Large Indoor Sulcata Tortoise Enclosure

[JoshyP]

Hi all! A bit of background first - I've got young sulcata tortoise who's quickly outgrowing his current enclosure and so plans to build him a new enclosure are underway. Unfortunately, I live in the not so sunny UK so housing a tort outside is a bit more difficult. Whilst Stompy (my tort) has access to a large space to roam throughout the warmer months, he's quickly outgrowing his current indoor enclosure with winter around the corner. Fortunately, we have the resources and space available to convert a summer house or as we call it over here a granny flat into an indoor enclosure for Stompy over the winter. This should allow Stompy to still have "enough" room to roam whilst he isn't able to outside. I use the word "enough" very loosely as I'm aware as sulcata owners we shouldn't be aiming to provide the bare minimum amount of space possible, but rather the opposite, hence the reason for the thread

With that being said, I wanted to ask some questions first to those who might be in a similar situation or to those who have previous experience building a large indoor enclosure. Please feel free to share any other tips or general advice you have! If the threads full of helpful advice, I'd be willing to or anyone else can, summarise the contents into a new post advising those in colder climates how they can build something similar. The obvious answer would be to not house a sully in colder climates, but if you've got the resources to be able to mimic the right conditions then I don't necessarily see a problem with that. For the sully's in colder climates, I'm hoping/wanting this thread or the thread to follow to be a helpful guide giving them the best chances/lives possible.

Anyway, now to the specific questions I have:

1) The current floor is some kind of laminate/vinyl (we recently moved into the property the summer house sits on so not sure what's underneath the flooring), but what surface would be best to have as the very bottom layer that the substate then sits on?

2) On a related note, does anyone know anywhere that sells bulk orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir here in the UK? From the limited experience I have, and advice I've read, this would/is the best substrate to use, but buying it in the quantities I'd need is proving to be a difficult task. Alternatively, if anyone has any other substate suggestion, please feel free to share!

3) Due to the damp/moist substate, I've had problems in the past with previous enclosures where mould was forming on the outside of the enclosure from where I presume the water had soaked through. That was until built a new enclosure and lined it with pond lining. That's worked a treat so far. Anyway, from all of the builds I've seen on YT and a few threads on here, pond liners aren't really used and so I'm wondering if I should use one and if so, should this line the bottom and sides of the enclosure, or the roof/ceiling as well? His current enclosure has it pretty much everywhere, as I wanted to stop the issue I was having, but now am unsure if it's a waste of money or not.

4) Is there any different heating equipment like industrial bits to use for an enclosure of this size or is it simply a case of getting higher watt bulbs, CHE, etc and more of them?

5) I've seen different opinions regarding UVB some saying 3 hours a day is enough, and then others saying they need to be on for 12 hours a day. If someone could explain or clarify what is/isn't correct it would be much appreciated! I believe the kit I've got currently is okay, but in case it's not, I've got the 54w Arcadia D3+ Reptile Lamp T5 12% UVB liked to an app on my phone to controls timers, output, etc.

I should also note that I'm planning to put a ceiling to the enclosure that I can open if/when I need to go in it, to not waste energy heating the upper half of the room that Stompy will never venture into unless he later grows wings.

I'll thank you all in advance for the amazing and helpful feedback as I know the community is great and will give great advice!

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hi all! A bit of background first - I've got young sulcata tortoise who's quickly outgrowing his current enclosure and so plans to build him a new enclosure are underway. Unfortunately, I live in the not so sunny UK so housing a tort outside is a bit more difficult. Whilst Stompy (my tort) has access to a large space to roam throughout the warmer months, he's quickly outgrowing his current indoor enclosure with winter around the corner. Fortunately, we have the resources and space available to convert a summer house or as we call it over here a granny flat into an indoor enclosure for Stompy over the winter. This should allow Stompy to still have "enough" room to roam whilst he isn't able to outside. I use the word "enough" very loosely as I'm aware as sulcata owners we shouldn't be aiming to provide the bare minimum amount of space possible, but rather the opposite, hence the reason for the thread

With that being said, I wanted to ask some questions first to those who might be in a similar situation or to those who have previous experience building a large indoor enclosure. Please feel free to share any other tips or general advice you have! If the threads full of helpful advice, I'd be willing to or anyone else can, summarise the contents into a new post advising those in colder climates how they can build something similar. The obvious answer would be to not house a sully in colder climates, but if you've got the resources to be able to mimic the right conditions then I don't necessarily see a problem with that. For the sully's in colder climates, I'm hoping/wanting this thread or the thread to follow to be a helpful guide giving them the best chances/lives possible.

Anyway, now to the specific questions I have:

1) The current floor is some kind of laminate/vinyl (we recently moved into the property the summer house sits on so not sure what's underneath the flooring), but what surface would be best to have as the very bottom layer that the substate then sits on?

