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Thread: Help in setting up a terrarium.

  1. #1
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    Question Help in setting up a terrarium.

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    Hi guys,

    I am currently running through my mind the thought of getting a 3.5ft x 2.5 ft x 1.5 ft tank and placed it flat on the floor and making a terrarium out of it for my turtle and some fishes. I have seen some website who shows the making of a terrarium and I have an idea of how to go about it.

    I intend to make a pretty big land mass covering 35-45% of the tank and if space constraints allow, make a waterfall feature using a pump. I noted that alot of people uses this expandable foam/polyethylene foam to manufacture land mass and I am keen on using it to form the bulk of my land mass. Some questions about it:

    1) Where can I get it in Singapore? (name of shop? brand?)
    2) Can it stand weight of up to 2kg?
    3) If ingested by fauna, i.e fishes and turtle, is it toxic?
    4) Does it last long or will it corode away with time?
    5) Is it hard enough to stand abuse from a turtle?

    Are there alternatives to using this foam? I thought about using rocks and stone bricks but they would look unnatural and might damage the tank if tripped over by my turtle.

    Has anyone have experience with this or has done a terrarium and willing to share some tips with me? Would really appreciate some help on this.
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

  2. #2
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    As your turtle digs and might bite on new stuff to test if it is edible, I would suggest using bricks as a foundation and large granite pieces and wood to maintain a slope of some kind. Even if the foam does not poison your turtle, the small pieces might choke on it or cause its digestive system to be chocked...

    A layer of substrate on the bottom of the tank would be good to prevent the rocks from cracking the glass if the turtle decides to try to tear the rocks down... Use a lot of soil (get the cheaper ones) to cover and fill the spaces and 'soften' the setup. You can then even try hardy (very) plants like Java ferns, rushes, 'zhuan yun zhu' etc, on the back of the land area. The roots will hold the soil and rocks together.

    Another way is to lay the foam on the area where the foundation rocks will be, lay the rocks and build the slope and then fill the whole thing with soil...
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

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  3. #3
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    hm.. if you want ideas on a vivarium.. then i can help.

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    Other than the questions above, is an acrylic tank better than a glass tank in my case? I do not need the crystal clear glass to see my turtle clearly and there will be limited fauna and flora in the tank as well. I do want to see some underwater action though so those black containers used in water fountains are out. I will be placing the tank on some wood platforms lying on the floor so there might be accidents. Also, anyone know someone who makes acrylic tanks? I might want to get a quote from him as well since I got one costing $350. Details like this: "12mm all with euro-bracing 3.5ft x 2.5ft(w) x 2ft(h) 12mm all japan glass for $350.00"
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

  5. #5
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    Ah, never mind the questions about acylic tanks in the post above. Just discovered that acrylic tanks develops a yellowish tint with time if exposed to UV rays. Since I will be getting UV bulbs for my turtle, it won't look nice if I keep seeing my turtle swimming in yellow pee. Even my current 2 feet Five Plan acrylic tank is developing that yellowish tint now. Comparisons about glass vs arcylic below.

    http://www.firsttankguide.net/tanktype.php

    Still keen on ideas on how to make the landmass for my terrarium and about the pros and cons if expandable foam.

    Justikanz, I agree with you regarding the swallowing issue but is the foam rock hard or plain brittle? If it is hard and not easy enough for me to use my fingers to poke right through than I guess my turtle won't be able to tear off a chunk. Arm-wrestled with my turtle the other day. I won.

    I need to know more about this foam so that I know the pros and cons of using it. I can't seem to find much materials on the foam on the net. Anyone who can help?

    I am also think about cork bark but wonder how I am work it into shape. Any other materials I can use to create landmass?
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

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