Best tub for a baby red foot tortoise

[Billy29]

What would you recommend?

 

[wellington]

The largest you can get with high sides. Not the under the bed ones, too low of sides. Or you can always get two or more and connect them together.

 

[Billy29]

How high do the sides have to be? I was thinking of making the box out of pine planks and lining it with vinyl flooring.

 

[Dan]

110 gallon stock tank, with a light-suspending crossbar and rigid plastic sheeting zip-tied in place.

 

[Pearly]

I had started mine in 40 gal breeder tank (aquarium) with terrarium type metal screen cover to sit the lamps on which I then covered with electrical/fire safe construction type insulation to keep the heat/humidity inside which once the insulation was in place has been very consistent and predictable. I still use it as their "humid bedroom" for the night time. Day time they live outside in their big Tortoise Garden. My RFs are 2 yrs and 2 months old

 

[kathyth]

This is a 40 gallon stock tank, turned into a closed chamber for baby Redfoots.

 

[Tom]

Unless you have a plan for closing in the top, or unless yor tub will sit in a warm humid room, like a fish room or reptile room, an open topped tub will not work well for your new tortoise. No way to keep heat and humidity in it.

A closed chamber is the way to go. You can build your own or buy one from Animal Plastics.

 

[daniellenc]

I got 110 gallon tub from target. Cut a whole in the top for the CHE and mounted the UVB light inside under the lid. Works perfect and was under $20!

 

[Billy29]

What if you mist your tortoise everyday, would that provide enough humidity?

 

[Tom]

What if you mist your tortoise everyday, would that provide enough humidity?

No. Misting does very little to maintain humidity in an open topped tub in a room with dry air.

This is just physics. If you submerge a glass of your favorite icy beverage in a hot tub, the two liquids will mix and merge. Put a lid on the glass before submersion, and your beverage will stay free of pool water and hold its temperature longer, depending on the insulation properties of the glass. Same principal in your tortoise tub, just with air instead of your favorite beverage.

 

[Billy29]

I live on Long Island so in the summer it's hot and humid, I'm not worried about when he gets bigger and I keep him outside from May to September. The cooler months he will have to come inside.

The stock tank looks like a economical way to go when he's bigger, I guess I will have to make a top for it. Other option is build a plywood box with a hinged lid.

For right now I'm thinking of getting a 40 gallon breeder tank and put tin foil over the screen areas not occupied by the heat lamp and light.

 

[Tom]

I live on Long Island so in the summer it's hot and humid, I'm not worried about when he gets bigger and I keep him outside from May to September. The cooler months he will have to come inside.

The stock tank looks like a economical way to go when he's bigger, I guess I will have to make a top for it. Other option is build a plywood box with a hinged lid.

For right now I'm thinking of getting a 40 gallon breeder tank and put tin foil over the screen areas not occupied by the heat lamp and light.

Its that indoor time that we are talking about too. Indoors with heat in the winter or AC in the summer is extremely dry and desiccating for a RF. Most people make the substrate wetter and wetter in a futile attempt to keep humidity up, and they end up causing shell rot on their RF. A closed chamber makes keeping the necessary humidity easy, while still maintaining a dry-ish surface layer of substrate to prevent shell rot.

I think your 40 gallon tank will work well for a tiny baby, but eventually even a large stock tank will be too small for a large juvenile in two or three years.
Here are a couple of ways to do this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/our-new-closed-chamber-for-our-new-group-of-tortoises.138430/

If building isn't your thing, then you can buy from Animal plastics. They make a 96x36" enclosure.

 

[Dan]

You can trap a lot of heat and humidity this way with the lights and ceramic heat emitters under the cover, and the larger tank gives you some room to grow.