Blocking view with window film?

[SukiLove]

I was letting my Mom's dogs outside a few weeks ago and one of them found a hatchling box turtle outside that was in pretty bad shape; his left eye was swollen and shut and he had some abrasions on his rear legs and tail. So I took him in with the idea of getting him healed up and releasing him back outside, little did I know that it would take over a month for him to get better and according to my state laws you are not supposed to release a wild turtle that has been in your care for more than 30 days. So I've decided that I would keep him, got him setup in a 40 gallon stock tank for now and he is doing extremely well and has such a feisty personality.

Now my problem is that he is in view of Nero, and while he spends most of the day buried he is out in the open when I feed him. When he's done eating and starts moving back towards his hiding place he is VERY fast. Nero goes nuts and glass dances trying to get to him! I'm pretty sure Nero's intentions aren't out of curiosity and I don't want him constantly stressed because he can see the turtle moving. So I was thinking about using semi-transparent window film to block the view but not block it completely. My concern with the film is that it will block his view of everything and that I will startle him when I'm in his cage to feed him, etc. I cannot move the stock tank because I have no more room, so my options are pretty limited right now to blocking Nero's view.

Has anyone had any experience with window film and did it effect their beardies and make them more jumpy when you worked in their cage?

 

[CooperDragon]

I haven't used window film but I have photos on the sides of the tank which block the view but replace it with scenery. I don't find that it causes a problem. Are you thinking of putting the film on just three sides or across the front of the tank too?

 

[SukiLove]

I haven't used window film but I have photos on the sides of the tank which block the view but replace it with scenery. I don't find that it causes a problem. Are you thinking of putting the film on just three sides or across the front of the tank too?

It would be across the front of the tank, he has scenery background on the back wall of his tank and one side. So this would almost completely close him in, which is why I'm worried about it.

 

[CooperDragon]

Hmm, yeah that'd be a different story. They are curious and like to look around so blocking him in like that may not be the best idea. How far apart are the tanks? Can you put a piece of furniture between them?

 

[SukiLove]

There is about 4 ft between them (edge to edge), so it would be hard to put anything between them. The stock tank is oval, so I have the length of it sticking out more and I can turn it so that it is another foot away. Maybe instead of covering Nero's glass I can put a partial piece of plexiglass or something on the stock tank itself to block the view in. I will see if I can do that first.

 

[CooperDragon]

That sounds like it's worth a try.