# Box Turtle Hatching Enclosure (take 2!)



## Kadaan (Dec 6, 2009)

I walked around Lowes this weekend, and found a big tray of "Irish Moss" in their ground cover section. The care sheet said shade/morning sun only so I figured that was perfect for a terrarium. I put down a layer of organic potting soil, and covered that with the moss. I also took the little potted fern I had in the enclosure before and planted it between some of the moss chunks. I buried an 8" plastic saucer and put the plastic duckweed in it so the hatchling can climb on them to get out.

I wanted to change the enclosure up, because in the old setup the entire 1/2" of water would evaporate every week. I wanted to put some plants in to help keep the humidity up without losing it all to evaporation. Hopefully this setup works out a little better.


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## Meg90 (Dec 6, 2009)

Its GORGEOUS! Now I want a tank of just MOSS! So pretty. I just love all that green. I'm sure your baby is thrilled!


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## terryo (Dec 6, 2009)

Your set up is ABSOLUTELY perfect. I love it, and so will your hatchling. Keep the moss misted as it has a tendency to dry under the light. Just beautiful!


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## tortoisenerd (Dec 6, 2009)

Awesome! Is the moss chemical-free? That does look very pretty.


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## Kadaan (Dec 6, 2009)

I don't know if it's 100% chemical free, but I soaked it for 24 hours and got as much of the dirt off the roots as possible before replanting it on the organic potting soil.

I did notice the sphagnum moss dried out very quick on the tips under the heat lamp, so I mist every morning. I'm hoping live plants will take the heat a little better, but I'll still be misting daily.


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## dreadyA (Dec 6, 2009)

Such a nice viv Kadaan. Very inspiring!


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## Isa (Dec 7, 2009)

Amazinggg, it is beautiful!!!! You did an amazing job


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## Yvonne G (Dec 7, 2009)

I see Janet Evanovich on your shelf of books...one of my favorite authors! Love those Stephanie Plum antics.

Great-looking box turtle enclosure. I'm sure your little turtle will be happy in there.


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## chairman (Dec 7, 2009)

LOL... that moss is so pretty looking I never bothered to check which books were sitting below it... but now that I have (and totally off subject), you too must be upset that Robert Jordan passed without finishing his series. Let's hope his ghostwriter (oh, there's a terriblly inappropriate yet accurate pun for you) does a good job.

But seriously, love the setup. What is that "tall" wispy little plant you have in there? It looks nice... wonder if my torts would allow one to live...


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## sammi (Dec 7, 2009)

I love it! I fell in love with moss too - its awesome!


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## Kadaan (Dec 7, 2009)

I haven't read the Janet Evanovich books yet, my girlfriend gave them to me after she finished them and said I'd enjoy them. I'm sad about Robert Jordan, but I've read very positive things about the guy his daughter chose to finish the last 3 books. It's been so long since the last one, I'll probably wait till the last 3 are released and read them all over from the beginning .

I'm not positive what the plant is, I picked it up at the Pasadena reptile show for $2. I'm assuming it's some kind of fern, but I couldn't find any ID after googling around for a little while.

With my old setup, the hatchling would spend all his time buried in the sphagnum moss. I'd see him with his head poking up every morning, and when I got home from work he'd be moved around a little but still just with his head sticking up. I'd take him out to eat every other day, but other than that I never saw him. Last night he went to sleep in the pot on the warm side, and this morning he was hanging out under the plant. I also caught him taking a dip in the pool already .


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## Kadaan (Dec 16, 2009)

Few more photos of my hatchling enjoying the new enclosure 

Taking a quick dip




Eating some box turtle pellets (he already ate the 2 mealworms I put in)




Hanging out in the pond again






Getting ready for bed (The cave is hollow, and I stuffed it with sphagnum moss so it's always more humid than the air outside)


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## Stephanie Logan (Dec 16, 2009)

Good thing your little (unnamed?) hatchling is not frightened by the octopus strangling his cave hide...or is that driftwood?

Some of you folks ought to start a "vivarium design and execution" business to promote your splendid artwork!


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## Meg90 (Dec 16, 2009)

It looks like that moss is growing--is it? Do you have lights on it?

Again, just beauty. I wish your pictures were bigger!


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## Kadaan (Dec 16, 2009)

Meg90 said:


> It looks like that moss is growing--is it? Do you have lights on it?
> 
> Again, just beauty. I wish your pictures were bigger!