2) On a related note, does anyone know anywhere that sells bulk orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir here in the UK? From the limited experience I have, and advice I've read, this would/is the best substrate to use, but buying it in the quantities I'd need is proving to be a difficult task. Alternatively, if anyone has any other substate suggestion, please feel free to share!

3) Due to the damp/moist substate, I've had problems in the past with previous enclosures where mould was forming on the outside of the enclosure from where I presume the water had soaked through. That was until built a new enclosure and lined it with pond lining. That's worked a treat so far. Anyway, from all of the builds I've seen on YT and a few threads on here, pond liners aren't really used and so I'm wondering if I should use one and if so, should this line the bottom and sides of the enclosure, or the roof/ceiling as well? His current enclosure has it pretty much everywhere, as I wanted to stop the issue I was having, but now am unsure if it's a waste of money or not.

4) Is there any different heating equipment like industrial bits to use for an enclosure of this size or is it simply a case of getting higher watt bulbs, CHE, etc and more of them?

5) I've seen different opinions regarding UVB some saying 3 hours a day is enough, and then others saying they need to be on for 12 hours a day. If someone could explain or clarify what is/isn't correct it would be much appreciated! I believe the kit I've got currently is okay, but in case it's not, I've got the 54w Arcadia D3+ Reptile Lamp T5 12% UVB liked to an app on my phone to controls timers, output, etc.

I should also note that I'm planning to put a ceiling to the enclosure that I can open if/when I need to go in it, to not waste energy heating the upper half of the room that Stompy will never venture into unless he later grows wings.

I'll thank you all in advance for the amazing and helpful feedback as I know the community is great and will give great advice!

I just built an indoor winter enclosure for one large leopard tortoise. I simply used two by fours and plywood and lined it with pond liner. The pond liner was cheap and very very thick and I think it will work great. I used an electric staple gun to install it.

The enclosure is 12 feet long and 5 feet wide and the base is two by fours w the plywood so she will not be directly on the basement floor at any time. If you are enclosing a room without regular heat the floor could get very cold in the winter. At least that is the case here in Chicago. Just something to think about.

I am using a combination of CHE’s, Arcadia T5 long bulbs for uvb and two heat lamps in the day and the Che are for night heat (three of them due to the length of the space.

 

[RandyTortoise]

Also keep in mind that as your sulcata grows, if he is inside you need those heating elements not 18 or 20 inches from the ground but usually from the back of your tortoise so you don’t fry its shell and damage it being too close to him as he sits under them. The reading with a temperature gun would
be different on the ground verses 15 or 16 inches off the ground when your tortoise get that height.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hi all! A bit of background first - I've got young sulcata tortoise who's quickly outgrowing his current enclosure and so plans to build him a new enclosure are underway. Unfortunately, I live in the not so sunny UK so housing a tort outside is a bit more difficult. Whilst Stompy (my tort) has access to a large space to roam throughout the warmer months, he's quickly outgrowing his current indoor enclosure with winter around the corner. Fortunately, we have the resources and space available to convert a summer house or as we call it over here a granny flat into an indoor enclosure for Stompy over the winter. This should allow Stompy to still have "enough" room to roam whilst he isn't able to outside. I use the word "enough" very loosely as I'm aware as sulcata owners we shouldn't be aiming to provide the bare minimum amount of space possible, but rather the opposite, hence the reason for the thread

With that being said, I wanted to ask some questions first to those who might be in a similar situation or to those who have previous experience building a large indoor enclosure. Please feel free to share any other tips or general advice you have! If the threads full of helpful advice, I'd be willing to or anyone else can, summarise the contents into a new post advising those in colder climates how they can build something similar. The obvious answer would be to not house a sully in colder climates, but if you've got the resources to be able to mimic the right conditions then I don't necessarily see a problem with that. For the sully's in colder climates, I'm hoping/wanting this thread or the thread to follow to be a helpful guide giving them the best chances/lives possible.

Anyway, now to the specific questions I have:

1) The current floor is some kind of laminate/vinyl (we recently moved into the property the summer house sits on so not sure what's underneath the flooring), but what surface would be best to have as the very bottom layer that the substate then sits on?

2) On a related note, does anyone know anywhere that sells bulk orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir here in the UK? From the limited experience I have, and advice I've read, this would/is the best substrate to use, but buying it in the quantities I'd need is proving to be a difficult task. Alternatively, if anyone has any other substate suggestion, please feel free to share!

3) Due to the damp/moist substate, I've had problems in the past with previous enclosures where mould was forming on the outside of the enclosure from where I presume the water had soaked through. That was until built a new enclosure and lined it with pond lining. That's worked a treat so far. Anyway, from all of the builds I've seen on YT and a few threads on here, pond liners aren't really used and so I'm wondering if I should use one and if so, should this line the bottom and sides of the enclosure, or the roof/ceiling as well? His current enclosure has it pretty much everywhere, as I wanted to stop the issue I was having, but now am unsure if it's a waste of money or not.

