Some old pics of some old tanks

[Berkeley]

Hi yall-
I thought I would share a few pictures of some old aquariums I used to have set up. I am a fan of the naturalistic aquaria and terraria, and try to replicate the inhabitants' environment whenever I can.
Most of these creatures I do not have any longer, unfortunately. (I downsized a lot a few years ago with changes in my job, moves and family.) Otherwise I would try to get more current, updated pics.
I hope some of these inspire fellow keepers out there. Enjoy! If anyone is curious, I will be glad to elaborate on details of any of the tanks/setups.

A big headed turtle. This guy was awesome! You could see the wheels turning inside his head when he was thinking. Very alert! He is part of a breeding program now.




Some alligator snappers. I am permitted by the GA DNR to house and exhibit alligator snappers. These two were some juveniles I kept a few years back.


And after I added a little more clutter to the aquarium. They enjoyed the additions immensely!




A little juvenile loggerhead musk turtle. (Still have this one actually)


Some matamatas. I had to sell these because the one place in my town that sold fish (besides feeder goldfish) closed, so I didn't have a regular source of food any more. That sucked big time, and you can bet if I find myself in a place with live fish again, these will be back in my collection!






And finally, some eastern longnecks. I would do their set up differently now. I wanted to try a half and half style tank, and it looked nice, but it was not accurate to where they are found. I would love to get some of these turtles again to try my new ideas out.




Thanks for looking.
--Berkeley

 

[MichaelaW]

All I can say is WOW!!!

 

[Carol S]

Fantastic!!!

 

[harris]

GREAT pics!! Thanks for sharing. Platysternon pics always get my blood running hot!

 

[Berkeley]

Thanks yall. Glad you enjoyed the pictures.

Yes, Platysternon are a seriously cool turtle. I hope to be able to work with some more one day!
--Berkeley

 

[Prairie Mom]

Great photos! Thank you so much for sharing

 

[Moozillion]

Hi yall-
I thought I would share a few pictures of some old aquariums I used to have set up. I am a fan of the naturalistic aquaria and terraria, and try to replicate the inhabitants' environment whenever I can.
Most of these creatures I do not have any longer, unfortunately. (I downsized a lot a few years ago with changes in my job, moves and family.) Otherwise I would try to get more current, updated pics.
I hope some of these inspire fellow keepers out there. Enjoy! If anyone is curious, I will be glad to elaborate on details of any of the tanks/setups.

A big headed turtle. This guy was awesome! You could see the wheels turning inside his head when he was thinking. Very alert! He is part of a breeding program now.
View attachment 155990

View attachment 155991

Some alligator snappers. I am permitted by the GA DNR to house and exhibit alligator snappers. These two were some juveniles I kept a few years back.
View attachment 155992

And after I added a little more clutter to the aquarium. They enjoyed the additions immensely!
View attachment 155993

View attachment 155994

A little juvenile loggerhead musk turtle. (Still have this one actually)
View attachment 155995

Some matamatas. I had to sell these because the one place in my town that sold fish (besides feeder goldfish) closed, so I didn't have a regular source of food any more. That sucked big time, and you can bet if I find myself in a place with live fish again, these will be back in my collection!
View attachment 155996

View attachment 155997

View attachment 155998

And finally, some eastern longnecks. I would do their set up differently now. I wanted to try a half and half style tank, and it looked nice, but it was not accurate to where they are found. I would love to get some of these turtles again to try my new ideas out.
View attachment 155999

View attachment 156000

Thanks for looking.
--Berkeley

WOW!!! Great set ups!

How did you do that last one: the half and half style?

 

[Berkeley]

Thanks Prairie Mom and Moozillion. Glad you liked them.

For that last one, the half and half, it was my first attempt. The next time I build an enclosure like this (either indoor or out), I will try to do those nifty little step-by-step pictures so I can help illustrate what I am describing.

To divide the water and land, I cut a piece of that high density styrofoam (used in house insulation, it is an inch thick and usually comes in blue or pink) and laid it at an angle running lengthwise across the tank. I siliconed it into place and let it dry overnight. I chose a dark silicone to use because I wanted to use dark colored sand and it would blend better if a little was peeking through at the end.

Then I covered the flat surface of the styrofoam liberally with the silicone and started placing the larger rocks into it. Once that was filled to my satisfaction, I pressed in pebbles and smaller rocks. Finally, I sprinkled the dark sand over it all so that it would cover the silicone and foam completely. While it was curing, I pushed in small twigs and pieces of root to give it the appearance of an eroded bank.

For the back, I ordered several pieces of tree fern bark panels (used in orchid/epiphyte cultivation) and began breaking/siliconing the pieces directly to the back wall. The idea was to create a surface that would stay nice and humid and allow vining plants and ferns to grab hold and start growing.

Once the divide and the back wall were dried and cured, I filled up the water portion to make sure it would hold water without leaking through to the soil side and let it sit for a day. When I saw it was secure, I drained it back down then filled the land portion with a good soil mix and patted it down. Then I added more of the dark sand and small rocks for the substrate in the 'stream' portion.

Finally, I refilled the water portion and added the filter.

I hope that helps! It is worth a try- just start off on a smaller scale the first time or two, until you really figure out what you like and what works!
--Berkeley

 

[wellington]

Wow, great aquarium decorating skills. I always had/have fish aquariums and never liked the way I have decorated them. Wish I had your skills. Great looking turtles. Hope you can some day get back into the ones you want again.

 

[Tatergirl09]

So cool!

 

[Berkeley]

Thanks Wellington and Tatergirl. Yes, I hope to be able to get back into some of them again! I'll be sure to post pics if I do.
--Berkeley

 

[Marcuslcarson]

Are you in Berkeley Ca? You have some nice animals and set ups

 

[Berkeley]

Thanks Marcuslcarlson, I appreciate the kind words.

Nope- I'm on the east coast. Berkeley is my name!

--Berkeley