How to make an island and a bridge for a red-eared turtle with your own hands (a coast, a raft, land at home from improvised materials)

Red-eared turtles spend a significant part of their lives in the water, but also need access to land. In the aquaterrarium, you need to equip a convenient island, shelf or bridge where the pet will bask under the lamp. A variety of options can be found at the pet store, but if you wish, you can make an island for the turtle with your own hands.

Important features of sushi

The land area for the turtle should be large enough – no less than 2-4 times the size of the pet itself. If several reptiles are kept at once, the size should be increased accordingly. To independently make a piece of land that meets all the needs of turtles, you must fulfill the prerequisites:

• raise the surface above the water by at least 3-5 cm so that the reptile can dry completely when climbing up;
• leave at least 15-20 cm from the surface to the edge of the aquarium rim so that the pet cannot escape;
• ensure stability and strength – land for red-eared turtles must withstand the considerable weight of these animals, not stagger or fall apart when moving on it;
• use materials that do not contain toxins – glass, food-grade plastic, wood, natural stone, ceramic tiles;
• do not use smooth stones or plastic from which the turtle can slip off – you need to make a rough or embossed surface;
• it is recommended to install a convenient lift so that the pet is comfortable going out on land;
• right above the land you need to place lamps – normal and UV radiation, you also need to leave one corner shaded so that the animal can hide in case of overheating.

Turtle shore with a large volume of the aquarium is often supplemented by a bridge or raft. Such a variety will entertain the pet and make his home more interesting. It is important to remember that the land in the aquarium should occupy at least 25% of the total area.

Sushi options

Before you go looking for materials, you need to decide on the type of future land area. There are several basic structures:

1. Suspended – most often, shelves and other attachments that are attached to the walls of the aquarium above the water level, a ladder must be attached to them.
2. Support – installed on the bottom (various islands for turtles, bridges, slides), must be heavy and strong enough so that the pet does not move the device along the bottom.
3. Bulk – part of the aquaterrarium is separated by a partition and covered with sand or pebbles, this method allows you to make a spacious land area for the turtle.
4. Floating – usually these are small structures, but with the help of modern materials, even a large raft can be made. The disadvantage of such a device is mobility and “sinkability” – it can be used for cubs and growing individuals.

When choosing a design, it is better to be guided by the conditions of a particular aquaterrarium. In small containers, it is recommended to use hanging and floating models so as not to reduce the total area available to the pet. If the aquarium is large, you can make a wooden coast for the red-eared turtle or install a reliable stone island.

Do-it-yourself shelf

One of the simplest sushi options is a shelf that sticks to the walls. To do this, you need a piece of thick food-grade plastic, wood, tile or 6 mm glass of suitable size.

Glass cutting is carried out with a special oil glass cutter, you can also purchase a piece of the desired size in the workshop. To make a do-it-yourself hanging coaster for a red-eared turtle, you will need silicone adhesive-sealant. To do the job, you need to follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. The edges of the shelves should be evenly cut and sanded with sandpaper – glass grouting is best done under a stream of water to avoid inhalation of small particles.
2. Water is drained from the aquarium, the walls are thoroughly washed from plaque, the place where the shelf is attached is degreased.
3. The aquaterrarium is placed on its side, the edges of the shelf are covered with sealant.
4. The shelf is applied to the walls and pressed tightly for several minutes so that the glue grabs.
5. The part is fixed with masking tape and left to dry completely for a day.
6. For a heavy tiled shelf, it is better to immediately glue the support – a vertical piece of plastic or tile that will rest on the bottom.

To make it convenient for the pet to go out on land, the shelf is fixed at a slight angle, or a plastic or glass ladder is glued. Its lower edge is not lowered to the bottom – so the reptile will have enough space to swim. The surface of the descent and the land itself must be lubricated with sealant and sprinkled with clean sand. You can stick pebbles on land, small glass balls are also suitable. Shelves with artificial grass made of plastic look beautiful, a soft green rubber mat will become an analogue. These methods will help to make the surface of the shelf textured and the turtle will not have difficulty moving on land.

IMPORTANT: In order not to worry about a rough surface, you can find decorative tiles with a relief pattern. Convex lines and stripes will create a sufficiently textured base so that the pet’s paws do not slip, and it will be easier to wash such a surface than pasted over with pebbles.

Video: we make a shelf ourselves from a cover from under a disk and a cork

Homemade stone island

To make a stone island in the aquarium yourself, you will need to pick up pebbles or stones of a suitable size (at least 4-5 cm). It is better to choose flat stones with a rough surface. They need to be pre-treated at home – boiled over low heat for half an hour to kill all bacteria.

You can make an island for a turtle with your own hands from stone without the use of additional materials and tools. Water is drained from the aquarium and several layers of pebbles are laid out in one of the corners to make a slide of the desired height. Sealant can be used to give stability to the structure, but it is better to choose stones that are flat enough to be held in place by their weight. They can be disassembled and washed when cleaning the aquaterrarium.

Decorative version of the island

An island for the red-eared turtle can not only serve as a landmass, but also become a real decoration of an aquaterrarium. For its manufacture, you can use dried and processed parts of coral massifs, pieces of granite or wood, pick up bright pebbles or glue pebbles on an island of different colors. Laid out in a certain sequence, they will create an elegant pattern resembling a mosaic. Plastic plants, colored glass pellets, shells can also be used to decorate the surface.

Video: homemade wooden island

Video: homemade glass island with artificial grass

Homemade bridge

The island can be made more spectacular by building a semblance of an arch made of stone or wood. So you can fold a beautiful bridge for the turtle, which will give the pet’s home an exotic look. For the basis of the design, it is better to use a large piece of plastic or plexiglass. To make a do-it-yourself bridge for a red-eared turtle, you will need silicone sealant. Flat stones or pebbles are carefully laid out layer by layer, each piece is fixed with glue. The height of the structure should be such that it protrudes several centimeters above the water, and the width should exceed the diameter of the animal’s shell. When the bridge to the aquarium is ready, you need to leave it to dry for 1-2 days.

You can also make a bridge out of wood – for this, even blocks or neatly chopped pieces of bamboo are used. It is also better to fasten them with a sealant – carnations can rust from being constantly under water.

Turtle raft – floating shore

Floating structures are convenient because they save space, are easy to remove and do not interfere with the cleaning of the aquarium. You can make them with your own hands from improvised materials – plastic, cork. But keep in mind that this type of sushi is only suitable as a temporary option. It is best to make a comfortable and reliable raft for a pet from wood or bamboo.

Previously, the material must be treated with moisture-proof impregnation and varnished – then the wood will not rot from constant exposure to water. Suction cups can be used to secure the turtle raft under the lamps. You can get them at the hardware store, and you will need silicone sealant to glue them to the edges of the raft.

IMPORTANT: When choosing treatment products, be sure to check that they do not contain harmful or toxic substances. Impregnations that are used for wood in a sauna or bath are well suited.

Temporary option

A turtle island made from a plastic bottle is well suited as a temporary home for very small pets. Sand should be poured into the bottle so that it does not roll along the bottom, and the surface protruding from the water should be smeared with sealant and also sprinkled with sand. Little turtles will climb up the round slope of the bottle and bask under the lamps. The downside of this option will be its unaesthetic, it will also quickly become too cramped for grown pets.

Video: we make a bank from a plastic container with lamps