4) Is there any different heating equipment like industrial bits to use for an enclosure of this size or is it simply a case of getting higher watt bulbs, CHE, etc and more of them?

5) I've seen different opinions regarding UVB some saying 3 hours a day is enough, and then others saying they need to be on for 12 hours a day. If someone could explain or clarify what is/isn't correct it would be much appreciated! I believe the kit I've got currently is okay, but in case it's not, I've got the 54w Arcadia D3+ Reptile Lamp T5 12% UVB liked to an app on my phone to controls timers, output, etc.

I should also note that I'm planning to put a ceiling to the enclosure that I can open if/when I need to go in it, to not waste energy heating the upper half of the room that Stompy will never venture into unless he later grows wings.

I'll thank you all in advance for the amazing and helpful feedback as I know the community is great and will give great advice!

Hello and welcome from a fellow uk member!

I really appreciate the tone of your whole post, most people who own sulcatas in the uk don’t understand the space&enviroment these animals need, many presume they’re fine to walk the floors of their home for extended periods, causing all sorts of health issues in the long run
It’s always refreshing when someone joins with the understanding that the species they own, in the climate they’re in, is far from ideal. A family member of mine bought a red foot years before we all met, he was completely uneducated and unaware of the space she’d need as an adult, red foot’s thrive in such high humidity, making it difficult to maintain the environment on the scale she needs, we’ve had to get creative. Learning everything we have over the years, I’m truly of the opinion that these large tropical species like sulcatas, red foots, leopards etc, shouldn’t be allowed as household pets here, they definitely do best in a climate that can be outdoors year round, but we live and we learnwe can only do our best by our shelled companions once they’re in our lives, and it certainly seems you’re ready and willing to give your sulcata everything you can

Now I’ve never attempted the kind of build you have in mind, @Tom could probably offer you some great advice, and there’s a member who is also in the uk like us, who built on of the most impressive indoor builds I’ve ever seen! His name is @Anyfoot not 100% sure how active he is these days, so I’ll add the thread to his incredible build! Not saying to you have to go this grandbut I’ll bet you’ll find it great to scroll through! (Bear in mind it’s ten years old so some of the bulbs he uses aren’t what’s recommended today)

Indoor enclosure

I've finally got around to start decorating the inside of my Tortoise house. 3 months behind schedule. My plan is listed below. Hence the word plan, plans change. 1 Build caves 2 Build base for water feature. 3 Board and seal the ceiling. 4 Paint everything with chlorinated rubber paint...

tortoiseforum.org

Maybe you can pick his brains

My thoughts on some of your questions;

1) handy that it’s vinyl and not carpet! I see you mention lower down that folks don’t really use pond lining on here, but there’s definitely plenty who do, ourselves included, it works great! I’m not sure if it can be utilised on the scale you need it, or if there’s potentially more efficient ways of proofing the room, so I’m hoping the guys above will have some pointers there.

2) this is a damn good question! And unfortunately there isn’t the easiest answer, folks over in the US are lucky in that their orchid bark is made from different trees to our orchid bark, they’re able to get their hands on bulk buys at garden centres n such, whereas the only way our orchid bark here is safe for substrate use, is to buy it through a reputable reptile brand, it has to be prepared a certain way, so we essentially have to pay a ‘premium’ price, annoying right?! I’m not sure what kind any foot used, I would stay clear of store bought soils. Even forest floor/cypress is too expensive here
This is an initial idea I had, I haven’t got hands on experience with a build like this, so there’s probably better ideas, but laying something like this down

Nailing it to go up the wall slightly(doesn’t have to be much), and then over the top of that I’d screw wooden boards around the parameter of the room(just over tortoise height), to one, stop him potentially trying to pull the flooring away from the wall, and two, it’s another barrier from his shell grazing the wall, or him trying to butt into it lol.
In terms of substrate, again I’m hoping the guys above might have suggestions for you. I don’t think it would hurt if you were to just partially cover some of the room, maybe you could add a slab here n there for some different texture.

3) I’m presuming the current enclosure you’ve had him in is a large closed chamber type? How big/ old is he now? I’m guessing he’s still a size that would benefit from higher humidity? if that’s the case, perhaps you could build a closed chamber area within the room itself, with heat panels, uvb and a thick substrate layer to provide the more humid area, there’s kind of a visual example on the indoor section of this thread I made, it’s under ‘dedicated room enclosures’, they had carpet in their room, definitely wouldn’t suggest that.
If the majority of the open area doesn’t have much substrate, you shouldn’t have to worry about protecting the room from moisture damage, especially with the flooring liner underneath.

