Equipment Review and Discussion :: Basking Dock MAterial

Various accessories and equipment discussed here.

Post Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:13 pm   Basking Dock MAterial

All: My RES has grown to 9" long and sinks the Petco large basking dock plus eats on it. So was thinking of using some Cedar 2x4 pieces of boards left over from project. The 2x4 were bought from Lowes store.

So is this a good material to make a floating dock for my RES (TURD her name)? Will it make her sick if bleeds of and makes water turn color?

Need help fast so Turd can continue to bask on a daily basis. I am limited on tools to make a dock for her. Thank for feedback.
Turd
 
Posts: 50
Joined: Feb 22, 2015
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:56 pm   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

Those boards won't last long and will definitely leech some chemicals into the water. There are some easy DIY solutions that you can easily make. First is a cork bark wedge, the only difficult thing right now is to get one in the size you need. They look great in a tank and are completely natural. Cut it to size and thats it. Second would be a PVC pipe and ceramic tile platform. Also easy to make, and will last for a couple of decades. But they are heavy, so make sure it's stable when in the tank. Third option would be a combination of PVC and eggcrate (light diffuser). Doesn't look as nice but can work well is different situations/environments. Forth idea is to make something suspended from the top of the tank, though this might create issues with your lighting arrangements. I've seen PVC and wood used for that purpose. For options 3 and 4, some use eggcrate or acrylic for ramps.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:03 pm   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

I also dislike those floating docks, but you can probably use those aquarium magnets (those ones that are used to clean algae off glass) to add some support to those type dock.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:23 am   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

Cork bark wedge? Is that like going to the beach and picking up some drift wood?
Turd
 
Posts: 50
Joined: Feb 22, 2015
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 12:52 am   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

Nope, different though some people do use drift wood for decoration.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 8:54 pm   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

my tank is 24" wide so I bought the white closet shelving with the hangers you would attach a lower shelf. I basically hung the shelf into the tank over the sides by bending the hangers in half. I put ceramic tile on it and attached the floating dock to it with zip ties for ramp. I also have two 48" long shelves over the top to keep them from escaping. My turtles are 9 and 10 inches and are 16years old.
pitym
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Jul 24, 2005
Location: Eldersburg,MD

Post Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:15 am   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

Do you have a picture of it? I'd love to see how it looks in your tank.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 9:13 pm   Re: Basking Dock MAterial

I would like to see that dock as well. Any pics of the shelving? Was it all plastic or metal covered with shrunken material?
Turd
 
Posts: 50
Joined: Feb 22, 2015
Gender: Male


Return to Equipment Review and Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest