Review on Enhance Your Reptile Habitat with the Penn-Plax Reptology Turtle Topper and Extension Clips – Ultimate Basking Platform for Standard Size Tanks by Ethan Dualimace

I liked the idea of this product and after seeing a promotional video discussing the product and its features I was hooked. We have a growing red-eared turtle and the idea of using this aquarium bait and allowing the turtle to use more water in the aquarium was very appealing. Some aspects of this product have been well received, but there are some downsides. a few glaring issues with it that prevent me from recommending it. These issues are in order of severity: 1.) The ramp is poorly designed - too steep for my turtle to move comfortably, too slippery to grapple with, and the mount that connects the ramp to the rest of the body connects. The block is very questionable. Although I've been told that some turtles can take up to several weeks to get used to the added items in their tanks, I gave this topper almost 6 weeks and my turtle gave up trying to climb the ramp. My tortoise is very active and has proven to be an adept climber. Of course, he's successfully made it to the top of the ramp twice in 6 weeks, but the effort involved and the failure-to-success ratio make him too useless. I considered making some modifications to the ramp (adding a grip tape and pull rod to change the steep angle of the ramp) but decided against it as it turned out my turtle hates the swim platform anyway. I'll get to that in a moment. 2.) The suction cups that hold the bottom of the device in place are practically useless. I'm not sure if the suction cups are just cheap, low quality rubber or if they're more porous than intended, but they don't hold suction very well. It seems that even wetting the suction cup to ensure a good seal only lasts until the suction cups are dry. I would strongly advise against relying solely on these suction cups to securely attach the unit to the top of the tank. 3.) If the top doesn't match the bottom, it's like expecting an accident. The upper part simply sits on the lower part without any further attachments. denial of responsibility; This did not affect my turtle's safety, but that was because it refused to spend any time in the sunbathing at all. He hated being in it. But he's very strong and inquisitive, and I suspect that if he stayed at the warming level for a few minutes he'd have no problem pushing and sliding the top to the side and trying to escape over the edge. My solution to problem 1 and 2 was to use reusable tape to attach the two sections together and attach the bottom to the tank. If I decide to use this product permanently, I would plan to replace the tape with Velcro® strips. On the plus side, the top panel design is excellent (except for the inherent lack of security) and perfectly suited for mounting heat lamps. Also, my tortoise also liked the hanging platform and spent most of its time resting on it. In the end, this product turned out to be useless. Even if I had decided to make modifications to the ramp to make access to the swim platform easier, the fact is my turtle would hate being in the swim area. Twice when he climbed into it, and several times when I handed him over there, he didn't stay in for more than a few seconds. He categorically refused to stay in it. Someone suggested that this could be due to the fact that when inside, he cannot observe the surroundings and cannot rely on his own safety. He likes to look around and perceive what is happening in the room. He can't do it while squatting in the heating block. I end up using the top of this product which I really like. I have decided to completely remove the lower heating zone. Instead, I chose to add a large Oasis Turtle dive ramp to the inside of the tank that includes a swim plane just above water level and I added a Penn Plax tank cover (top portion only) just above it. This provides my turtle with an easily accessible bathing opportunity which he loves (climbed straight away) and works great with the top cap mounted bath light. It also allows him to warm up while still giving him a full view of the space around him. After six weeks of experimentation and frustration, I'm glad we finally found a solution that works, and thanks in part to this product. But as it is I just can't recommend it as it's designed or intentional.