It is growing, I've noticed a few stalks with seeds sprouting up. I originally had an... 18"? Reptisun 5.0 light on it, but recently stole my big light from my aquarium because it was too much light for my low light plants and I was getting too much algae with it. I think it's a 30" 10k 65W fluorescent.

If you click the photos to go to the flickr page, there's an "All Sizes" button above them to get larger versions, such as Large (1024 x 683) and Original (4272 x 2848)


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## Isa (Dec 16, 2009)

Wow, beautiful pictures. I loveee your enclosure!


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## terryo (Dec 16, 2009)

You have created an absolutely "perfect" boxie enclosure. You will see the results when he is older, and be very proud. Beautiful enclosure. I love that piece of driftwood. Everything looks so natural. Just wonderful!!


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## jlyoncc1 (Dec 16, 2009)

Very nice enclosure! I like things that look so natural!


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## DoctorCosmonaut (Dec 16, 2009)

That is so awesome! Very nice job! I ordered live tropical moss... but it never seemed to grow. Maybe I need more at once? Maybe the moss needs more light? Any suggestions? (Sorry to ask a question in your post)


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## Kadaan (Dec 16, 2009)

DoctorCosmonaut said:


> That is so awesome! Very nice job! I ordered live tropical moss... but it never seemed to grow. Maybe I need more at once? Maybe the moss needs more light? Any suggestions? (Sorry to ask a question in your post)



Questions are always welcome!

I'm not sure what kind of moss "tropical moss" is, but my "frog moss" I got has never grown. Parts of it got brown then the tips started turning green again, but it doesn't seem to be actually growing (it's the darker clumps in the front right of the tank in the very first photo in the first post.) When I got it it was completely dry in a plastic package.

The Irish Moss I planted in the rest of the enclosure I got at Lowes in the garden section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagina_subulata. Mosses in general don't need much light, and the plastic info thing that came with it said it grows best in the shade/morning sun only. Do you have closeup photos of your moss so we can try and find what type it is? You could post it in the Plant ID forum, you'd probably get more responses for it there.


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## DoctorCosmonaut (Dec 16, 2009)

Well I bought this stuff -> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TI4ABM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I don't think that Irish moss would grow in my enclosure because of how warm it is (80-90f). It looks really great in you enclosure... If only...


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## Kadaan (Dec 16, 2009)

DoctorCosmonaut said:


> Well I bought this stuff -> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TI4ABM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
> 
> I don't think that Irish moss would grow in my enclosure because of how warm it is (80-90f). It looks really great in you enclosure... If only...



Yeah, that looks like the same stuff as my "frog moss." It's great for holding in moisture and making things look green, but it doesn't grow and spread out. My heat lamp sits on the screen on top of the tank with a basking spot of around 90 degrees. So far the moss directly under it seems to be surviving (a little dry, but no leaves are dying yet.)

You could go to a local garden shop and see what kind of groundcover they sell. There were 2 or 3 other plants at Lowes that I was eyeing as well. I may be getting a free 90g tank sometime early next year, so I may expand again and plant a few different types of groundcover. Maybe even pick up some friends at the Pomona show if they have more box or wood turtle hatchlings  .


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## Sulcatatortoiseman (Dec 16, 2009)

doesn't mold grow?


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## Kadaan (Dec 16, 2009)

Sulcatatortoiseman said:


> doesn't mold grow?



It's only been 10 days, but there's no signs of mold so far. The top is a normal reptile tank sliding screen, so it gets a lot of ventilation. Possibly too much... my hygrometer mounted on the back wall about halfway up shows only 40-50% humidity, which is why I stuffed the plastic rock cave with sphagnum moss to ensure he has someplace with constant high humidity. The pond would also completely evaporate is maybe a week and a half, I rinse it out and refill it every week and it drops below the halfway mark.


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## Jacqui (Dec 16, 2009)

In my opinion nothing can beat a natural type environment on eye appeal and on benefits for the turtle. You have created something to be very proud of! Great great job!!!


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## terryo (Dec 16, 2009)

The Irish moss is a perennial and turns a little brown in the winter when outside, but comes back and spreads like crazy. I put little round clumps along my stream and it spread down the length of the stream. The darker moss you see in the picture is Scottish moss and also spreads. Last year I put it in Pio's vivarium and it stayed pretty green. This year I'm trying the Frog moss for inside. I also put red clover outside and it spread. I'm going to try to put it inside next winter.


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