistic basking area by building up a pile of expanding foam (Great Stuff), then carving and painting it (similar to the way some folks make tank backgrounds). The turtles might scratch it up a bit, though, especially if they're full-grown or close to it.
If you want an area your turtles could nest in, you could just put a rubbermaid container full of sandy soil down in their pool, propping it up enough to keep the lip above water level if necessary. Add a piece of wood to allow them to crawl from water to land, and maybe lay a piece of flagstone or slate across part of the soil to act as a warmth-retaining surface. You could even put some plants in there. A trailing plant like Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia) would help to conceal the edges of the container.
The suggestions below are geared towards adult sliders.
If you're not worried about looks, you can just use cinder blocks and plywood. Otherwise, like other people said, you can use various combinations of rocks and driftwood; my turtles are in a concrete tank, so I've just put some big pieces of limestone in for them to bask on; this could be more difficult in a glass or acrylic tank, though. If the turtles are in a tank where space is limited, you might consider creating a table-like basking area from wood, so that the turtles can swim under the basking area.
You could probably also make a lightweight, naturalistic basking area by building up a pile of expanding foam (Great Stuff), then carving and painting it (similar to the way some folks make tank backgrounds). The turtles might scratch it up a bit, though, especially if they're full-grown or close to it.
If you want an area your turtles could nest in, you could just put a rubbermaid container full of sandy soil down in their pool, propping it up enough to keep the lip above water level if necessary. Add a piece of wood to allow them to crawl from water to land, and maybe lay a piece of flagstone or slate across part of the soil to act as a warmth-retaining surface. You could even put some plants in there. A trailing plant like Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia) would help to conceal the edges of the container.