# My Custom Tortoise Table Build Thread



## skyline223

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased my first tortoise (Russian) and have decided that I should build a proper table. I really enjoy designing and building things (I am currently restoring a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air) so this should be a fun chance to stretch out my creative fibers.

I went to Lowe's today and bought all of the appropriate materials. My table will be 2 feet by 5 feet and will be complete with a shelter area and a second level basking platform. (Maybe some mild water features as well)

Substrate will be playsand/coconut fiber mix. There will be two 150 watt basking lamps and a T5 UVB bulb.

As stated I will try to be as creative as possible with the table to make it something special for my tort. I will get started building it tomorrow. So please stay tuned!


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## Yvonne G

Hi Will:

We all can benefit from a pictorial of your habitat's progress. How about taking pictures as you go along and sharing them with us.


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## skyline223

emysemys said:


> Hi Will:
> 
> We all can benefit from a pictorial of your habitat's progress. How about taking pictures as you go along and sharing them with us.



Will do! A thread like this would be worthless without pics!


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## nicoleandrocky

Sounds really cool, I'm not very good at making things.. Hope to see the finished product soon


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## skyline223

Day one of building has come to an end. I feel that I made pretty good progress. I got the whole table built up and stained the outside. Here is my to-do list of tasks still remaining:


Attach legs
Install plexiglass
Apply silicone sealer at seams
Install substrate drain plug
Install waterproof liner
Fill with substrate
Add water features
Add lighting
Install tortoise 

Here are the beginnings of the table










Here is how the table looks as of the end of day one. (Note that the sawhorses are obviously not the final legs!)

ALSO, for those of you who are observant, I will add a piece of plexiglass next to the ramp so that there is no chance a tortoise could fall off the side.





And here is the rough design that started the whole idea. (Thanks to daydreaming in high school history class)





I stayed pretty close to the dimensions I originally planned +/- 1 inch or so in some places.

If anyone wants a copy of the plans and material lists, I would be willing to properly digitize them and make them available to you. Just let me know.


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## lynnedit

Gee, you are good!
YOu might want to add a small lip around the tops of the walls as they are quite the climbers. Doesn't take much, just, say, 2 inches. It kind of trims it up nicely.

Perhaps you have a side job building tort tables!


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## Arizona Sulcata

Looks great!


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## skyline223

Thank you very much!!! I will work on that lip, pretty good idea!

And for any of those who may wonder, here is her temporary setup that she has been living in since I got her earlier this week. Its not bad, but the table will be much more suited to her and allow more exercise space!


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## lynnedit

Wow. That looks pretty nice.


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## cljohnson

skyline223 said:


> Substrate will be playsand/coconut fiber mix.



The build looks great. 
You are just like me. I over engineer and over build everything (just give me an excuse). It Is just my idea of fun. I like a challenge. 
The only thing is I would steer clear of the sand. It can cause intestinal impaction. 
Coconut fiber with organic topsoil, peat or just plain dirt would be better. I would use damp sphagnum moss in the hide.


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## skyline223

cljohnson said:


> The only thing is I would steer clear of the sand. It can cause intestinal impaction.
> Coconut fiber with organic topsoil, peat or just plain dirt would be better. I would use damp sphagnum moss in the hide.



You got it. No go on the sand. I will take your advice and avoid it. Thanks!


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## Zamric

All looks Great! 

good idea to remove sand. I use topsoil, but I dont think that would be good idea to use top soil in a wooden enclosure.


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## Snapper925

Looks great!! Cant wait to see the final product


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## MarcaineArt

Great Job. I'll be working on a new table as soon as I finish the outdoor enclosure. You guys really have some great setups.


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## cljohnson

Zamric said:


> All looks Great!
> 
> good idea to remove sand. I use topsoil, but I dont think that would be good idea to use top soil in a wooden enclosure.



You can if you coat it with a marine epoxy.