4) this very much depends on the questions above on how big/old he is now? A photo would be greatit’ll be a good indicator on what kind of scale you’re aiming for. Am I understanding that you’re wanting to build a large closed set up inside a summer house that you can lift the lid on, or are you wanting to use the entire space because of how big he’s getting? If heating a large room sized space, you’ll have to look into things like oil heaters with a guard around(examples in the inspiration thread), perhaps setting up areas with radiant heat panels over head for him to go to. Once sulcatas reach a certain size, any kind of heat bulbs are no longer appropriate and panels are a must, bulbs simply don’t heat the core of a large tortoise enough. They benefit from belly heat once reaching a larger size, people use things called kane mats, controlled by a thermostat. I don’t have experience with them, I’m hoping Tom or someone like @EppsDynasty might be able to comment there/point you in the best direction for heating a larger space for this giant species indoors.

5) another great question! One I found myself asking once, with the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. Whilst not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Your uvb choice is perfectyou’ve got the fancier model of what we have.

Hopefully this has inspired some potential ideas and alerted the best members to advise wherever I’ve fell short
Wonderful to have you aboard! I look forward to seeing where your build goes

 

[Pák]

For your second question, i really recommend some woodland/pine mulch. I was able to found quickly some good uk sources where you can buy it in bulk, its a really cheap and proper solution in my opinion. I use it all in my enclosures.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

This thread may be interesting for you: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/aldabra-tortoise-in-the-uk.222750/ (make sure to check PDF attached by Jemo on keeping Aldabras in Germany).

For a smaller tortoise (still growing) you can opt for hydroponic grow tents - they provide some thermal insulation and protection from leaks. There are large enough "walk-in" tents as well.

For substrate you can look for 5kg blocks of coco coir (each rehydrates to 60 liters of substrate). Maybe, it can be easier for you to get yard soil from your own property and build a proper drainage layer (with a tap to remove excess water). This also opens possibility to grow grasses and weeds in the enclosure (neither coir, mulch or bark allows it).

 

[MaNaAk]

Make sure that Stompy can't see outside otherwise he will bash the windows!

 

[Tom]

Hi all! A bit of background first - I've got young sulcata tortoise who's quickly outgrowing his current enclosure and so plans to build him a new enclosure are underway. Unfortunately, I live in the not so sunny UK so housing a tort outside is a bit more difficult. Whilst Stompy (my tort) has access to a large space to roam throughout the warmer months, he's quickly outgrowing his current indoor enclosure with winter around the corner. Fortunately, we have the resources and space available to convert a summer house or as we call it over here a granny flat into an indoor enclosure for Stompy over the winter. This should allow Stompy to still have "enough" room to roam whilst he isn't able to outside. I use the word "enough" very loosely as I'm aware as sulcata owners we shouldn't be aiming to provide the bare minimum amount of space possible, but rather the opposite, hence the reason for the thread

With that being said, I wanted to ask some questions first to those who might be in a similar situation or to those who have previous experience building a large indoor enclosure. Please feel free to share any other tips or general advice you have! If the threads full of helpful advice, I'd be willing to or anyone else can, summarise the contents into a new post advising those in colder climates how they can build something similar. The obvious answer would be to not house a sully in colder climates, but if you've got the resources to be able to mimic the right conditions then I don't necessarily see a problem with that. For the sully's in colder climates, I'm hoping/wanting this thread or the thread to follow to be a helpful guide giving them the best chances/lives possible.

Anyway, now to the specific questions I have:

1) The current floor is some kind of laminate/vinyl (we recently moved into the property the summer house sits on so not sure what's underneath the flooring), but what surface would be best to have as the very bottom layer that the substate then sits on?

2) On a related note, does anyone know anywhere that sells bulk orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir here in the UK? From the limited experience I have, and advice I've read, this would/is the best substrate to use, but buying it in the quantities I'd need is proving to be a difficult task. Alternatively, if anyone has any other substate suggestion, please feel free to share!

3) Due to the damp/moist substate, I've had problems in the past with previous enclosures where mould was forming on the outside of the enclosure from where I presume the water had soaked through. That was until built a new enclosure and lined it with pond lining. That's worked a treat so far. Anyway, from all of the builds I've seen on YT and a few threads on here, pond liners aren't really used and so I'm wondering if I should use one and if so, should this line the bottom and sides of the enclosure, or the roof/ceiling as well? His current enclosure has it pretty much everywhere, as I wanted to stop the issue I was having, but now am unsure if it's a waste of money or not.

4) Is there any different heating equipment like industrial bits to use for an enclosure of this size or is it simply a case of getting higher watt bulbs, CHE, etc and more of them?

5) I've seen different opinions regarding UVB some saying 3 hours a day is enough, and then others saying they need to be on for 12 hours a day. If someone could explain or clarify what is/isn't correct it would be much appreciated! I believe the kit I've got currently is okay, but in case it's not, I've got the 54w Arcadia D3+ Reptile Lamp T5 12% UVB liked to an app on my phone to controls timers, output, etc.

