# Transparent walls on tort's enclosure



## Silferme (Jul 26, 2012)

I've been reading a lot about the "best possible housing" for tortoises and many sites agree on the fact that it is not good to have transparent walls on the torts enclosure. My RT has been living in an enclosure for the last 16 or so years with transparent walls and has never had any problems with it.

Now I'm building a new enclosure for her (it is already done, just decorating really left to do) And the new spot has transparent walls again as she seems to like to peer out from it and see what's happening in the room and it also looks much nicer. 

Now I'm asking if you think there are any other REAL reasons for not having see through walls than the tortoise thinking it sees an other tortoise on the reflection, trying to go through the wall or trying to get people making proper tables instead of using aquariums?

I surely can't think anything else, the heat can be regulated as well as with wooden walls and so can the humidity. 

So, any opinions on the matter or even experience with other tortoises with transparent walls?


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## mctlong (Jul 26, 2012)

"best possible housing" is subjective and depends on the individual tortoise as well as preferences of the owner.

I've found that if my RT can see over the wall of his enclosure, he'll drive himself (and me) crazy trying to get out. If his view is blocked, he's calm. 

Some torts are neurotic like mine, some aren't.  Some torts are smart enough to stop trying to get out, some aren't.


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## wellington (Jul 26, 2012)

DITTO to what already said. All depends on the tort. If he/she doesn't drive itself nuts crashing into the glass or constant pacing, then glass walls are fine. If he/she starts to do in, coving it with paper is all that needs to be done.


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## CourtneyAndCarl (Jul 26, 2012)

Most tortoises are as mctlong mentioned, very neurotic about trying to get out if they can see beyond. The idea of transparency just doesn't make sense to tortoises, so if they can see it, they should be able to get to it, in their minds. If this doesn't bother your tortoise, then by all means, don't change what works. I know that I soak my tort in a see through container, on my deck so that he stays nice and warm during his soak, and he drives himself nuts the whole ten minutes trying to get to the other side of the plastic.


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## Silferme (Jul 26, 2012)

The reason I'm asking your opinions regarding this is because I can't really decide if I should make the bottom half of the front wall frosted or not. 

There must be at least someone who've had their torts in see through enclosures without the tortoise freaking out because of it? Can't believe that mine is that special? 

It is much likely that I end up adding the frosting in every case to be on the safe side.


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## tyguy35 (Jul 26, 2012)

My guy is not bothered by it but some others maybe


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## Jacqui (Jul 27, 2012)

In my years of having tortoise with clear glass walls, I have not had any problems with it. I think it may be a lot like the tortoise that has climbed a wall once, he knows he can do it and keeps trying. With my tortoises they tried the glass a couple of times and found it's solid and they learned to respect it as such.

Sorta along the same lines, I was out of main stream tortoise keeping for awhile and when I came back all I heard was you had to have solid walls. At the time, all my inside and outside enclosures were either clear glass/plastic or wire. I did listen to "the popular crowd" and tried some solid walls. I found my tortoises did not do more pacing the walls or trying to climb over my open view walls as they did the solid ones. I like the wire outside as it allows better air circulation and I never have to worry about a sudden heavy rain drowning my tortoises. Inside I like the clear walls because I can see and observe my tortoises better and they seem to want to observe me too. ... just my experience.


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## Floof (Jul 27, 2012)

My Leopard tortoise is in an enclosure with glass walls, and I had my Russians in a 6' aquarium (clear sides) at one point. In all cases, none of mine are/were bothered by the glass one bit. The Leopard and one of the female Russians even seem to enjoy sitting near the basking spot and just observing.

The other female Russian would only ever get upset and pace the walls if the dog laid up against the glass (tank was on the ground at that time--neither of my dogs are physically capable of scaling a 21" high glass wall, lol). Don't know if she was being territorial, or if she was just upset over her view being blocked, but it was certainly funny to watch!

Anyway, the "clear sides are evil" hype has bugged me for awhile. Your comment about keeping people from using aquariums is the only thing I've heard to date that makes any sense to me for why this strange mentality may have come about. After all, the primary saying is "Don't use aquariums"--perhaps it started out with people saying "don't use aquariums!" because of the size issues... and went awry with other people misinterpreting it to mean "don't use aquariums because clear sides are bad." Not that I would know, because I was most definitely not around when the anti-clear sides mentality started, but it makes more sense than perfectly sane (as far as we know) tortoise and turtle keepers suddenly deciding clear sides are terrible.