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## skyline223

cljohnson said:


> Zamric said:
> 
> 
> 
> All looks Great!
> 
> good idea to remove sand. I use topsoil, but I dont think that would be good idea to use top soil in a wooden enclosure.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You can if you coat it with a marine epoxy.
Click to expand...


Our idea was to install a thick plastic liner underneath all of the substrate; that way it provides a waterproof seal to the wood, and when it is time to change substrate, all you have to do is lift up the liner. Being an automotive enthusiast, I have many different epoxy coatings in my shop, but I am hesitant to use any kind of solvents on the interior. Can't ever be too safe for these little guys!


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## MarcaineArt

[/quote]
Our idea was to install a thick plastic liner underneath all of the substrate; that way it provides a waterproof seal to the wood, and when it is time to change substrate, all you have to do is lift up the liner. Being an automotive enthusiast, I have many different epoxy coatings in my shop, but I am hesitant to use any kind of solvents on the interior. Can't ever be too safe for these little guys!


[/quote]

I was thinking about buying a small pond liner to line mine with but they aren't available in smaller sizes around here. Any other ideas?


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## skyline223

MarcaineArt said:


> I was thinking about buying a small pond liner to line mine with but they aren't available in smaller sizes around here. Any other ideas?



We are using heavy gauge plastic drop cloth. You can buy it at Lowe's. Here is another brand on amazon
Red Devil 2 Mil Plastic Drop Cloth


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## MarcaineArt

skyline223 said:


> MarcaineArt said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was thinking about buying a small pond liner to line mine with but they aren't available in smaller sizes around here. Any other ideas?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We are using heavy gauge plastic drop cloth. You can buy it at Lowe's. Here is another brand on amazon
> Red Devil 2 Mil Plastic Drop Cloth
Click to expand...


Nice, thanks. As soon as I saw it I realized I have some of this already. Bought a few when I was painting my bedroom and only used one. SAVINGS


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## Akronic

yeah ive heard of ppl using liners. i was gonna use some 5mil visqueen, but they will try to dig and scratch a hole in it. 2mil is way to thin anyway. if you are dead set on using a liner at homedepot they have shower pan liners, which is MUCH thicker than any vapor barrier, or you could go w/ linoleum(squares or sheets) I went w/ Minwax Helmsman water sealer. idk about a drain hole.......looks great tho like how you put the loft above the hide, they will prob try to escape/fall off that ramp or use the height advantage to climb over the side wall


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## skyline223

Akronic said:


> yeah ive heard of ppl using liners. i was gonna use some 5mil visqueen, but they will try to dig and scratch a hole in it. 2mil is way to thin anyway. if you are dead set on using a liner at homedepot they have shower pan liners, which is MUCH thicker than any vapor barrier, or you could go w/ linoleum(squares or sheets) I went w/ Minwax Helmsman water sealer. idk about a drain hole.......looks great tho like how you put the loft above the hide, they will prob try to escape/fall off that ramp or use the height advantage to climb over the side wall



I understand your thoughts regarding liner thickness. It is a good possibility that holes could be scratched in 2 mil plastic, but also consider that liners will be in use for one to two week time periods for me.

I have also been considering a duct tape liner as a more permanent option. We will see how things go.

I am hesitant to use any urethane based finishes inside the enclosures. You must keep in mind how close contact the tortoises will come in with the surfaces on a 24/7 basis. Urethane is very mean stuff.

What do you see wrong with a substrate drain?

If you had read closer you might see that I mentioned the installation of plexiglass next to the ramp to prevent escapes. It has been planned since day one.


