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I saw this turtle basking tower to buy at amazon and as do-it-yourself-video on youtube:

picture of plastic grid box as turtle tower

I'd like to build it (I plan to secure it with 4 additional legs, so the weight of my heavy turtle is more divided, and with a bark of cork instead the stones to better let the "belly" of my turtle dry).

At the descriptions the grid material is called "eggcrate" and I could not find a good translation to search for it in my local building store...

If I translate it to German I get all sorts of boxes to hold eggs in storage, but the dictionary says "having rectangular cells that direct and diffuse light"

Does someone know the German name of this grid? Or another English name, that is less puzzling the search algorithms?

(for virolino: picture of the "Eierkarton" what is an eggcrate in German)

enter image description here

(And for the less possible case, that someone know, how to call this thing in Lithuanian... I need to find it in an Lithuanian store ^^)

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    Try “egg crate louvre”, “grid louvre” or “plastic grid divider”. I found the right shape (but I suspect not the right thickness) in several German stores, even searching in English.
    – StephenS
    Oct 1, 2020 at 21:27
  • Not an answer, but maybe a help for others: We used now some kind of radiator grill, sold for improving cars. Our thinking was "should withstand the higher temperatures of the basking light and be cut able" and it worked. I assume it was more expensive than the white grid at the inspiring picture...
    – Allerleirauh
    Apr 12, 2021 at 11:50

3 Answers 3

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Yes, "eggcrate" means the sturdy cartons eggs are transported and sold in. It also means the general shape of egg cartons and can be used for materials like foam in that shape:

enter image description here

A third meaning for "eggcrate" is a regular grid correctly called "eggcrate joint", which doesn't seem to have a proper German translation.

enter image description here

The best fitting German term I found is "GFK Gitter", which means a broad spectrum of glass fiber grids. Other terms include: Aquariumgitter, Terrariumgitter, Aquariumteiler, Filtergitter, Gehweggitter, Lochblech (probably the most sturdy, possibly the most expensive), Moosgitter (less sturdy).

enter image description here

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The only somewhat decent translations I could find were kunststoff-gitter or grid trennung. It may be helpful to use the term eggcrate grille when searching.

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If I translate it to German I get all sorts of boxes to hold eggs in storage...

and

I saw this turtle basking tower ... as do-it-yourself-video on youtube

Additionally, notice that pretty much everything looks like coming from another purpose.

There are some tubes, probably normally used for ventilation. And there are some things which look quite suitable to keep eggs straight, so those eggs would not roll and risk breaking.

So the translations you receive by translating to German seem to actually be OK.

My understanding: whoever build that box used whatever was available at hand. Supports for eggs and tubes for ventilation.

As the meme tells us: "If It Looks Stupid, But It Works, It Ain't Stupid".

Update (tnx @Allerleirauh):

Another meaning of "eggcrate" is a structure with cells used either as a support, or for directing / diffusing light.

So, whatever the purpose, it is a structure with cells :)

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