# Tortoise House by Zoo Med. Worth Getting?



## BigBiscuit (Dec 14, 2008)

Hello All,

I was looking at this tortoise house on zoomed's website. Is this worth getting?

http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...O3M6MToiMCI7czo4OiJTZWFyY2hfeSI7czoxOiIwIjt9/

Also, are there any sealants or lacquer for the wood that is safe for tortoises. I would just want to prevent leaking outside of the house.

Thanks,

Evan


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## bluejen1313 (Dec 14, 2008)

Is there a place on there that says how much it costs? I'm curious to see what you guys think too. Jennif


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## kevantheman35 (Dec 14, 2008)

i would just be worried about the bottom wood rotting from the moisture


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## BigBiscuit (Dec 14, 2008)

bluejen1313 said:


> Is there a place on there that says how much it costs? I'm curious to see what you guys think too. Jennif



I saw it online at PetSmart for $99.

I have 1 year left of college, so my wife, 2 kids and I are in an apartment, so I was just looking at an alternative housing situation for Smiley.

I had considered the rotting issue, and that is why I was wondering if it is okay to put a sealant on the wood.


Evan


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## bluejen1313 (Dec 15, 2008)

You could line the bottom with pond liner or linoleum under the substrate. Jennifer

I had considered the rotting issue, and that is why I was wondering if it is okay to put a sealant on the wood.


Evan
[/quote]


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## egyptiandan (Dec 15, 2008)

Marine varnish is what you want to use on the bottom to make it water proof. It's just fine to use with tortoises. Just make sure it's dry and fume free when you set it up.

Danny


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 15, 2008)

I don't mean to contradict Danny...<BEG> ...but I'd buy an old bookcase from Goodwill for $20 or $30 and put a shower curtain liner in it...cheaper and easier...guess that's not really a contradiction is it...but it's still a cheaper way to go if you are pinching pennies...


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## BigBiscuit (Dec 15, 2008)

maggie3fan said:


> I don't mean to contradict Danny...<BEG> ...but I'd buy an old bookcase from Goodwill for $20 or $30 and put a shower curtain liner in it...cheaper and easier...guess that's not really a contradiction is it...but it's still a cheaper way to go if you are pinching pennies...



Thank you all for your input. I am currently in an apartment as I have 1 year left at the University. I have a four-year old, and I thought it might be best to get the house with the screened/locking lid. I currently have Smiley in an aquarium, but I am rectifying the situation. As I have said in other posts, my brother and his wife surprised my wife and I with the little greek for my son's birthday a few weeks ago. Now that the tortoise is in my home, I am striving to learn as much as I can and provide the best home for Smiley. I think that tortoise house would fit on our armoire or a dresser since we can't keep Smiley outside. It is frigid here in Iowa.

Thanks,
Evan


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## egyptiandan (Dec 15, 2008)

Maggie what are you on about 

Danny


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## Crazy1 (Dec 16, 2008)

Big, you can also use a rabbit cage. I have my hatchling greeks in one. You can keep the wire top on and make it so that a 4 year old can't get into it by using wire ties after drilling a couple of little holes in the top of the plastic bottom. It works well is portable and if you go to Wal-Mart you can get the small edible hide for about $2.00 glue a sponge to the top for a humid hide. At Petsmart they have hermit crab watering bowls that have steps built in this works well for my little ones-they are the perfect size, and I see them in them all the time. All this for about $30.00 or so depending on the size. I got the big one as I currently have 3 hatchlings. Hope this helps. Oh and the bottom is made of plastic so no problems with rotting and easy to clean.


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 16, 2008)

egyptiandan said:


> Maggie what are you on about
> 
> Danny


Just teasin...


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## Meg90 (Dec 16, 2008)

Crazy1 said:


> Big, you can also use a rabbit cage. I have my hatchling greeks in one. You can keep the wire top on and make it so that a 4 year old can't get into it by using wire ties after drilling a couple of little holes in the top of the plastic bottom. It works well is portable and if you go to Wal-Mart you can get the small edible hide for about $2.00 glue a sponge to the top for a humid hide. At Petsmart they have hermit crab watering bowls that have steps built in this works well for my little ones-they are the perfect size, and I see them in them all the time. All this for about $30.00 or so depending on the size. I got the big one as I currently have 3 hatchlings. Hope this helps. Oh and the bottom is made of plastic so no problems with rotting and easy to clean.




Awesome advice! I always wondered about those edible hides! They're 
for hamsters and such....ever had any torts nibble on them tho?


