# Safe paints for tortoise enclosure



## Doreen S. (May 17, 2017)

Hi everyone I purchased a new enclosure for my one year old Herman's tortoise I want to paint it ..wow !!!so hard to get information on the proper paint does anyone know what paint is 100% safe to use?


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## JoesMum (May 17, 2017)

Where do you want to paint it? Just to make it look pretty?

Whatever you use needs to be both damp resistant and pet safe. Google Pet Safe Paint to find out which brands are local to you. 

Be aware that tortoises have excellent colour vision and associate certain colours (particularly red, yellow and purple) with foods and this can lead them to try to eat things that aren't foods. 

@Gillian Moore had problems with her tort and some yellow in the enclosure that he kept trying to reach


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## Doreen S. (May 17, 2017)

Absolutely not for pretty I have the Zoo Med tortoise enclosure which is made like crap ,I want to keep it stronger with the paint I am making this her outdoor enclosure .and i have a new larger one for the inside


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## Doreen S. (May 17, 2017)

So sorry forgot to say thank you for the info


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## JoesMum (May 17, 2017)

Look for water resistant pet safe paints as I said. If the table is too small indoors then isn't it going to be too small outside too?

Lining wooden tables with pond liner protects them from damp substrate. 

Outside, a table acts like a pond and fills with rain. You're better off building walls or fences than using a tortoise table outside.


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## Yvonne G (May 17, 2017)

I got the impression they were going to be using the tort table as a shelter in an outdoor enclosure. ??????


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## Doreen S. (May 17, 2017)

I think I make things confusing sorry I have the indoor outdoor Zoo Med tortoise 36 ×24 enclosure that she has been living in since I got her last year from The Amazing Chris at Garden State reptiles i live in New York so outdoor time is just for a few months this enclosure is built like crap so I just wanted to reinforce it better by painting the outside of it I just purchased a48×30 indoor enclosure that I don't intend a painting my goal is to make a very loved little Daisy very comfortable safe and happy


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## ethan508 (May 18, 2017)

For application (and the weeks that it takes for a paint to truly fully cure) low VOC is what you are looking for. Allowing plenty of dry time (longer than just the dry to touch time) will prevent any issues from paint off-gassing.

All modern paints are polymeric (plastics like vinyl or acrylic) and polymers aren't really 'safe' to be eating on a regular basis (freshly applied paints being more reactive than cured paints). To preventing a tortoise from eating it, the paint needs to stay stuck to the surface you put it on. To get this, you'll need a high quality paint job with the highest quality paint. A good paint job includes doing extra prep work on the surface (cleaning, sanding, patching) as well as applying the appropriate primer. These steps will prevent paint chipping and flaking more than just spending a few extra dollars on paint (although you'll want to do that too). 

As a general rule, exterior paints will withstand the weathering better than interior. Moisture resistant paints better than normal paints. And boat sealing epoxy is better still. For best result follow instruction on the can 100%.


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## Doreen S. (May 18, 2017)

I actually found a VOC free non toxic paint it's called " Kennel Seal" I only plan to paint the outside of the enclosure not the inside thank you so much for the information I so appreciate it Ethan


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## Doreen S. (May 18, 2017)

I actually found a VOC free non toxic paint it's called " Kennel Seal" I only plan to paint the outside of the enclosure not the inside thank you so much for the information I so appreciate it Ethan


JoesMum said:


> Look for water resistant pet safe paints as I said. If the table is too small indoors then isn't it going to be too small outside too?
> 
> Lining wooden tables with pond liner protects them from damp substrate.
> 
> Outside, a table acts like a pond and fills with rain. You're better off building walls or fences than using a tortoise table outside.


It's actually not too small according to the experts did you check out my Dimensions she spends eight to nine months of the year indoors and I have a large enclosure I just ordered for her that she supposedly doesn't even really need yet I will not be leaving her out at night


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