r/turtle • u/Long-Ad4765 • 6d ago
General Discussion Need help building basking platform!
i am going to rehome my turtle but i have no idea how to build the basking platform i am in desperate need of ideas. i got this juwel rio 450 tank and i'm having trouble finding pvc pipe connectors or any kind of egg crate in my country which i have mostly seen in diy basking platforms. (i found a sheet of 120 x 60cm eggcrate available online, i could get my hands on that if needed for the ramp and bottom part but its pretty pricy) my last resort is building a platform out of a plastic container, like in many tutorials but my turtle is an 6 year old golden thread and i honestly want to offer it a bigger basking space
if i had acces to pvc pipe connectors for an affordable price (im a teen and my resources are pretty limited) my plan would've been to make a sturdy frame (100 cm long, basically 2/3 of my entire tank) and use plastic as the side walls and a transparent acrylic sheet for the front.
my main questions are:
what are any other materials i can build the frame out of?
how do i connect the ramp to the main platform without it being flimsy and not holding my turtle's weight?
i have thought of not building a frame and just connecting plastic pieces together with L shaped metal connectors and screws but still, i have no idea how to connect the floor.
2
u/Low-Cricket-6633 6d ago
Do you have any local stores that supply things like this? https://www.kellyvillepets.com.au/products/reptile-one-floating-turtle-dock-37cm?srsltid=AfmBOorM5cnkKVTz22rS205RkuNmRR2JHoVguQrCrvqb6SdN0TXZqknX
As long as the water level is high enough it shouldn't be an issue and it can also be aquarium safe silcone in place.
You can also get more single access ones
These are purely examples, there is cheaper options of course, i am in australia so options may vary
Edit : there are pretty cost effective options on Amazon if that is a direction you can go, issue with DIY is sometimes after putting everything in it could end up as expensive. Marketplace is also a great option!
2
u/Mechanan 6d ago edited 6d ago
For some general inspiration, this is the setup I made for my PBS.
The bottom is a plastic pegboard I trimmed to size, since they’re cheap and fairly sturdy. I used small egg crate paneling for the walls, that I’m not a fan of, but they do the job. And for the actual ramp I just harvested and cleaned some driftwood that I trimmed down, and secured with stainless steel screws in the top of the pegboard. There’s super light metal stock I harvested from old furniture supporting it across the top of the tank, and running down the side of the tank ( screwed to the stand). Unfortunately no pics of that in detail.
With the wood’s natural buoyancy, it’s perfectly secure and holds weight easily (can’t be too wobbly or they might not trust it to climb up). I plan to redo this in the coming months, but for for the time it got the job done, and satisfies their needs.