# My Turtle/Tortoise Room (Pic Heavy)



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

For those of you that know me, I have been talking about making a turtle room for a while now. It all started when my room was taken over my numerous tortoises and box turtles. I finally convinced my parents to let me have a room for them. I initially planned to make everything from scratch and went to my old HS to ask for help. Instead of using my plans everything started with this:







A drafting table with the top portion removed. These were given to my by my old HS to use for free! What a great start.

Once I managed to get all the tables available, I went and cleared out one of the rooms in the house, a small 8x7 space.





Once finally cleared I began to move in the tables to the room for construction.





And then the build!! With the help of one of my closest friends from high school. After numerous issues with home depot and its horrid service, I finally completed the boxes. 






Ten hours of painting and laying out liners I have finally completed the boxes, and two more days later I finished Phase I.



========================== 




My Redfoot enclosure. 




1/3 enclosure is open to air rest is closed. Everything covered in tarp to trap in humidity. 





100% covered in shpagnum moss





That is an empty large glass container filled with hot water and an aerator. Filled with hot water daily to bump humidty levels. 



===================== 



My Russian Enclosure




Sand and Coco Coir Substrate mix. Various seeds planted indoors in an attempt to see if the weeds will grow. Mainly Dandelion! I have seed trays outside with Russian Tortoise Seed Mix growing!





The Hide!! With a nice Pothos in the back. Notice missing leaves and bite marks? Yeah..... 





Orchid Cactus






She is already comfortable and eating in the new enclosure!




=========================================================================


Last but not least, my Eastern Box Turtle Enclosure





I am really proud of this one, Box Turtles are my favorites so I have put more effort into this one. Also the other two are not competed really. This one has all natural rocks wood and plants. 





Real wood hide and Spider Plant hanging just above.





Large water dish with a natural rock leading up to it!





My Female Eastern Boxie enjoying herself. Substrate Coco Coir and Sphagnum Moss.




-----------------------



So that completes Phase I. I'm sure some of you are wondering why there are only three enclosures and four boxes. Well the answer to that is because I have not cut a piece of wood to place in the middle of the fourth box. That box is meant for my baby EBT and baby Ornate. That will be phase two since I do not want to disassemble my Hatchling rack system yet. And as for Phase II is a secret. I really thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed looking at the photos.


----------



## tortuga_please (Feb 5, 2012)

Nice enclosures, thanks for the pics


----------



## ascott (Feb 5, 2012)

Very cool set ups....waiting for phase II


----------



## Yvonne G (Feb 5, 2012)

All I can say is, "*WOW!!*"

Nice of the turtle and tortoises to allow you to sleep in THEIR room.


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

emysemys said:


> All I can say is, "*WOW!!*"
> 
> Nice of the turtle and tortoises to allow you to sleep in THEIR room.



^__^ I cant wait to finish the last box. I have not cut the divider. That last box is for the hatchlings. Also, I have not built the tort tables on the bottom level. Top it off, I have one 4x4 outdoor enclosure I built that I have never used so that needs work also haha.


----------



## Jacob (Feb 5, 2012)

Looks great, great idea to Keep In Humidity


----------



## pam (Feb 5, 2012)

Awsome pictures you did a great job


----------



## Arizona Sulcata (Feb 5, 2012)

I'm jealous!


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

Arizona Sulcata said:


> I'm jealous!



No I'm jealous I want a sulcata so badly hahaha


----------



## jkingler (Feb 5, 2012)

Looks awesome, Philthy. 

Must make you proud to know that your torts are probably even happier with your work than you are.


----------



## l0velesly (Feb 5, 2012)

Great work!! The results are nice!


----------



## TonkaLuv (Feb 5, 2012)

These are so cool! Gives me some great ideas for building mine eventually. I am curious about what kind of wood you used?


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

TonkaLuv said:


> These are so cool! Gives me some great ideas for building mine eventually. I am curious about what kind of wood you used?



Plywood sealed with drylok. Lined with tarp. Still work to be done though. The eastern box is missing a lot of vegetation but I need to figure out how to grow plants indoors.


----------



## TonkaLuv (Feb 5, 2012)

Cool, thanks! Is it lined with the tarp so the torts and turts dont chew the wood? Have they ever tried to eat the tarp? My little RFT puts EVERYTHING in his mouth!! Lol


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

TonkaLuv said:


> Cool, thanks! Is it lined with the tarp so the torts and turts dont chew the wood? Have they ever tried to eat the tarp? My little RFT puts EVERYTHING in his mouth!! Lol



Actually I didn't really need it since the wood was sealed I just put it there to make clean up easier and as a protector for the wood. My rf doesn't seem interested in eating it but like yours eats anything haha.


----------



## lynnedit (Feb 5, 2012)

Nice job! I need friends like yours.
A tort owner's work is never done....
And we love it.


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

lynnedit said:


> Nice job! I need friends like yours.
> A tort owner's work is never done....
> And we love it.



I'd help if I loved closer haha


----------



## Tom (Feb 5, 2012)

Looks great!

How is the Drylok? Is it real "fumey"? I'm thinking of using it in a closed enclosure and I'm afraid of the trapped fumes.


----------



## ALDABRAMAN (Feb 5, 2012)

*WOW!!*


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 5, 2012)

Tom said:


> Looks great!
> 
> How is the Drylok? Is it real "fumey"? I'm thinking of using it in a closed enclosure and I'm afraid of the trapped fumes.



Hi tom, I painted them all indoors there was smell while painting but it isn't strong. Also it dries in 3 hours for next coat and cures within 24 hours. After the 24 hour period there was no smell whatsoever. 

It was a lot more convenient to work with when compared to Thomson's Water Seal which I used on my outdoor enclosures. That would leave fumes for a week..... I hated it... Especially because it was clear and I could not tell where i was spraying haha 



ALDABRAMAN said:


> *WOW!!*



If only i could fit an Aldabra in there hahah


----------



## TonkaLuv (Feb 6, 2012)

philthyturtle said:


> Tom said:
> 
> 
> > Looks great!
> ...


----------



## Tom (Feb 6, 2012)

Yes. Good info. Thanks.


----------



## philthyturtle (Feb 8, 2012)

*RE: UPDATE!!*

Just an update, I moved everything non-turtle related from the room and it is officially a turtles only room. The 4th box is incomplete still. Working on that saturday.


----------

