New Setup - Good read for beginners

[TestudoGeek]

This weekend I finally found a couple of hours to work on my Hermann's enclosure. I'd been thinking about adding a little length to what I had, because it was hard to keep the old setup from getting to dry to soon.

I also started planting Dandellions and Hawkbit in small pots inside the enclosure, and needed a little more room.

For the record, this was the old setup.

And here are the pics of the new one (double the size of the first):



The enclosure is split(able) in half. This is good for cleaning.



On the left side, over the hide, I have a ceramic heater keeping air temps at 70ºF (night and day). I had it a little lower at first, but the tort wouldn't come out...



Yes, that's Alfalfa Hay next to the grass pot. I know it has to much protein. Just didn't know it when I bought it... I'll change that later on (my tort doesn't really pay any atention to it anyway).







The day's menu consisting of weeds, clover & turnip greens.



Ceramic Heater is on a thermostat.



Transplanted feeders:



Dandellion and Hawkbit:




I'm still monitoring things cause this change is only 2 days old. Feddback is welcome and appreciated.

[JustAnja]

I think it looks fantastic. I think you have enough going on around the outer edges that the transparacy of tote is not going to be an issue with your little one. I love the idea of cheap caging and cutting the sides of those two totes and putting them together was excellent. What type of containers is the dandelion in? They almost look like PVC pieces, which would be a great idea. (*heads to the supply store!) Inexpensive caging ideas are really helpful for newcomers trying to setup a new cage after the expense of purchasing a tort hatchling and ideas like this one can help them to do so and not be out a ton of $$. Thanks for sharing.

[TestudoGeek]

JustAnja Wrote:I think it looks fantastic. I think you have enough going on around the outer edges that the transparacy of tote is not going to be an issue with your little one. I love the idea of cheap caging and cutting the sides of those two totes and putting them together was excellent. What type of containers is the dandelion in? They almost look like PVC pieces, which would be a great idea. (*heads to the supply store!) Inexpensive caging ideas are really helpful for newcomers trying to setup a new cage after the expense of purchasing a tort hatchling and ideas like this one can help them to do so and not be out a ton of $$. Thanks for sharing.

Anja,
This is Indeed a cheap solution. The plastic containers cost 6,00Euros each. As you said, I simply cut off one side in each and lined them together.

As for the transparency, the only side that needed taping was the far letf one (see the 3rd pic). Everyother side is covered with pots or walls, etc

The dandelion containers are ceramic, made by IKEA. We had a bunch of them lying around that were outgrown by some cactus a while ago.

[JustAnja]

I have asked Josh to sticky this thread so that it stays at the top of the Enclosures board. This is a great resource for new tort owners!

[jlyoncc1]

Your set-up looks great. I am inspired to redo my hatchlings. Yours looks alot more fun! What is the substrate you used?

Dee

[TestudoGeek]

Thank you for your comments.

jlyoncc1 Wrote:What is the substrate you used?

Dee

That's Coconut Husk as substrate (Bead a Beast type stuff). Comes in the form of a brick that expands with water.

[Crazy1]

Wonderful set-up
Ok, I am inspired, now I am redoing mine!

[blackTITAN]

Okay so you have definatly motivated me to being more creative. Right now I have a UV light and heat lamp. You have 3 lamps. I'm really really really new at all this. Can you give me your best recomentations and tell me about your Ceramic heater/thermostat and what it does, along with your other lights, and why you placed them where they are?

Thanks!
kat

[barbie69]

Awesome set up!! I never thought about the two totes together before....now I am going to have to try it! :DLooks GREAT!! Thank for sharing!

[Fiddlerchick]

WOW!!! Now I really have "enclosure envy" (and resourcefulness regret). Sure wish I'd found this forum and your wonderful post when our little Farishta wandered into our yard the beginning of this month before I went on a clueless shopping rampage and spent us homeless trying (and repeatedly failing!) to get her set up properly.

Super job, and many thanks for the exceptionally helpful and detailed info for the new tort "parents"!!

-Brenda K

[wayne.bob]

the substrate looks like eco-earth (i think)
Amazing job on the set up!

[TestudoGeek]

blackTITAN Wrote:Okay so you have definatly motivated me to being more creative. Right now I have a UV light and heat lamp. You have 3 lamps. I'm really really really new at all this. Can you give me your best recomentations and tell me about your Ceramic heater/thermostat and what it does, along with your other lights, and why you placed them where they are?

Thanks!
kat

Hello Kat,
On the right side of the enclosure, I have the compact UVB light & the heat lamp over the rocks. You really have to make sure both these lamps point to the same spot, so the tort gets all the good rays while basking.