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## Akronic

once it's dry the minwax wont hurt anything you can lick it and taste nothing once it's fully cured. someone talked about a water proof coating that their father used when he was making wooden baby toys, you might be more comfortable using that instead. if your gonna swap out substrate that often then yeah a removable liner would prob make sense but thats gonna get either expensive(depending on what you use) or tedious. i just dont see the need for a substrate drain, if your using a liner whats the drain for, liquids? and i know you talked about a plexi railing-whatever on the left side of the ramp, but on the right side of the ramp one your tort get to the top there isnt much of a lip/railing/high enough side wall. if you came up as high as the loft's walls on the back wall just a section for the back side of the ramp, it wouldnt even need to be 12" long. and i read all your posts


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## lynnedit

I am using the Lowe's shower pan liner (comes by the foot or in package 5x6'?). VERY touch, my Russians cannot dig through it. Flexible enough to fold neatly in the corners, up the sides and staple. So far, so good.

I agree, if you spot clean, you could leave the same substrate over winter and switch it out once your tort is outside (if going outside). If you add some water, and stir the substrate up, it stays moist and lasts quite awhile.

I am quite sure that your tort is going to be very well cared for, regardless.


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## skyline223

Alright, the tortoise table is now finished! I ended up using 3M industrial duct tape and lined the entire bottom of the enclosure. I poured water on it and confirmed that it was completely waterproof. As you may notice, I installed LED's along the perimeter of the lower portion. I will post a pic when night falls!







Rose enjoying her raised basking platform





Tortoise eye view of the waterfall and vegetation





Ramp and hide. She has gone up and down the ramp numerous times and successful every time.


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## Arizona Sulcata

2 things comes to mind when looking at this... 1st is job well done it looks great!! 2nd is its going to be so sad when your tort messes everything up. Haha I built a table, made it look nice, 10 min after putting my tort in it everything was destroyed! Hence now I make things less pretty... Haha but congrats you really did a fantastic job!


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## luke

thats exactly what I was thinking. My torts would wreck those plants in minutes. and the water bowls would be brown with substrate.


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## skyline223

Surprisingly, she's been moving about the table for a good three hours and so far everything still looks pretty nice!


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## cljohnson

skyline223 said:


> Surprisingly, she's been moving about the table for a good three hours and so far everything still looks pretty nice!



That's just RECON. 
She's just surveying her new surroundings and plotting. Thinking what do I [email protected]â‚¬K UP first.


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## skyline223

Here are the LEDs. I turned them up bright for this pic, but I plan to leave them very dim. The color can also be changed as well.

I also forgot to mention earlier that I ended up using 50/50 topsoil and Ecoearth as the substrate; Sphagnum peat moss in the hide


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## Zamric

I think it looks FABULOUS! Great job on thr build!... very creative thinking with the duct tape!


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## skyline223

Zamric said:


> I think it looks FABULOUS! Great job on thr build!... very creative thinking with the duct tape!



Thank you!!!!


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## cljohnson

Looking good. Now all you need is a little rotating disco ball. 
Seriously nice job and good choice for substrate.


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## skyline223

cljohnson said:


> Looking good. Now all you need is a little rotating disco ball.
> Seriously nice job and good choice for substrate.



Thank you! 

As always I appreciate the help from everyone here!


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## lynnedit

Great job! Nice landscaping.


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## WallieTheTortoise

Wow, just amazing!


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## skyline223

Thanks guys!


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## MarcaineArt

Looks incredible. I can't wait to get started on mine. My only questions stopping me right now are where to put it. Lots of people and articles have said that the torts wouldn't like living in the human living area because of movement and stress. Right now they are in a large shower room in the basement which is great for keeping the heat and humidity up. Not sure if I want to just build it in there or another area of the house.


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## lynnedit

Put it where you would prefer to have it. Sometimes having them in a more common area makes it easier to take care of/maintain. You can do a little bit here and there. Or, in your case, perhaps the bathroom area makes it the easiest.
Watching my torts, and reading others' experiences, I am not sure noise/movement bothers torts too much: they seem to rely on vibration/sight. So perhaps not in the middle of a dance party, but over to the side of a living area should be fine, if that is what you works for you. There are ways to keep humidity up, with plexiglass covers, etc., so that doesn't need to be a limiting factor.