I should also note that I'm planning to put a ceiling to the enclosure that I can open if/when I need to go in it, to not waste energy heating the upper half of the room that Stompy will never venture into unless he later grows wings.

I'll thank you all in advance for the amazing and helpful feedback as I know the community is great and will give great advice!

Let me start with a reality check: There is no practical way to house this species in your climate. Its not impossible, its just makes no sense financially, or otherwise. Refer to the link that Alex left in post number 6, and read through that. I still think their "enclosure" is too small for that species for winter, but they are making it work and the tortoises are surviving. If you have that kind of space, money and desire to do this, then go for it. Few people have anywhere near enough of any of those three elements to do it even reasonably well.

On to your questions:
1. When they are small, anything will work. As they grow any sort of liner will be shredded and destroyed, and quite possibly eaten, resulting in impaction. You need construction materials that are impervious to water and also impervious to giant digging tortoise claws and shells.
2. I don't have this answer, but I saw others from the UK that did.
3. Same as number 1.
4. CHEs and heat lamps are good for smaller tortoises. Once they reach 10 inches or so, it's time to switch to more effective heating strategies that won't burn the carapace. Kane heat mats and RHPs over head can work in small spaces, and radiant oil heaters can work for large spaces. A combination of all three can work to maintain ambient, and also provide an effective warming area.
5. The easiest way to answer this is for you to get a Solarmeter 6.5 and go outside with it at different times of the day. There is nowhere in the world that has strong UV for 12 hours a day. There is zero UV in the bright warm morning sun. UV builds as the day goes on, peaks mid day, and then subsides back to zero in the late afternoon or evening. The closure should be bright and "sunny" for 12 hours a day, but they only need the UV tube on for a few hours mid day. From what we know, they only need 15 minutes to get the job done, and they store D3 for later use on days when they don't get their 15 minutes. Consider this also, brumating tortoise species don't even see the sun for several months of every year.

Having the top on the enclosure, essentially making it a closed chamber, will be very helpful to maintain heat and humidity, but it isn't going to work as the tootsie gets larger and larger and requires giant housing for a giant tortoise species.

Don't let this happen to you:

 

[RandyTortoise]

Let me start with a reality check: There is no practical way to house this species in your climate. Its not impossible, its just makes no sense financially, or otherwise. Refer to the link that Alex left in post number 6, and read through that. I still think their "enclosure" is too small for that species for winter, but they are making it work and the tortoises are surviving. If you have that kind of space, money and desire to do this, then go for it. Few people have anywhere near enough of any of those three elements to do it even reasonably well.

On to your questions:
1. When they are small, anything will work. As they grow any sort of liner will be shredded and destroyed, and quite possibly eaten, resulting in impaction. You need construction materials that are impervious to water and also impervious to giant digging tortoise claws and shells.
2. I don't have this answer, but I saw others from the UK that did.
3. Same as number 1.
4. CHEs and heat lamps are good for smaller tortoises. Once they reach 10 inches or so, it's time to switch to more effective heating strategies that won't burn the carapace. Kane heat mats and RHPs over head can work in small spaces, and radiant oil heaters can work for large spaces. A combination of all three can work to maintain ambient, and also provide an effective warming area.
5. The easiest way to answer this is for you to get a Solarmeter 6.5 and go outside with it at different times of the day. There is nowhere in the world that has strong UV for 12 hours a day. There is zero UV in the bright warm morning sun. UV builds as the day goes on, peaks mid day, and then subsides back to zero in the late afternoon or evening. The closure should be bright and "sunny" for 12 hours a day, but they only need the UV tube on for a few hours mid day. From what we know, they only need 15 minutes to get the job done, and they store D3 for later use on days when they don't get their 15 minutes. Consider this also, brumating tortoise species don't even see the sun for several months of every year.

Having the top on the enclosure, essentially making it a closed chamber, will be very helpful to maintain heat and humidity, but it isn't going to work as the tootsie gets larger and larger and requires giant housing for a giant tortoise species.

Don't let this happen to you:
View attachment 394865

I really love the photo!!
Also good advice.

 

[JoshyP]

I just built an indoor winter enclosure for one large leopard tortoise. I simply used two by fours and plywood and lined it with pond liner. The pond liner was cheap and very very thick and I think it will work great. I used an electric staple gun to install it.

The enclosure is 12 feet long and 5 feet wide and the base is two by fours w the plywood so she will not be directly on the basement floor at any time. If you are enclosing a room without regular heat the floor could get very cold in the winter. At least that is the case here in Chicago. Just something to think about.

I am using a combination of CHE’s, Arcadia T5 long bulbs for uvb and two heat lamps in the day and the Che are for night heat (three of them due to the length of the space.

Thanks for the reply and for explaining how. It’s much appreciated!

