Build basking area | Create perfect turtle habitat

Turtle habitat in your home should have a basking area. It is not a must because with lower water level the turtle will still be able to rest on his legs and breathe at the same time. Still, having this area in turtle habitat is something that will make your pet's life much easier and the tank much nicer.

If you have decided not to put basking platform into your turtle's tank, don't forget that the water level needs to be as high as a turtle on its back legs, so she could breathe.

Photo courtesy of Jason Kasper

If you can afford it, you can buy basking ramps and floaters for the turtle habitat. But you can also save some money and build basking area yourself. If you are creative, you can even make a masterpiece for your pet's tank.

You can build basking area in more than one way

You can put bigger stones on top of one another. Put a nice flat one on top. It needs to be out of water but accessible.

Make sure that the stones are stable so the turtle would not push them down. If they fall down, they can make a hole in the turtle tank bottom (which will make damage in your small apartment) or hurt the pet.

The easiest way to make your stone creation firm and stable is to glue the stones together with silicone.

Do not leave any small cracks and holes because your pet could get stuck in them, hurt itself or break a limb.

Second way

Another way to build the dry part is to put a tree log in the tank. You can get it from river banks but that log will float so it would be better to prepare one yourself.

Take the log, put it in boiling water ("cook" it) and then quickly put it in cold water. Do this several times. This way the log will get heavy enough not to float and it will be sterilized.

Third way

You can put a glass or fiberglass divider. Glue some large pebbles on it so the turtle can climb it. Use silicone as glue.

Position it in the tank so it makes a slope and separates tank into two parts. The smaller part of the tank separated by this divider can be filled with sand and pebbles. It is easier for you to clean the tank if you put larger pebbles or rocks.

Way number 4

As mentioned above, you can make all this easy on you - buy the basking platform. All you need to do is put it in the tank.