Closed "Chambers"

Tom

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Do you recommend a specific thermostat?

Any should work. You can get a fancy Helix digital proportional one for about $140, or you can get a Ranco higher end on/off type for about $80, or you can get the cheaper $30 ones. All work.
 

Tom

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How about this one? Will it serve my needs?

Inkbird ITC-306T Pre-wired Electronic Heating Thermostat Temperature Controller and ... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01486LZ50/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I have no experience with that one, but it looks like it would work. Says its rated to 1200 watts of output which is WAAAAAAYYY more than anyone should need for a single enclosure.

I've used these two, plus the previously mentioned Ranco and Helix:
https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller
https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/MTPRTC

All of the above have worked very well for me in a wide variety of applications.
 

kalei01

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Any should work. You can get a fancy Helix digital proportional one for about $140, or you can get a Ranco higher end on/off type for about $80, or you can get the cheaper $30 ones. All work.
@Tom my tortoise with the extra/split scute is causing some irregular growth or rough growth is that a concern or is it okay
 

Tom

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@Tom my tortoise with the extra/split scute is causing some irregular growth or rough growth is that a concern or is it okay

That is pretty normal. I usually see some unusual growth around aberrant scutes of any kind. Its not a problem and in time it usually fades away and becomes less noticeable.
 

ERoss

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Been meaning to do this one for a while now...

Over the years I have kept a lot of reptiles in a lot of different ways. I've learned a lot of stuff about a lot of species. Since finding and joining this forum almost two years ago, I've learned a TON more. Now I'm not just stumbling around alone in the dark. Now, with the help of all the fantastic TFO members, I can see and experience everyone else's enclosures and styles too.

There are a lot of good ways to house a tortoise indoors. Tank, tub, trough, table, and... closed chamber. Different methods work best for the various species and ages. Through all of my "experiments" and sharing the vast experience of others here on the forum, I have reached my current conclusion that "closed chambers", with a basking lamp inside, are the best means of housing the babies of most species. Everyone's situation is different, and we all live in different climates... heck our torts are all from different climates too. Still, overall, I have personally experienced the best results and seen the best results from others, in this style of enclosure. Several people come to mind, but Tyler, Neal, Kristina and KBaker, have especially shown their enclosures and the results. There are lots of others too, but these members have had the biggest influence on me recently.

Only in a closed chamber can I control the humidity properly. Its very dry where I live, and its a constant battle to maintain any humidity at all in most enclosures. In a closed chamber, its a piece of cake. I've used glass tanks and various styles of tortoise tables for years to house my chelonians, but the open tops let out all that beneficial humidity and heat. By putting my heat lamps and CHEs INSIDE the closed enclosure, they do NOT dry things out AND they use a lot less power to give me the same amount of heat. Plus, once they heat everything up and the thermostat kicks them off, the heat just stays in there. I'm using less electricity on my 4x8' closed chamber than I am on my 40 gallon open topped glass tank! (I have little electric meters called "Kill-A-Watt EZ"). The humidity is lower directly under the heat lamp, but its as high as I want to keep it all around that area and the rest of the enclosure.
105a0qf.jpg

radxzl.jpg


In theory this all sounds reasonable, but what happens in the real world? I've gotten the best results I've ever gotten in this type of enclosure. On a lot of my glass tanks I end up covering as much of the top as I can. It seems like the more and better I cover them, the better the results I get. But I still lose all my heat and humidity out of the hole that has to be there for my light fixtures. Like this one:
1z8002.jpg


This leads me to a big problem that has come up recently with several potential new tortoise keepers. Where does one go buy a "closed tortoise chamber" for their new pet? Most conventional enclosures are too shallow to have a closed top and still allow enough room for a hanging fixture with a hot bulb in it. I like the Vision tubs, but they are too short for this purpose. My leopard enclosure is 24" tall and that just barely accommodates things safely. When I build the next one it will be around 30" tall. I have not seen a pre-made enclosure with the right dimensions. Tyler showed me this one that he is using. I can't remember which species he is housing in this.
k9hm5z.jpg


Remember we are talking about housing babies. Not adults or even juveniles. Discussion is welcome here. I'm always wanting to learn more.

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum and am trying to do as much research as I can about sulcata's as my husband and I would like to get one in about a year. I was wondering if an indoor enclosure like this could be set up on our porch which is covered as we do not have a big enough space to put a 4'x8' enclosure inside the house and we do not have a garage. The main thing I would be worried about is how hot it gets in the summer. We live in Northern California close to Sacramento. We have had multiple days over 110f this summer. The enclosure would be shaded on the porch and we would be insulating the enclosure. Just wondering people's thoughts on this idea I don't want to do the wrong thing and end up hurting the tort! Thanks for supplying all of this great information!!
 

Tom

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It will be difficult to maintain the correct temperatures with the enclosure outside. WIth your below freezing winter nights and your 110 degree summer days, it isn't going to work well.

If you don't have room to start a baby indoors, how about adopting an older tortoise in need of a home that is of the right size (12"+) to live outside full time.
 

ERoss

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Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply, yeah that's what I was worried about. We will re asses when the house is finished (currently we are building it) and if we cannot figure out a space inside that is big enough we will look into adopting an older tortoise. We live on a ranch and have plenty of room outside so I'm just worried about the indoor space.

