Hello! I find myself coming back to this forum over the past couple of weeks as I prepare to use my late dad's large hexagon tank to give my kids turtle a new home and I have hit a brick wall so I wanted to reach out for some help. The tank is approximately 24 inches tall and my plan was to create an open rock cave/ledge that went up about 12inches to then hold an awesome piece of mopani wood that I bought which the turtles could use to bask on. I want to keep as much of the water area open so that the 2 turtles have plenty of "play room." I was lucky enough to get my hands on a ton of slate so I went about constructing my slate support towers and then put my bigger slab pieces across and the mopani wood on top and it looked great! ... then reality kicked in and I realized it probably weighed WAY too much.
Now I am trying to think of a way to still achieve the functionality I wanted and the nature look I am after and I am running out of ideas. Here's what I have so far:
1. I thought of making a PVC frame to hold up the wood, but the thought of rolling it in gravel doesn't really work for me visually. My only other idea was to get craft bamboo stalks and glue then all the way around the PVC, but that would require a lot more bamboo than I have the cash for.
2. I was thinking about getting tall cylinder vases, filling them with greenery and using those as my "base supports" but I worry about how safe that would be.
3. Using cabinet shelving as a base and putting bamboo shoots over the legs (would keep the legs "natural looking"). I could then put the slate slabs across the top of them and the wood on top of what. I really like this idea, but I am worried about the chemical safety and what they might do to the water. I am attaching a picture of one of these shelves to this post for reference.
Any input or ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Now I am trying to think of a way to still achieve the functionality I wanted and the nature look I am after and I am running out of ideas. Here's what I have so far:
1. I thought of making a PVC frame to hold up the wood, but the thought of rolling it in gravel doesn't really work for me visually. My only other idea was to get craft bamboo stalks and glue then all the way around the PVC, but that would require a lot more bamboo than I have the cash for.
2. I was thinking about getting tall cylinder vases, filling them with greenery and using those as my "base supports" but I worry about how safe that would be.
3. Using cabinet shelving as a base and putting bamboo shoots over the legs (would keep the legs "natural looking"). I could then put the slate slabs across the top of them and the wood on top of what. I really like this idea, but I am worried about the chemical safety and what they might do to the water. I am attaching a picture of one of these shelves to this post for reference.
Any input or ideas would be greatly appreciated!
