Reddit reviews Penn Plax Turtle Tank Topper – Above-Tank Basking Platform for Turtle Aquariums, 17 x 14 x 10 Inches
We found 16 Reddit comments about Penn Plax Turtle Tank Topper – Above-Tank Basking Platform for Turtle Aquariums, 17 x 14 x 10 Inches. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
A HEALTHY OPTION FOR YOUR TURTLES: Give your turtle a healthier, more spacious aquatic environment, which will, in turn, give you a new way to interact with them.BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: Each Turtle Topper comes with a hanging platform that sits just below the water line so your turtle can rest while being partially submerged.RELAXATION WITH EASE: A docking ramp provides your pet an easy climb to the upper level where they can bask and eat. Platform has a clear top with ridges for mounting two clamp-style heat lamps (not included).GREAT FOR YOU AND YOUR TURTLE: Central easy-open grill allows heat to pass through while giving you easy access to your pet. Give your turtles their new favorite spot!CONVENIENT AND SPACIOUS: Made from durable plastic that is simple and easy to clean. Basking platform measures 17 x 14 x 10 inches and fits most standard rectangular tanks up to 55 gallons and 13 inches wide.
That is a red eared slider. It is quite possibly the most popular pet turtle species. These turtles are popular because they're prolific and they look like little turtles, unfortunately in a few years that little turtle will have grown exponentially. Most of the time it's a parent who bought the turtle for a kid, kid loses interest, parent doesn't know what to do...
Do not release the turt. It would die in Toronto and even if it did not, environmentally if anyone releases a non indigenous species into the wild, although it sounds harmless enough there are large implications when it comes to OTHER reptile populations. This little turt could mate and create a bunch of other turts that eat up food sources etc...
1A.
A 10 gallon tank would be a great starter tank for a RES this size. 10 gallon tanks usually run about $10 at petsmart or petco so there is probably a similar cost up there
1.B
You will need two lights to run during the day:
1 UVB fixture with a bulb
and 1 heat lamp. Some people splurge and purchase heat lamp bulbs specifically made for reptiles, however I have found that using a household bulb provides the same amount of heat. User a bulb that the fixture can handle.
1C.
The turt will need a basking platform. There are super cool options but simple and efficient is the way to go if you're starting.
1D.
You will need a filter. Turtles poop a lot more than fish do so when you're shopping for filters always double the GPH needed to account for the extra nitrates.
1E.
You will need food. Every food is different and let me tell you from experience that you can spend hours researching what is best to feed your turtle...
Protein:
I have learned that omnivorious turtles such as a red eared slider do well if they are started with a protein rich diet and then transition into adulthood with an omnivorous diet.
I would suggest doing the following: go to the grocery store and buy a small Salmon fillet. It may seem silly, but it will last you a very long time. Keep the Salmon in the freezer and feed the turt a few small strips (a serving size should be thought of as, if the turts head were empty, how much food could you fit in it). Make the strips small enough so that the turtle can swallow it.
Feeding tip: Salmon or any other form of protein such as bloodworms, krill etc... can be quite messy because of the amount of oil in the meat. Many turtle keepers (me included) prefer to feed turtles outside of the tank in order to keep the living tank clean. get a small rubbermaid tub or something, make sure it's clean of course and fill it up with enough water for the turt to float around. feed the turt in that water, when you're done, discard the water and put the fat n happy turt back in the living tank. This method lowers the frequency of water changes and keeps the tank cleaner. Handling the turtle like this to feed is also helpful to make the turtle okay with being handled.
Calcium:
As you will read, reptiles need calcium in order to stay healthy. Snakes need calcium in the form of rat bones, bearded dragons eat crickets but turtles do best when supplemented with a cuttlebone. There are turtle specific cuttlebones but they're more expensive and the only real different is that they do not have the hard backing that the cuttlebones for birds have. All you have to do to remove the backing is toss it in a saucepan, boil it for a minute or so, let it cool and then that backing can peel off. This also softens up the cuttlebone some. It's not easy to get the backing off in one fell swoop, but turtles don't care if the cuttlebone is in one big piece or if it's in little white chunks. Calcium supplementation is vital for young turts just as the protein is. Once a week or so is good for calcium.
