Basking Areas for your Red Eared Slider Turtle
There are some cool pictures of home-made basking areas that people have created on their own, as well.
Right now we are using a pile of rocks to create the basking area, but the rocks that were sold to us from the pet store when we bought our Red Eared Slider turtle are extremely rough, and I've noticed that they have been cutting poor Eger's shell! They are real rocks (we boiled them before putting them in his aquarium) with many sharp edges, and are hard to clean, too, as they quickly developed algae growing on them (which you have to scrub off -- it's not safe to add any algae solution to water for Red Eared Sliders!). It is hard to position the rocks such that he can easily get on them and so they don't block his way swimming around the tank (we got a 20 gallon turtle tank for him -- he's about 4 inches right now). It seems to me that when he tries to climb on these rocks, or swim under them, he sometimes gets chunks of his shell cut off! He then got white spots in those areas, which I'm assuming is fungus. A saltwater bath for 30 minutes helped clear that up (for now - I'm hoping he doesn't now have shell rot!), but I've read elsewhere that sharp rocks are bad for Red Eared Sliders and am really mad that this was what the store sold to us to create his basking area. We love the look of it, as it is so natural and creates great caves that he likes to hide in, but it is affecting his health.
We are now looking for a solution to create an easy to get on basking area for our turtle that ALSO looks very natural and provides nice places for him to hide. Later today we'll be making yet another trip (to a different pet store this time!) to try to figure it all out.
These are the choices we've come up with so far:
Turtle Dock
Unique floating dock for aquatic turtles to bask on. Give your turtle a dry basking area with this floating dock. Submerged ramp allows easy access. Automatically adjusts to all water levels. Easy to install and secure with 4 suction cups and non-corrosive bracket.
Nature Zone Rep-Tiles Stepping Stones
Give your reptile a leg up with these natural looking stepping stones. Durable and safe, these red rock ledges will let your reptile get a new perspective on his terrarium. Easy to use and washable. 7X4 3 PK. These could come in handy to either raise another basking area OR to create an easy way to get to the basking area, OR, with enough of them, steps to AND the basking area itself. Incidentally, if your Red Eared Slider is larger than ours, they also have a larger 2 pack:
Nature Zone Rep-Tiles Base Stone
Add a new dimension to your reptiles terrarium with these natural looking rock ledges. Provide your reptile with a durable, safe and stable ledge to rest on. With red rock look and texture, these are better than the real thing. Easy to use and washable. 12X6 2 PK
9 Pack from Petco.com Create a multi-level environment in your terrarium with Rep-Tiles. These simulated sandstone and shale ledges are made of lightweight concrete and water sealed for durability.
Painstakingly designed with natural colors and unique textures such as impressions of rain, ripples of water, and animal tracks, Rep-Tiles instantly create a natural setting for your pet.
Sized and shaped for quick and easy installation in your terrarium or cage with no additional support.
Durable and safe, you can stack and place the Rep-Tiles in countless combinations. Unfortunately, sizing information is not provided. The set of 9 is onsale online right now for $11.99
Penn-Plax Lok Rocks 8 Piece Assortment
This price ($8.99) is valid only online at Petco.com. Not available in stores at this price. For local in-store prices, please call your favorite Petco Store.
Instantly create coves, caves, and enchanted grottos. Lok Rocks are easy to handle, super sturdy, and super durable. And, they're fun to arrange and re-arrange in fish aquariums, cages or wherever hamsters, lizards, or other small animals are housed. Again, no sizing info is provided, so it's hard to compare this to the 9 pack listed above from Nature Zone
All Living Things Flat Cave Rock
This is an ideal accessory for reptiles who like to bask and hide. Perfect for both desert and tropical habitats. Sold only at PETsMART.Placing this accessory in your reptile's habitat will allow him to do two of his favorite things: basking and hiding. Flat surface area on top is the perfect place for basking and hanging out; while the secluded interior offers reptiles a feeling of safety and security when they want to get away from it all. Made of durable, easy-to-clean poly-resin to offer worry-free use and care. Flat Cave Rock, Green, 6.5 x 4 x 3. This one looks great, but I'm not sure the basking area is large enough. Thoughts?
Kritterz Medium Reptile Cave
Provide a refuge for your reptile. This realistically crafted hideout is made from super strong, easy to clean poly-resin and painstakingly decorated to create the illusion of natural rock. 8"wx4"dx3"h on Sale: $12.59
Top Fin Stacked Rock Ornaments
Dramatic "red rock" formations were the inspiration for these realistic, versatile ornaments. Made exclusively for PETsMART. Nature's delicate balancing act is duplicated in these Stacked Rock Ornaments. Perfectly suited as a natural looking addition to your aquarium or terrarium, they give fish secure places to hide and offer reptiles challenging surfaces to climb and large flat areas for basking. Crafted of easy to clean poly-resin. They come in 2 sizes: Large Stacked Flat Rock, 12.5 x 4.5 x 6.5 and Small Stacked Flat Rock, 7.5 x 2.5 x 3.5. The small looks too small -- but the large one might work (yes, we're aware that Eger is going to get really big - we will need an entirely new turtle tank when that starts to happen so I'll deal with that then...)
All Living Things Lava Cave Rock
Unique formation offers reptiles climbing, basking and hiding areas in one versatile accessory. Sold only at PETsMART. Inspired by natural lava rock formations, this Lave Cave Rock creates an appealing challenge for your reptile. He'll enjoy climbing and basking, or finding a quiet, secure place when he's looking for camouflage. Durable poly-resin is lightweight and easy to clean. Lava Cave Rock, Dark Brown, 12 x 7 x 6. Dimension-wise, this seems like a good choice b/c with our tank we need the basking area to be above the 5 1/2 inches of water we have in there, but it's hard to say if we'd need to use gravel or other fake rocks to raise it so the basking area is comfortable for him.
Top Fin Rock Cave with Plants
The Top Fin Rock Cave offers fish plenty of the shelter and camouflage they naturally seek. Safe for fresh and salt water. Along with being an impressive addition to your aquarium, the Top Fin Rock Cave offeres the added benefit of giving sheltered places to hide. Blooming plastic plants add a touch of color and add to the natural look. Crafted of easy clean poly-resin; colors will not fade or bleed. Rock Cave with Plants, 8 x 6.5 x 5.5
While this last one looks was designed for fish originally, it seems to me like it could be used for a turtle as the top of the cave looks like it's got a pretty decent basking area, although w/o some stacked rock ornaments it would probably be hard for the little guy to get on this.
ESU Reptile & Turtle Basking Platform is designed to be a natural looking river-rock platform. It provides a comfortable basking area for your aquatic and land pets. This platform has side steps for easy climbing and provides shelter. You'll find the ESU Basking Platform easy to clean. Available in small (11"L x 5"W x 4.5"H) and large (16"L x 5"W x 4.5"H) sizes.
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