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## Crazy1 (Dec 17, 2008)

Meg, so far No none of the torts have ever had any interest in them other than a hide. I like them because they are made so they can not climb them and they do come in two sizes. They are inexpensive compaired to other hides. The one thing is you can not have them outside cause if they get really wet like in the rain or sprinklers they degrade and fall apart. But I use them inside and spritz them and have not had any problems at all. And they hold the sponges well when hot glued to the top. My hatchlings do well with them and I don't have to worry about them climbing them and flipping. and they have a little whole so I can see them inside like a little window.


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## Meg90 (Dec 17, 2008)

Oh thats awesome! I need another hide for my adult Greek too, and he's a climber alright...so maybe I'll just get the largest size and he won't be able to topple himself anymore!

Goodness do i love this site! So helpful, and insightful! I wouldn't have come up with half of the stuff I learned here by myself...And I'm sure Nigel is thankful that I have!

Thanks again Robyn!


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## Isa (Dec 17, 2008)

Are you talking about those houses?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hqbach/3034997129/
If yes, I think I will buy one for Hermy


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## Crazy1 (Dec 18, 2008)

Actually they are made out of the same thing, alfalfa and honey. But the one I got was
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/allReviews.do?product_id=10318465 Either would work I believe I just like the size of the opening in the edible logz by 8 in 1.


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## Isa (Dec 18, 2008)

Thanks Robyn


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## Meg90 (Dec 18, 2008)

What about this thing? http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...2-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA#RatingsDetail

Won't the tortoise dig under it? I would love to have my Greek (soon to be two!) outside in the summer. My mom's house has a fenced in yard already, but I would need to fence off an area for the torts...are they diggers? Or is something like this acceptable as an out door enclosure?


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## Madkins007 (Dec 18, 2008)

I think these houses (the Zoo-Med) are well-made and probably worth the price, but that you can get or make bigger homes cheaper for the size (it is 36"x24", or about 864 square inches). 

For example, you should be able to get a Christmas tree storage box for under $30. It should run about 50"x20" (1,000 square inches), or underbed storage boxes for about $20 that run about 40"x20" or about 800 square inches. The underbeds are especially good for young ones since they are not very 'high'. 

Plastic wading pools also make fun habitats if you get one with a bit of a wall. Even the more flimsy 'plastic wall and liner' versions can make good tort homes and usually have the taller walls and are big enough to offer a lot of microhabitats. Sometimes you can even shape the walls to more of a rectangle or oval. A 5" round one offers almost 3,000 square inches, and can easily cost under $25!

And, of course, the classic bookcase design can usually be bought for under $50, and offers a lot of options. Just make sure the back is strong!


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## Crazy1 (Dec 19, 2008)

No problem Isa. Meg, my Greeks don't seem to be interested in digging out of anyplace though I guess they could. Mine are more apt to try and climb out. I have a couple of pens I have dug up and sunk wire down about 12 inches so they can't dig out and nothing can dig in and they have wire tops on them also. If you make something like the tort device you mentioned or buy one, they may dig in and schooch(sp?) down so they are hard to see. 
When you get your new one you will probably want to quarantine it for some time, plus as a 6 month old it would be quite small compared to your male and the male may very well bully the little one, so they may need to be separated for some time. Birds are a hazard for small torts so having something over them to keep them safe is the way to go. If you are outside with them you could put up a play-pen type wire device. They have them at Petsmart (cost about $17.00)and on line and are called play pens; they make them for rabbits (smaller ones) as well as dogs (big ones). You could fashion a top of wire over the smaller one if you don't want to make a permanent enclosure in your momsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ yard. Setting them up in plastic pools outside is also a great idea. If you get one deep enough you can place a wire top over it so the birds canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t get to the hatchling and even divide it so that both can be in one area then fill with dirt and plant as desired. 

But just for your info; if you are outside supervising them and you blink they can disappear. I found that my hatchlings favorite game is hide and seek. And boy do you panic and seek, and seek and seek. lol


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## Meg90 (Dec 19, 2008)

Yeah I'm excited to have Nigel outside...I want to build him a pen at my moms house, so he can be outside alot of the summer....I have seen alot of people on here use bricks....I think I might a big pen for Nigel, and do a baby pen like that for little Anouk...I don't plan on introducing her to Nigel any time in the near future...

Plus, Danny informed me that if I mix them, she will be considered WC, and could get sick, and I really don't want a sick baby. 

If I do go with brick for both their enclosures, I'll make sure that hers has some wire fencing overtop, to keep out pestering birds!


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