If you decide to have a red-eared turtle, then for it you can buy or make an aquaterrarium yourself. Initially, it is necessary to determine the parameters of the future dwelling of the animal, only then you can think about what materials and tools you need to purchase.
Preparatory work
Water-ararariums for red-eared turtles can be made using a variety of materials, namely: polyvinyl chloride, wood, etc. The structure can be made on the basis of a frame. In this case, it all depends on the size of the installation. Thus, if it is large, it is preferable to build a frame, while for small terrariums, structures made entirely of plexiglass or glass are excellent.
It is acceptable to apply when aquaterrariums are made for red-eared turtles, and old furniture, the elements of which will be used to carry out the components of the installation. In the manufacture of such structures from glass, special glue compositions should be used. If you have unknown glue in front of you, then you definitely need to read the instructions, this is due to the fact that the composition may be toxic to the animal, which is especially important when installing aquatorrariums.
Features of the manufacture of frameless terrariums
Frameless structures based on plexiglass should be mounted using organic solvents, among them chloroform or dichloroethane can be distinguished. In order to create your own glue, you can add plexiglass for making chips to these ingredients.
Watertrarariums for red-eared turtles can have a frame, if the design is dimensional, it is preferable to use steel corners and wooden blocks in the basis of the bearing component. As a rule, ribs and ties are not used for such installations. When choosing glass, it is necessary to purchase a material whose thickness is approximately equal to five millimeters.
Terrarium ventilation manufacturing
Ventilation is one of the important elements of the aquaterrarium, it must be located in two zones, one of the elements must be mounted in the roof, while the other - on the sides or under the door. The ventilation mesh can be made of a rigid perforated sheet of aluminum, in which holes are made with a diameter of 3 millimeters. In the manufacture of upper ventilation, it must be taken into account that its size should be about 1/3 of the total width of the structure. As for the dimensions of the lower ventilation, the width of the mesh should be about 25-50 millimeters. This will depend on the dimensions of the terrarium, you need to perform lower ventilation in the form of a kind of pocket.
Lighting design
When making aquararariums for red-eared turtles, it is necessary to provide the design with lighting, a lamp for this must be installed at a height of 25 cm from the animal, this indicates the need to manufacture the installation taking into account its height within 40 cm or more. It is recommended to use this parameter, limited to 50 cm. The type of lamps used will also affect this.
Terrarium decoration
No matter what material is used, it must be painted, which will protect the elements from moisture. If we are talking about a wooden structure, then the greatest efficiency when carrying out protection against moisture can be achieved by painting the surface with hot drying oil, which is applied in two layers. After the first layer is dried, you can proceed to the application of the second.
Performing aquaticrariums for red-eared turtles with their own hands, at the next stage, the structure must be left to dry completely, and then treated with furniture varnish. If you want to preserve the natural color and texture of wood, you can use oxide paints that have bright and saturated colors to process the elements of the frame. If you have to work with a steel structure or one that is made of duralumin, then you need to paint it from all sides. In this case, the epoxy compounds will be more effective.
The do-it-yourself aquaterrarium for a red-eared turtle, the photo of which is in the article, can also be made with very impressive dimensions, while the walls, floor, and also the ceiling should be made using multilayer plywood. It must be processed using the same technology that is used when working with wooden elements of the building frame. It is acceptable to cover the floor surface with thin plastic, which is often replaced with linoleum. Such a coating will be reliable, and water will not leak through the cracks under the surface of the material. Thus, you will be able to create conditions favorable for metal or wood.
Specialist recommendations
Water-ararariums for red-eared turtles, photos of which should be considered before work, can be made using sheet materials, which must be selected only according to a certain principle. They must be safe, in addition, some of them do not have surface integrity, which is very important. Of particular importance is the sealing of joints, as well as the processing of surface finishes.
Features of the choice of materials
The water area for the turtle, the photo of which will allow the work to be done correctly, should be made of a material that is not able to secrete toxic substances, which will be especially bad under conditions of elevated temperatures. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the design of the technical equipment and device is close to the climate chamber, in which, if necessary, it will be possible to change the humidity, light, and temperature conditions, which will not be affected by external conditions.
Door Locking
The aquaterrarium for aquatic turtles, as well as for any others, must have a door; it can be fixed using a certain technology. To ensure that the door moves sideways, you can use the skids borrowed from the bookshelf. Most often, when using this technique, two glasses are used.
Initially, it is necessary to prepare two strips of glass, the width of one should be 1/3 of the total height of the terrarium, while the width of the other should be equivalent to 15 cm. Choose the glass for the door so that its thickness was 4 millimeters. The strip lengths should be equal to the front panel of the terrarium. The first strip needs to be glued to the bottom, while the second is fixed up. Glass holders can be installed in such a way that the glass can be removed. The door can be mounted on magnets, but this approach is considered not very reliable, since the animal in this case can open it on its own.
Production of a removable partition
The design can be equipped with a removable partition. To do this, it is permissible to use two strips of glass, which should be glued to the bottom with sealant, the step between them should be equal to the width of the glass. Height should be made equal to four centimeters. Between them should be installed thick glass, which must be sealed with the background. The manufacture of the partition is sometimes done with waterproof plywood, the elements in this case must be given the shape of the letter "T". It is possible to use plastic skids for glasses in the manufacture of the partition, but their installation in this case should be done on the sides, and not from the bottom. After you can make an aquaterrarium for a turtle with your own hands, you can run the animal inside.