Thanks!
 

KevinGG

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@Tom How have your unfinished plywood enclosures held up with the high humidity? Any mold? I know Mark really water proofs his. Wondering if this will be necessary for me or not. Thanks.
 

Tom

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@Tom How have your unfinished plywood enclosures held up with the high humidity? Any mold? I know Mark really water proofs his. Wondering if this will be necessary for me or not. Thanks.

Sides and tops hold up fine completely untreated, but the bottoms have been rotting out. Plastic liners, paint, and DryLok have all failed. Next one will get this: http://www.pondarmor.com
That should solve the problem once and for all.

In the past I also used non-toxic boat hull paint and that worked well, but it was expensive. $100 for the primer and $130 for the paint, plus tax and shipping.
 

KevinGG

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Sides and tops hold up fine completely untreated, but the bottoms have been rotting out. Plastic liners, paint, and DryLok have all failed. Next one will get this: http://www.pondarmor.com
That should solve the problem once and for all.

In the past I also used non-toxic boat hull paint and that worked well, but it was expensive. $100 for the primer and $130 for the paint, plus tax and shipping.

Cool. Will check out pond armor. Have you tried a pond liner?
 

KevinGG

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Is there a reason that plexiglass is not used instead of plywood so that there isn't a rotting issue?

Expense. These are pretty big enclosures. I'm building an 8x4x4 enclosure now. That would be considerably more expensive. Also can't insulate plexiglass.
 

Tom

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Is there a reason that plexiglass is not used instead of plywood so that there isn't a rotting issue?

Cost and ease of working with the material. If you are comfortable working with plexi, go for it!

I've decided it is going to be easier to just buy plastic cages, instead of building them. Finally found a type that suits my needs:
http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/terrestrial.htm
 

John Alford

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Been meaning to do this one for a while now...

Over the years I have kept a lot of reptiles in a lot of different ways. I've learned a lot of stuff about a lot of species. Since finding and joining this forum almost two years ago, I've learned a TON more. Now I'm not just stumbling around alone in the dark. Now, with the help of all the fantastic TFO members, I can see and experience everyone else's enclosures and styles too.

There are a lot of good ways to house a tortoise indoors. Tank, tub, trough, table, and... closed chamber. Different methods work best for the various species and ages. Through all of my "experiments" and sharing the vast experience of others here on the forum, I have reached my current conclusion that "closed chambers", with a basking lamp inside, are the best means of housing the babies of most species. Everyone's situation is different, and we all live in different climates... heck our torts are all from different climates too. Still, overall, I have personally experienced the best results and seen the best results from others, in this style of enclosure. Several people come to mind, but Tyler, Neal, Kristina and KBaker, have especially shown their enclosures and the results. There are lots of others too, but these members have had the biggest influence on me recently.

Only in a closed chamber can I control the humidity properly. Its very dry where I live, and its a constant battle to maintain any humidity at all in most enclosures. In a closed chamber, its a piece of cake. I've used glass tanks and various styles of tortoise tables for years to house my chelonians, but the open tops let out all that beneficial humidity and heat. By putting my heat lamps and CHEs INSIDE the closed enclosure, they do NOT dry things out AND they use a lot less power to give me the same amount of heat. Plus, once they heat everything up and the thermostat kicks them off, the heat just stays in there. I'm using less electricity on my 4x8' closed chamber than I am on my 40 gallon open topped glass tank! (I have little electric meters called "Kill-A-Watt EZ"). The humidity is lower directly under the heat lamp, but its as high as I want to keep it all around that area and the rest of the enclosure.
105a0qf.jpg

radxzl.jpg


In theory this all sounds reasonable, but what happens in the real world? I've gotten the best results I've ever gotten in this type of enclosure. On a lot of my glass tanks I end up covering as much of the top as I can. It seems like the more and better I cover them, the better the results I get. But I still lose all my heat and humidity out of the hole that has to be there for my light fixtures. Like this one:
1z8002.jpg


This leads me to a big problem that has come up recently with several potential new tortoise keepers. Where does one go buy a "closed tortoise chamber" for their new pet? Most conventional enclosures are too shallow to have a closed top and still allow enough room for a hanging fixture with a hot bulb in it. I like the Vision tubs, but they are too short for this purpose. My leopard enclosure is 24" tall and that just barely accommodates things safely. When I build the next one it will be around 30" tall. I have not seen a pre-made enclosure with the right dimensions. Tyler showed me this one that he is using. I can't remember which species he is housing in this.
k9hm5z.jpg


Remember we are talking about housing babies. Not adults or even juveniles. Discussion is welcome here. I'm always wanting to learn more.
This looks perfect! But was it difficult to build because I am quite hopeless at woodworking and building In general
 

Tom

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Oh ok, I’ll be sure to try. How much would it cost

Depends on how you build it. If it is indoors and the room is kept heated in winter, then you probably won't need to make it double layered with insulation. You'll need a sheet of plywood for the top and bottom, then a third sheet can make up the back and sides. The front will be the biggest challenge. You'll have to figure out what to use over there to make it.

Over here, with paint and primer, screws, sealant and all the other stuff, its about $300.
 
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