I’ve checked the walls and ceiling of the summerhouse and it’s got insulation in it already. I’m planning to setup a thermometer out for for a couple of days to see how effective it actually is and if it needs replacing/upgrading so heat isn't just escaping. I’m yet to check the floor to see if it’s got insulation or not, but I’ll keep this in mind!

The UVB tube I’ve currently got is 1150mm long. Obviously, it’s dependent on the room size, but would one of these in the middle of the room be all that’s needed or would one every 1150mm be required? Maybe something in-between?

 

[JoshyP]

Also keep in mind that as your sulcata grows, if he is inside you need those heating elements not 18 or 20 inches from the ground but usually from the back of your tortoise so you don’t fry its shell and damage it being too close to him as he sits under them. The reading with a temperature gun would
be different on the ground verses 15 or 16 inches off the ground when your tortoise get that height.

This is something I found out not too long ago. Thankfully, Stompy’s bulbs were far enough away from his shell and his temps are where they should be. I bought a temperature gun straight away though once I found this out. Very thankful for how "lucky" I was with my placement before knowing this. Thanks for sharing!

 

[JoshyP]

Hello and welcome from a fellow uk member!

I really appreciate the tone of your whole post, most people who own sulcatas in the uk don’t understand the space&enviroment these animals need, many presume they’re fine to walk the floors of their home for extended periods, causing all sorts of health issues in the long run
It’s always refreshing when someone joins with the understanding that the species they own, in the climate they’re in, is far from ideal. A family member of mine bought a red foot years before we all met, he was completely uneducated and unaware of the space she’d need as an adult, red foot’s thrive in such high humidity, making it difficult to maintain the environment on the scale she needs, we’ve had to get creative. Learning everything we have over the years, I’m truly of the opinion that these large tropical species like sulcatas, red foots, leopards etc, shouldn’t be allowed as household pets here, they definitely do best in a climate that can be outdoors year round, but we live and we learnwe can only do our best by our shelled companions once they’re in our lives, and it certainly seems you’re ready and willing to give your sulcata everything you can

Now I’ve never attempted the kind of build you have in mind, @Tom could probably offer you some great advice, and there’s a member who is also in the uk like us, who built on of the most impressive indoor builds I’ve ever seen! His name is @Anyfoot not 100% sure how active he is these days, so I’ll add the thread to his incredible build! Not saying to you have to go this grandbut I’ll bet you’ll find it great to scroll through! (Bear in mind it’s ten years old so some of the bulbs he uses aren’t what’s recommended today)

Indoor enclosure

I've finally got around to start decorating the inside of my Tortoise house. 3 months behind schedule. My plan is listed below. Hence the word plan, plans change. 1 Build caves 2 Build base for water feature. 3 Board and seal the ceiling. 4 Paint everything with chlorinated rubber paint...

tortoiseforum.org

Maybe you can pick his brains

My thoughts on some of your questions;

1) handy that it’s vinyl and not carpet! I see you mention lower down that folks don’t really use pond lining on here, but there’s definitely plenty who do, ourselves included, it works great! I’m not sure if it can be utilised on the scale you need it, or if there’s potentially more efficient ways of proofing the room, so I’m hoping the guys above will have some pointers there.

2) this is a damn good question! And unfortunately there isn’t the easiest answer, folks over in the US are lucky in that their orchid bark is made from different trees to our orchid bark, they’re able to get their hands on bulk buys at garden centres n such, whereas the only way our orchid bark here is safe for substrate use, is to buy it through a reputable reptile brand, it has to be prepared a certain way, so we essentially have to pay a ‘premium’ price, annoying right?! I’m not sure what kind any foot used, I would stay clear of store bought soils. Even forest floor/cypress is too expensive here
This is an initial idea I had, I haven’t got hands on experience with a build like this, so there’s probably better ideas, but laying something like this down
View attachment 394825
Nailing it to go up the wall slightly(doesn’t have to be much), and then over the top of that I’d screw wooden boards around the parameter of the room(just over tortoise height), to one, stop him potentially trying to pull the flooring away from the wall, and two, it’s another barrier from his shell grazing the wall, or him trying to butt into it lol.
In terms of substrate, again I’m hoping the guys above might have suggestions for you. I don’t think it would hurt if you were to just partially cover some of the room, maybe you could add a slab here n there for some different texture.

3) I’m presuming the current enclosure you’ve had him in is a large closed chamber type? How big/ old is he now? I’m guessing he’s still a size that would benefit from higher humidity? if that’s the case, perhaps you could build a closed chamber area within the room itself, with heat panels, uvb and a thick substrate layer to provide the more humid area, there’s kind of a visual example on the indoor section of this thread I made, it’s under ‘dedicated room enclosures’, they had carpet in their room, definitely wouldn’t suggest that.
If the majority of the open area doesn’t have much substrate, you shouldn’t have to worry about protecting the room from moisture damage, especially with the flooring liner underneath.

