Thoughts on WIP enclosure?

[Alex and the Redfoot]

@Littleredfootbigredheart @wellington

In lieu of making a new thread, here's another update!

I've made and installed a humid hide (with its own hygrometer), added some slate and a water dish for good measure. My only concern is the water dish being a tad big/deep, but that's an issue I can/will fix before the tort comes home.

Have you any suggestions?

I have a feeling that tortoise will be getting stuck in the corner behind basking lamp stand.

Also try to pack down coir a bit more (in the areas where it looks dry and fluffy).

 

[RaspberrySam]

I have a feeling that tortoise will be getting stuck in the corner behind basking lamp stand.

Also try to pack down coir a bit more (in the areas where it looks dry and fluffy).

Good points, I shall make sure to rearrange that. Thanks!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Good points, I shall make sure to rearrange that. Thanks!

You can hang the dome from enclosure ceiling using screw-in hooks and metallic cord or chain, for example.

 

[RaspberrySam]

You can hang the dome from enclosure ceiling using screw-in hooks and metallic cord or chain, for example.

That was my original plan, tbh; but I thought perhaps a stand would be easier to adjust. Got some chain on the way that I will use instead; perhaps when tort is bigger and living in a proper table I can make use of the stand once again!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

@Littleredfootbigredheart @wellington

In lieu of making a new thread, here's another update!

I've made and installed a humid hide (with its own hygrometer), added some slate and a water dish for good measure. My only concern is the water dish being a tad big/deep, but that's an issue I can/will fix before the tort comes home.

Have you any suggestions?

Fabulous! as well as Alex’s suggestions, have you had a look for a terracotta clay saucer? They tend not to be as deep and you can sit it flush with the substrate for easy use

 

[wellington]

Looks like you got the help/suggestions needed.

 

[RaspberrySam]

Fabulous! as well as Alex’s suggestions, have you had a look for a terracotta clay saucer? They tend not to be as deep and you can sit it flush with the substrate for easy use

I have! Unfortunately, not for lack of trying, I simply haven't come across one.
I will be replacing the big ol' saucer in there before tort moves in; the only question is with what. It'll either be a clay terracotta one as you suggest, or a shallow one designed for torts such as the one in the picture I attached!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I have! Unfortunately, not for lack of trying, I simply haven't come across one.
I will be replacing the big ol' saucer in there before tort moves in; the only question is with what. It'll either be a clay terracotta one as you suggest, or a shallow one designed for torts such as the one in the picture I attached!

Ah no worries, have you tried typing it in on Google? Quite a few come upif you still can’t get one, I’d pop some flat stones in something like that to make it safer

 

[RaspberrySam]

Ah no worries, have you tried typing it in on Google? Quite a few come upif you still can’t get one, I’d pop some flat stones in something like that to make it safer

Yeah, I've seen a fair few googling for it! Like I said, I will be replacing the big saucer with one of the two before tort moves in, I just don't want to make a whole online order for something so comparatively small, y'know?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yeah, I've seen a fair few googling for it! Like I said, I will be replacing the big saucer with one of the two before tort moves in, I just don't want to make a whole online order for something so comparatively small, y'know?

Yeah that makes sense

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have! Unfortunately, not for lack of trying, I simply haven't come across one.
I will be replacing the big ol' saucer in there before tort moves in; the only question is with what. It'll either be a clay terracotta one as you suggest, or a shallow one designed for torts such as the one in the picture I attached!

I don't like this one as much as terracotta plates - the shape is like this |__| - not so easy to get out and get in, while terracotta saucers are usually like this \__/ . You can put some flat pebbles inside but this will make cleaning a bit more laborous.

 

[RaspberrySam]

@Alex and the Redfoot
I've gone out and found a smaller saucer with sloped edges; I've also taken your suggestion to mount the basking lamp with a chain (there's enough slack on that length of chain to allow me to alter the height as necessary). What do you think?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

@Alex and the Redfoot
I've gone out and found a smaller saucer with sloped edges; I've also taken your suggestion to mount the basking lamp with a chain (there's enough slack on that length of chain to allow me to alter the height as necessary). What do you think?

Yay that looks perfect!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

@Alex and the Redfoot
I've gone out and found a smaller saucer with sloped edges; I've also taken your suggestion to mount the basking lamp with a chain (there's enough slack on that length of chain to allow me to alter the height as necessary). What do you think?

Looks good. Minor things to do/check:
1. Put a thermometer under basking lamp for an hour or two and check what temperatures do you get.
2. Move slate tiles closer to the wall (leave no gap). When tortoise walks around perimeter its leg might get stuck in a gap.
3. Turn off all other lights, leave only UVB tube on and check if it lights the basking area.

 

[RaspberrySam]

Looks good. Minor things to do/check:
1. Put a thermometer under basking lamp for an hour or two and check what temperatures do you get.
2. Move slate tiles closer to the wall (leave no gap). When tortoise walks around perimeter its leg might get stuck in a gap.
3. Turn off all other lights, leave only UVB tube on and check if it lights the basking area.

1. It gets around 33-34°c (91-93°f).
2. Done.
3. Done. It's slightly shadowed in the corner where the basking bulb sits, but it still gets lit.

Thanks for the checklist!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Sounds almost good. You need higher basking area temperature - just a bit, 35-36C. You can add a bright LED bulb (10-15W) in the basking dome fixture and that can be enough (something like Sansi grow light).

 

[RaspberrySam]

Sounds almost good. You need higher basking area temperature - just a bit, 35-36C. You can add a bright LED bulb (10-15W) in the basking dome fixture and that can be enough (something like Sansi grow light).

That's something I intend to include; for now, I'll lower the bulb a couple notches and see if that makes a difference?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

That's something I intend to include; for now, I'll lower the bulb a couple notches and see if that makes a difference?

Just make sure that lamp stays at least 10-11 inches above substrate.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

That's something I intend to include; for now, I'll lower the bulb a couple notches and see if that makes a difference?

Yeah, that should work