(Sorry, Will, not to hijack your thread!)


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## Laurie

This looks awesome!


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## RuthieHurry

That's awesome! I wish my husband was as creative when building things as you obviously are!

And, ahem....I second the idea of a little disco ball!


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## Momof4

Very impressive!!


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## obas

If possible, I would love a copy of your plans. I am bringing home an adult Hermann's tortoise and would love to build it something similar to this design. Would you still be willing to send me the plans?


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## Yvonne G

obas said:


> If possible, I would love a copy of your plans. I am bringing home an adult Hermann's tortoise and would love to build it something similar to this design. Would you still be willing to send me the plans?



Hi obas:

Won't you take a few moments to start a new thread in the "introductions" section and tell us a bit about yourself?


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## nicoleandrocky

wow!!!! looks really good!! how much would you want to make me one


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## ch4r13s

Very Very Nice!  Excellent Job!


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## mcrosby

Sorry to bump a somewhat old thread...but I have to ask, how are all the decorations holding up? Specifically the fountain. I'm thinking of including a fountain of sorts in the habitat I am building. Any tips?


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## skyline223

mcrosby said:


> Sorry to bump a somewhat old thread...but I have to ask, how are all the decorations holding up? Specifically the fountain. I'm thinking of including a fountain of sorts in the habitat I am building. Any tips?



Here is a little update on how things are going.

The fountain did alright for a few months. But the pump in it started to act up so I decided to remove it to free up some space. I was at an arts festival in Los Angeles and came across a vendor who made ceramic mushrooms so I bought two of those and brought them all the way back to Memphis for the torts. They make for nice shade and they seem to enjoy them.











Of course I don't keep it stocked with flowers at this time of the year due to not being able to get them locally. Fortunately they aren't too picky and really enjoy their dry diet with the occasional greens!

By the way.. I bought another female Russian about five months ago but never updated on here.. meet Sophia!


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## dcwolfe

Great thread and awsome enclosure!


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## skyline223

dcwolfe said:


> Great thread and awsome enclosure!



Thank you!


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## terry_tortoise

Can you buy theese there fab,how much would you sell one of theese for?


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## skyline223

terry_tortoise said:


> Can you buy theese there fab,how much would you sell one of theese for?



Well I don't exactly have the time right now to build one for the purpose of selling it. In all honesty it's not that hard to build! The only things I needed for this was a jigsaw, a drill, and an hobby knife. Give it a try, you might do better than you think!


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## Venutus1

Very nice!


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## sherbear

Could the the op please pm me so i can get the plans? Thanks.


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## Melly-n-shorty

great table! I love the LEDs!


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## J REED

Ill be copying a majority of this if u d I nt mind bit will be 4x8 with a 2x4 planted grass area on end for grazing...you built a wonderful inspiring table.

Jeremy


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## skyline223

J REED said:


> Ill be copying a majority of this if u d I nt mind bit will be 4x8 with a 2x4 planted grass area on end for grazing...you built a wonderful inspiring table.
> 
> Jeremy



Sounds great!!! Please post some pics of your progress!


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## kathyth

This is a fantastic thread!
You put a great deal of work into it and it shows!
Thanks for posing a ll of this. Your Russians are so cute!


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## jojomo

really amazing....thanks for the great ideas


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## julietteq

That is an amazing table.If you ever have time to make a How-to manual I would love to receive it.


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## Mallykc

If you are still sending out copies of the plans I would love it! I'll be building a table within the next month and was thinking about something very similar. My new condo had a cubby space that's about 5x4. 
This weekend I'm building a large shelf to sit the table on (I need a nice storage place too)
Anyways I love your table and you did a great job! Thanks for the ideas!!!


