How to make an island for a turtle with your own hands?

Keeping a turtle at home requires a preliminary arrangement of the aquarium. The container should not only be filled with water, a suitable substrate and plants. You need to create a small island for the turtle. You can make it with your own hands, using several ideas that will be discussed in our article.

Primary requirements

How to make an island for a turtle with your own hands, so that reptiles are comfortable and safe to rest on it? When preparing such a site, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Of decisive importance is the size of the island. It is desirable that its area is several times the size of a turtle. If we are talking about the maintenance of a group of such pets, the site needs to be created truly roomy.
2. When preparing an island for a turtle with your own hands, you need to consider how easy it will be for a pet to climb it. A good solution is the arrangement of a special inclined ladder, which is partially immersed in water.
3. It is better if the surface of the island is textured. On a rough plane, the turtle will be much easier to move around.
4. Do-it-yourself turtle island needs to be strong enough. The site should not sag under the weight of the reptile.
5. It is necessary that the surface of the island always remain above the water level. This will allow the turtle to dry and warm the body while resting.
6. Do not fix the platform at the very edge of the aquarium. The island should be 15-20 centimeters below its upper line. Indeed, otherwise, the tortoise can get out and escape, while receiving injuries.
7. The entire area of ​​the island should be heated with an ultraviolet lamp. The creation of such an alternative to natural sunlight is required by the turtle for healthy growth and development of the body. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the temperature on the island within 30 ° C. After all, the reptile can overheat.

Glass islet

As practice shows, it is quite simple to make an island for a red-eared turtle with your own hands from a piece of durable glass. For these purposes, a large piece of material is taken and a square or rectangular area is cut out of it, the dimensions of which are several times higher than the parameters of the reptile. The edges of the glass blank are grinded and rubbed with sandpaper so that sharp edges do not harm the pet.

The island is docked to the walls of the aquarium using sealant. The surface of the site using the same composition is glued with small pebbles. This decision will give the island a natural look.

Creating an island for the turtle with your own hands, you should take care of the preparation of the ladder along which the reptile will climb to the surface. As the latter can serve a similar segment of glass with the same inlay in the form of pebbles. Alternatively, a piece of rubber or plastic can be glued onto the gangway. The main thing is that the surface of the structure is rough. Indeed, otherwise the reptile will not be able to get out of the water on a slippery plane.

Running the turtle into the aquarium immediately after performing the above work is not recommended. All joints of the structure must be allowed to dry and harden. You can populate the reptile after passing several days. This time will be enough so that the sealant adheres firmly to the surfaces and the unpleasant chemical smell of the substance disappears.

Ceramic tile island

You can make a platform for a turtle from a tile. You can connect the material with the walls of the aquarium, as in the first case, using sealant. It is recommended to use tiles with a textured surface. If desired, a piece of rubber can be glued onto the tile or made on the notch plane using a hammer and a chisel.

Islet of stones

How else to make an island for a turtle with your own hands? The least costly solution in terms of loss of time and energy is to create a site of large stones. Since the material has a natural origin, it will not harm the pet. Among other things, the stones themselves have a rough surface. Therefore, they will not have to create any notches or paste.

Before proceeding with the design of the island, you should wash the stones in soapy water, then rinse them thoroughly. Finally, it is worth boiling the material in a pan for several minutes. The solution will destroy pathogens that can potentially concentrate on the surface of the stones.

Stacking stones is recommended in one of the corners of the aquarium. You need to create a slide with a sloping plane. Only in this way will the turtle be able to get out to land without unnecessary problems.

What materials are not suitable for creating an island?

A not too reasonable option when organizing a site in an aquarium is the application of the following ideas:

1. Polyfoam - it is easily processed, has a rough surface, is perfectly kept on water and keeps heat. Despite these advantages, the material crumbles easily. Foam particles can fall into water. Having decided to try one of these pieces, the turtle may choke.
2. Inflatable pillow - a similar island will be well kept on water. However, it will be difficult for the tortoise to climb and hold onto it.
3. A wooden board or driftwood - making an island for a red-eared turtle with your own hands from such materials is not difficult. The use of natural material does not harm the health of the animal. At the same time, the wooden island will gradually begin to rot. Particles of water will fall into the water, which will spoil its quality and lead to the need for regular cleaning of the aquarium.

Finally

So we found out how to make an island for a turtle in an aquarium. Finally, it is worth noting that in stores for animals you can buy a finished design on suction cups. However, this option will be more expensive compared to self-preparation of the site.