4) this very much depends on the questions above on how big/old he is now? A photo would be greatit’ll be a good indicator on what kind of scale you’re aiming for. Am I understanding that you’re wanting to build a large closed set up inside a summer house that you can lift the lid on, or are you wanting to use the entire space because of how big he’s getting? If heating a large room sized space, you’ll have to look into things like oil heaters with a guard around(examples in the inspiration thread), perhaps setting up areas with radiant heat panels over head for him to go to. Once sulcatas reach a certain size, any kind of heat bulbs are no longer appropriate and panels are a must, bulbs simply don’t heat the core of a large tortoise enough. They benefit from belly heat once reaching a larger size, people use things called kane mats, controlled by a thermostat. I don’t have experience with them, I’m hoping Tom or someone like @EppsDynasty might be able to comment there/point you in the best direction for heating a larger space for this giant species indoors.

5) another great question! One I found myself asking once, with the uv timing, every other source of information will tell you 12hours of uv. This is essentially an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, it stems from the presumption that once the basking light or ambient lighting is on, ie the ‘sun’, that uv must coexist the same amount of hours. Fact is, uv rays only peak for a few hours a day, anyone with a uv meter will confirm this. No tortoise is blasted with 12 hours of uv in the wild, therefore it’s not necessary in captivity. Whilst not necessarily dangerous, it’s potentially annoying to the tortoise to have 12hours on uv in the enclosure.
The right uv bulbs are much more expensive to replace once their uv strength diminishes, so it’s definitely best having it on a 4 hour timer that provides them with all the uv they need, saving your bulb life.
Your uvb choice is perfectyou’ve got the fancier model of what we have.

Hopefully this has inspired some potential ideas and alerted the best members to advise wherever I’ve fell short
Wonderful to have you aboard! I look forward to seeing where your build goes

Hello! It’s great to hear from another UK member!

It’s honestly sad to see the lack of knowledge “experts” seem to have, and how they just allow people to buy this animal without knowing themselves what best for them! I’ve read far too often about owners who don’t know what they’re getting themselves into and end up just leaving their sully to fend for themselves which isn’t possible over here. I completely agree with you that sully’s shouldn’t be allowed as pets over here and the fact you can buy them with no checks on the owners competence or ability is surprising. Like you mentioned though, we can only live and learn, and I’d much rather a sully be with someone like myself who knows the situation we’re in isn’t ideal, but will do what we can for them then some of the owners over here.

Thanks for sharing Anyfoot's thread. I'll be sure to give this a read tonight, keeping in mind that it's an older post so recommendations have changed since then. Thanks as well for answering the questions I have. You've been a great help!

Regarding the substrate, obviously, price is a factor but I'd rather get the right stuff and have to pay a premium for it then save a few £'s and it not be great for my sully. The biggest struggle I was having was finding anywhere that sells any suitable substate in large enough quantities. 1 to cover the floor and also 2 so there was enough of it to allow Stompy to dig. His current enclosure is made up of coco coir and orchid bark and is about 4-6 inches deep. Should his substrate be deeper, shallower or is it okay how it is? I see you also mention about partially covering the room, I was planning to essentially split the enclosure into 3 sections. 1 would be a hide for him with deep substate to allow him to borrow. A middle bit with shallower substrate, but more hills and things like that and then a 3rd section for his food & water that would have a very shallow amount of substate. Just enough for his water bowl to be sunk into. I've found out how messy these animals can be and how he manages to get his food in some places is beyond me! I'm just in the process of writing my shopping list of bits to get.

You are indeed correct. Currently he's in a large close chamber. I've put sections of grow tents for plants together creating the closed chamber. He's also got a section with a lid within the closed chamber. He's just turn 4 years old and is still relatively small for his age weighing around 5kg. I believe he wasn't looked after great when he was younger, but since feeding him the right stuff and giving him the right environment, he's doubled in size in 9 months and seems to show no signs of slowing down! What you've said about a closed chamber area is roughly what I was thinking (mentioned above so won't repeat it), but then I've also heard and somewhat thought that it was best to mimic the "ideal" conditions for as long as possible? Is it best/possible then to keep the whole enclosure at 80% humidity or just a section? If it's the second option, am I aiming for a specific humidity in the rest of the enclosure? Apologies to ask so many questions, but I just want to be sure with what I'm doing and give my sully the best life possible!

For his new enclosure, I'm planning to build closed chamber, but one that is the whole size of the summerhouse. Before we moved in someone was living in it, but we don't need the space, so can give Stompy all of the room possible. With regards to radiators, am I right in saying the oil radiators are suggested over other types as they hold heat for longer or is there any other benefits more specific for this use? And as for the Kane heat mats and radiant heat panels, I know you said you don't have experience with them, but I'm hoping you might or someone else in the thread might know, but are there any brands/suppliers people recommend?