I have rambled. I am passionate about reptiles so I tend to nerd out. Anyway. Please feel free to PM me with questions, I would really love to help in any way.
Chad
It’s on amazon, I actually have the same one, it’s called the Turtle Topper
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002O09MYE
Although, I love the DIY aspect. Great job.
I got it on Amazon, it's this one. Oh he's still a baby, 3 months old a little over 2 inches.
This is cool if you have room for it
This is it. I used to own one before I built a pool in my front yard for my turts. They loved it but were spooked if anyone walked by for a few months. They liked chilling on the platform underneath a lot too.
As someone who has two turtle tanks sitting next to me, I'll give you some advice. Both those filters are API NEXX models. They're pretty weak canisters. Their rated gph is horrible (companies post rated gphs are low head height and with no media). I run two of these filters on my main turtle tank. My smaller tank runs a smaller version of that, but it's just a growout tank for a baby map.
Water changes are your friend. Turtles are MUCH less sensitive to water quality and quality changes than fish. They don't stress out as much, and when a fish stresses out its immune system weakens a lot, turtles don't really have the same problem.
If you build a basking area to go on top of the tank like I did, or buy a pre-made one like this (AND MODIFY IT TO FIT, look at this video) you can fill the water to the top of the tank. You'll be getting another 15 gallons or so of water in that tank, and that will help dilute the waste. Now instead of having 40ppm of nitrate for example, you'll have 30 or so... This will also make the turtles happier since they now have much more room to swim around in!
LIGHTING. What kind of bulb is in that fixture? If it's not a powersun, then you need to get another fixture and a UVB bulb.
Penn Plax Turtle Tank Topper – Above-Tank Basking Platform for Turtle Aquariums https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Gy4GzbNPHSYHH
We just bought this one though we haven't used it yet. It sits on top of the tank, giving the turtle more room to swim. Dimensions are 17" L x 14" W x 10" H
I recommend this above tank extension for a basking platform. It takes less tank space and is much dryer and sturdier than a leg extension platform. Main drawback is that it will require a higher water level in the tank.
Penn Plax Turtle Tank Topper – Above-Tank Basking Platform for Turtle Aquariums, 17 x 14 x 10 Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_rF8OAbTR2YWBF
Penn Plax's Turtle Topper is one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EINEAbGNK0PNK
Yup, it's the turtle topper on a 55 Gal tank.
They love it because it gives them tons of room to play and swim, and it gives them some privacy from the side.
Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Decorative-Turtle-Topper-Basking-Platform/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395446226&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+topper
I have two lights set up for my male slider as well as the water heater itself. One is a heat lamp and the other is a uvb bulb which is like artificial sunlight to help with colors/shell/digestion. I personally recommend a turtle topper, sliders love to swim so it allows a full tank of water as well as a basking area that you can clamp your lights on.
edit: turtle topper
Hey Everyone! If you saw my other post you know that I've been looking in to setting up a new tank. While looking around i saw that this topper was on sale. Perfect timing :) I thought some people might want to pick this up since it seems like it's at a pretty good price.
Does anyone have any experience with this topper? Would you recommend just making your own instead?
Edit: Amazon Smile link for convenience! http://smile.amazon.com/Decorative-Turtle-Topper-Basking-Platform/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417810537&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+topper
If you had a 55 gallon, this would be simple. The best option is a Turtle Topper, which are made to fit 55g tanks.
There are ways of getting it to work for a 40g tank also if you want to go that route.
Its this one right here
https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Turtle-Tank-Topper/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=turtle+above+tank&qid=1567282537&s=gateway&sr=8-5
Make sure to angle the heat light towards the stairs to encourage him to go up there
And leave some food up there it’ll make him want to go bask
You might want to look at one of these: Aqueon Water Changer. I'm considering one after looking at the Turtle Topper (that I think I forgot to link to in my other reply). Supposed to make that water change pretty easy.