In my case, I had to reposition the UVB closer to the basking spot since I have a ReptiGlo 5.0 wich is not that strong 8.0 or 10.0 is better for THH).

On the left side, I have the ceramic heat emitter, that basically serves as a temp. monitor. If the temps fall below 70ºF, it turns on and heats up the place back to that value. Without this the lower temps on the left side of the enclosure wouldn't encourage my hatchling to leave its den.

Since I put this setup together however, I found some shortcomings:

1) As mentioned, the 5.0 UVB wasn't strong enough to be that far from the basking spot;
2) The ceramic heat emitter was to far up, so the temps didn't "push" the tort out of the den in the cold winter mornings. I dropped it a little, and it works pretty good. The new problem was that it dried up the substrate terribly fast, so what I then did was to also turn it off at night along with the other 2 lights. I also added another den\cave on the right side of the enclosure;
3) Coco husk, by itself, can become to dusty to fast (although in my experience this can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer);
4) Plant growth inside the enclosure requires clear access to the uvb bulb, so I had to move things around as they grew;
5) Torts seem to prefer complex\denser surroundings to clear open areas (maybe because my tort is a baby and thus feels more safe in denser landscape);

That said, this is the new shape of the enclosure (sorry about the "darker feel", but I took these at night - tort is sleeping on the cave below the basking spot):



The left side of the enclosure is more or less the same. The alfalfa hay is gone, and the substrate now is 100% natural Top Soil (unfertilized), wich I find holds moisture alot better, and also improved the tort's footing.



UVB bulb now has direct access to The Basking spot.



Right side alot more bushy, with another cave and some dry grape leafs on the corner for interest.



Vetch really grows fast...



Ground zero.



The new Den (if you look closely, you can actually see the pattern of the tort's shell in there)



View from left to right.



Hope I answered all your questins. If not, feel free to ask.

[TestudoGeek]

wayne.bob Wrote:the substrate looks like eco-earth (i think)
Amazing job on the set up!

Yes, it was eco-earth, now Top Soil.
Thanks!

[wayne.bob]

this setup has inspired me to build a new setup for my torts, starting tomorrow

[blackTITAN]

TestudoGeek Wrote:

blackTITAN Wrote:Okay so you have definatly motivated me to being more creative. Right now I have a UV light and heat lamp. You have 3 lamps. I'm really really really new at all this. Can you give me your best recomentations and tell me about your Ceramic heater/thermostat and what it does, along with your other lights, and why you placed them where they are?

Thanks!
kat

Hello Kat,
On the right side of the enclosure, I have the compact UVB light & the heat lamp over the rocks. You really have to make sure both these lamps point to the same spot, so the tort gets all the good rays while basking.

In my case, I had to reposition the UVB closer to the basking spot since I have a ReptiGlo 5.0 wich is not that strong 8.0 or 10.0 is better for THH).

On the left side, I have the ceramic heat emitter, that basically serves as a temp. monitor. If the temps fall below 70ºF, it turns on and heats up the place back to that value. Without this the lower temps on the left side of the enclosure wouldn't encourage my hatchling to leave its den.

Since I put this setup together however, I found some shortcomings:

1) As mentioned, the 5.0 UVB wasn't strong enough to be that far from the basking spot;
2) The ceramic heat emitter was to far up, so the temps didn't "push" the tort out of the den in the cold winter mornings. I dropped it a little, and it works pretty good. The new problem was that it dried up the substrate terribly fast, so what I then did was to also turn it off at night along with the other 2 lights. I also added another den\cave on the right side of the enclosure;
3) Coco husk, by itself, can become to dusty to fast (although in my experience this can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer);
4) Plant growth inside the enclosure requires clear access to the uvb bulb, so I had to move things around as they grew;
5) Torts seem to prefer complex\denser surroundings to clear open areas (maybe because my tort is a baby and thus feels more safe in denser landscape);

That said, this is the new shape of the enclosure (sorry about the "darker feel", but I took these at night - tort is sleeping on the cave below the basking spot):



The left side of the enclosure is more or less the same. The alfalfa hay is gone, and the substrate now is 100% natural Top Soil (unfertilized), wich I find holds moisture alot better, and also improved the tort's footing.



UVB bulb now has direct access to The Basking spot.



Right side alot more bushy, with another cave and some dry grape leafs on the corner for interest.



Vetch really grows fast...



Ground zero.



The new Den (if you look closely, you can actually see the pattern of the tort's shell in there)



View from left to right.



Hope I answered all your questins. If not, feel free to ask.

Yes! Thank you so very much! That is very helpful. I think growing your own plants instead of repotting is a much easier way to go about making the environment more dense I feel like Titan's area is too small and I should make it larger. How did you manage to cut out the sides?