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## Madkins007 (Jul 27, 2012)

So far none of my red-footeds have ever been bothered by the glass walls, and my more recent indoor habitat was ALL clear plastic walls.

I have often wondered if it was the clear walls that caused the problem in some torts, or other issues such as overall size or habitat conditions.


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## clare n (Jul 27, 2012)

Flo isn't bothered at all. If anything she seems to like to see what goes on, come up to the cats when they are near but it's not been a problem so far. It's the only way to keep the humidity here....

But I will ad flo is a sulcata, my rt Phillip didn't do well with a view at all he just wants what is beyond. He has a wooden enclosure indoors.


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## Silferme (Jul 28, 2012)

It's great to hear that it's not only me who've been out from the mainstream regarding this wall matter. 

I used to have an enclosure which had slightly darkened plexiglass walls and now I've changed to completely clear ones. I was a bit worried that the change in darkness would be a trigger for the behaviour I keep on hearing about but it didnt change a thing. 

I'll attach a picture of my project with the transparent walls. It is not done yet so don't mind the substrate, it's there just because it is easier to remove. The terrarium is going to have the whole back wall moulded out of glassfiber to look like a rocky wall which has her cave at the bottom and on top of it she has a spot where she can climb up. 

The terrarium measures approx. 80 cm x 70 cm (~2.6' x 2.3') and the walls are made of two pieces of 6mm plexiglass rounded to the shape with brushed aluminium corners. The temperatures should be spot on: 35-38C/95-100F for basking and 22-24C/72-75F for cooler side.

I'm well aware that the enclosure is on the small side but right now I'm not able to fit anything bigger to my apartment. 



View attachment 24951




For some reason the picture is not showing up from my phone, I'll add it a bit later.


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## tortadise (Jul 28, 2012)

With mine I switched from wood walls to glass walls and the results was a complete turn around. I nevet see them try to scale over the glass walls, when they were wood they would try to get out. I think it gives them a sense of a bigget enclosure. so they dont try to escape.


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## Silferme (Jul 28, 2012)

(never mind. Now the picture seems to be showing, strange.)


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## RonHays (Jul 28, 2012)

Between that stick and the stuff on top of the hide, it looks like a perfect opportunity for an escape artist though.


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## Silferme (Jul 28, 2012)

RonHays said:


> Between that stick and the stuff on top of the hide, it looks like a perfect opportunity for an escape artist though.



The plant is attached so that it will come off if you touch it and without it the wall is too high to climb. So no worries of her taking a hike that way 

That corner will be completely different starting next week anyway as then I'll start moulding he back wall and the hide of hers.


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## diaboliqueturtle (Aug 22, 2012)

I use clear walls too. I covered almost half with a forest background (better than my plain beige walls) but the rest is "open concept". We enjoy watching Princesse and she seems to enjoy watching us and interacting too. She tried and gave up long ago walking through the glass. If the hatchling sees her cup of worms next to the table, though, she beelines for it but doesn't quite understand the concept yet ;-) Of course I don't leave the cup there anymore, that'd be kinda cruel...


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## irishshake (Aug 27, 2012)

I have white walls in the enclosure I built with a little greyish-blue. The closest and 'freeist' material I could find that mimicked the sky. I just got Zohan 3 days ago and he already seems confused; trying to walk through the walls . :s Hope I didn't mess up either.


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## Vicki78 (Sep 6, 2012)

Hi

My Indian Star is currently in a glass viv (tank). We made him a play pit out of wood & when he is in this all he does is try to climb out. I think this is due to the fact he can't see out. 
Whilst he is in his tank, he does sometimes pace & tap on the glass to try to get out. But this is down to the fact we let him walk round the house when we get home for 20 mins or so (extra exercise).
We are now extending the play pit into his permanent enclosure & building the side up with glass.
I suppose it's all down to personal preference. I prefer to watch my little fella. (that's just my opinion)


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