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## ben32hayt

skyline223 said:


> Alright, the tortoise table is now finished! I ended up using 3M industrial duct tape and lined the entire bottom of the enclosure. I poured water on it and confirmed that it was completely waterproof. As you may notice, I installed LED's along the perimeter of the lower portion. I will post a pic when night falls!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rose enjoying her raised basking platform
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tortoise eye view of the waterfall and vegetation
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ramp and hide. She has gone up and down the ramp numerous times and successful every time.



Not sure that is the edible type of marigold... Go on thetortoisetable.org.uk to check which one you have in your enclosure


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## Shponglized

Hey all, I bought a baby Russian Tortoise about a week ago and wasn't too happy with a vivarium set up. Inspired by your build I went ahead and did my own. 






And here's the little dude I did the work for:


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## DMcK

Would anyone still have plans for this build? Thanks


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## Sandieh5

skyline223 said:


> Day one of building has come to an end. I feel that I made pretty good progress. I got the whole table built up and stained the outside. Here is my to-do list of tasks still remaining:
> 
> 
> Attach legs
> Install plexiglass
> Apply silicone sealer at seams
> Install substrate drain plug
> Install waterproof liner
> Fill with substrate
> Add water features
> Add lighting
> Install tortoise
> 
> Here are the beginnings of the table
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is how the table looks as of the end of day one. (Note that the sawhorses are obviously not the final legs!)
> 
> ALSO, for those of you who are observant, I will add a piece of plexiglass next to the ramp so that there is no chance a tortoise could fall off the side.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here is the rough design that started the whole idea. (Thanks to daydreaming in high school history class)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I stayed pretty close to the dimensions I originally planned +/- 1 inch or so in some places.
> 
> If anyone wants a copy of the plans and material lists, I would be willing to properly digitize them and make them available to you. Just let me know.


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## Sandieh5

I would love a copy of the plans .


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## Chichidog123

I would love a copy


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## Noahsark

skyline223 said:


> Day one of building has come to an end. I feel that I made pretty good progress. I got the whole table built up and stained the outside. Here is my to-do list of tasks still remaining:
> 
> 
> Attach legs
> Install plexiglass
> Apply silicone sealer at seams
> Install substrate drain plug
> Install waterproof liner
> Fill with substrate
> Add water features
> Add lighting
> Install tortoise
> 
> Here are the beginnings of the table
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is how the table looks as of the end of day one. (Note that the sawhorses are obviously not the final legs!)
> 
> ALSO, for those of you who are observant, I will add a piece of plexiglass next to the ramp so that there is no chance a tortoise could fall off the side.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here is the rough design that started the whole idea. (Thanks to daydreaming in high school history class)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I stayed pretty close to the dimensions I originally planned +/- 1 inch or so in some places.
> 
> If anyone wants a copy of the plans and material lists, I would be willing to properly digitize them and make them available to you. Just let me know.


I would love to build around your creation can you please send the blue prints!!


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## Chichidog123

What did you use for the base?


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## Speedy and Pokey TheTorts

skyline223 said:


> Day one of building has come to an end. I feel that I made pretty good progress. I got the whole table built up and stained the outside. Here is my to-do list of tasks still remaining:
> 
> 
> Attach legs
> Install plexiglass
> Apply silicone sealer at seams
> Install substrate drain plug
> Install waterproof liner
> Fill with substrate
> Add water features
> Add lighting
> Install tortoise
> 
> Here are the beginnings of the table
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is how the table looks as of the end of day one. (Note that the sawhorses are obviously not the final legs!)
> 
> ALSO, for those of you who are observant, I will add a piece of plexiglass next to the ramp so that there is no chance a tortoise could fall off the side.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here is the rough design that started the whole idea. (Thanks to daydreaming in high school history class)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I stayed pretty close to the dimensions I originally planned +/- 1 inch or so in some places.
> 
> If anyone wants a copy of the plans and material lists, I would be willing to properly digitize them and make them available to you. Just let me know.


What kind of wood did you use? Cedar?


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