Totally Turtley: Having a Shell of a Good Time!

One of my lifelong passions is creating the perfect turtle tank — one that’s both beautiful and functional.

If you can’t clean it, it’s not functional. If your turtle can’t use it — with its flat belly and sprawled legs — it’s not functional. And in my opinion, if there isn’t plenty to look at and explore, then it’s not truly beautiful either.

Sweet Dudley Basking right on the little tree conk I made for him. It's like he read my instruction manual!

Before

This tank has gone through many phases. It was built by someone else, and it had a lot of issues with functionality for the animals and keepers. This image shows haulouts that are pretty, but they trapped gunk inside, were too high and slippery, the lamps were too hot, and there was inadequate room for a keeper to work inside.

My version was an experiment to see if I could create an invisible barrier, in order to have 2 species on display. It's designed to look like a muddy, bracken filled riverbank. There's a haulout on both ends, and a clear, removable divider that water passes through. The log piles on each side can be moved around and they are strategically placed to allow a foothold for climbing out.

The haulouts are designed for is for easy sliding into the water, and soil/moss for laying eggs and humidity.

People keep asking if she's ..um...alive? Yes. Just deep in contented sleep. Dreaming of fish.

There are floor plates (looks like pebbles) are designed to have less rocks to clean and haul during major cleanouts, and make it easier to siphon out detritus for more regular cleanings.

The river rocks seen here at bottom are really 1 moveable "plate"

In this image you can see the removable divider

The 2 haul outs fit back to back and face each turtle's end of the tank. It can be removed to give access to the entire tank.

Wanna watch how I rebuilt the tank with the amazing help of my colleagues?

I did learn a lot from these builds!

Don't try to use natural materials like branches. You can't ever really fully encompass them to keep out water. Sculpt it all from scratch.
Paint it a little bright and garish. It'll tone down real fast under water.
Underwater sculpts must be wiped off almost daily with a soft rag. Otherwise, the algae eats into the paint over time. 2 minutes a day save days and days of work down the road.
This was not my mistake, but I'll never for get it as long as I live- don't let an acrylic tank cantilever over the edge. They had removed a support and forgot to put it back. It'll last a while, but not forever and the effect is very....dramatic. (see below). It's why I had to rebuild.

Check out my other turtle tank designs!

Brackish Water Turtle Tank

Designed with Planet Zoo, for fun, but it's 100% do-able

Features:

basking ledge, free for swimming underneath
open top, pendant lighting/ heat
planters on ledges
false strangler fig as 3D effect, backdrop could be added as sun shield
some elements can go beyond glass for an added effect
equipment hidden in bench
low front panel is turtle safe and invites the viewer to enjoy a closer feel

Paludarium Turtle Tank

Features:

Easy access for care, reachable bottom
Equipment off to side, prevents vibration
Enclosed basking area, retains heat and keeps temperature balanced
Closed heat emitters force heat down with fans
PLanters can be added at bottom
Tons of room for swimming and diving
Design can include a divider for 2 species or individuals that need to be separated

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