Thanks for explaining about the UV as well. I must admit, until now I was of the understanding it had to be on for 12 hours a day, but I'll be changing this. I presume this is why it is suggested to get LED lights? As the UV bulb doesn't need to be one for 12 hours a day and otherwise the enclosure would be dark? I've also seen a fair few people suggesting to get a solarmeter in a few threads, so this is something I'll be adding to my shopping list! Happy to hear though that the UVB I've got is perfect!

Apologies if my reply is spread out all over the place, but I hope it makes sense! You've definitely given me a lot of ideas and help - much appreciated! Glad to being a part of this wonderful community!

 

[JoshyP]

For your second question, i really recommend some woodland/pine mulch. I was able to found quickly some good uk sources where you can buy it in bulk, its a really cheap and proper solution in my opinion. I use it all in my enclosures.

Thanks for the suggestion - much appreciated! I'll definitely look into this. Any suppliers you recommend or that I should steer clear of?

 

[JoshyP]

This thread may be interesting for you: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/aldabra-tortoise-in-the-uk.222750/ (make sure to check PDF attached by Jemo on keeping Aldabras in Germany).

For a smaller tortoise (still growing) you can opt for hydroponic grow tents - they provide some thermal insulation and protection from leaks. There are large enough "walk-in" tents as well.

For substrate you can look for 5kg blocks of coco coir (each rehydrates to 60 liters of substrate). Maybe, it can be easier for you to get yard soil from your own property and build a proper drainage layer (with a tap to remove excess water). This also opens possibility to grow grasses and weeds in the enclosure (neither coir, mulch or bark allows it).

Thanks for sharing the thread! I'll read through this tonight! As for the hydroponic grow tent, I've got something very similar currently, which has worked perfectly, and I would continue to use it, if I could find it in a large enough size, but I've been unable to so far. Is there any specific suppliers that you recommend that offer larger tents that I could look into?

I was not aware you could get coco coir in 5kg blocks - Thanks for sharing! I though about using dirt from my garden to grow grasses and weeds in, but I've heard mixed thoughts about this as it can be hard to grow anything due to the tortoise essentially destroying it. I don't have any experience and haven't tried this before, but definitely something I'd be willing to try. Thanks again for the sharing!

 

[JoshyP]

Make sure that Stompy can't see outside otherwise he will bash the windows!

I've heard that this can happen, so will definitely avoid! Thank you!

 

[JoshyP]

Let me start with a reality check: There is no practical way to house this species in your climate. Its not impossible, its just makes no sense financially, or otherwise. Refer to the link that Alex left in post number 6, and read through that. I still think their "enclosure" is too small for that species for winter, but they are making it work and the tortoises are surviving. If you have that kind of space, money and desire to do this, then go for it. Few people have anywhere near enough of any of those three elements to do it even reasonably well.

On to your questions:
1. When they are small, anything will work. As they grow any sort of liner will be shredded and destroyed, and quite possibly eaten, resulting in impaction. You need construction materials that are impervious to water and also impervious to giant digging tortoise claws and shells.
2. I don't have this answer, but I saw others from the UK that did.
3. Same as number 1.
4. CHEs and heat lamps are good for smaller tortoises. Once they reach 10 inches or so, it's time to switch to more effective heating strategies that won't burn the carapace. Kane heat mats and RHPs over head can work in small spaces, and radiant oil heaters can work for large spaces. A combination of all three can work to maintain ambient, and also provide an effective warming area.
5. The easiest way to answer this is for you to get a Solarmeter 6.5 and go outside with it at different times of the day. There is nowhere in the world that has strong UV for 12 hours a day. There is zero UV in the bright warm morning sun. UV builds as the day goes on, peaks mid day, and then subsides back to zero in the late afternoon or evening. The closure should be bright and "sunny" for 12 hours a day, but they only need the UV tube on for a few hours mid day. From what we know, they only need 15 minutes to get the job done, and they store D3 for later use on days when they don't get their 15 minutes. Consider this also, brumating tortoise species don't even see the sun for several months of every year.

Having the top on the enclosure, essentially making it a closed chamber, will be very helpful to maintain heat and humidity, but it isn't going to work as the tootsie gets larger and larger and requires giant housing for a giant tortoise species.

Don't let this happen to you:
View attachment 394865

I 100% agree with you. Housing a sulcata over here in the UK is definitely not practical, but as you said not impossible. Likewise to Littleredfootbigredheart I don't think they shouldn't be allowed as household pets over here or at least for the majority of people. One thing I do know though is that I love my sully and despite the climate we're in, I want to and am willing to do what is needed to give him the conditions he needs. I'll definitely give Alex's thread a read and see if a can do "better" then that with regards to space, etc. Personally, I believe if you've got one of these species then it's your duty to make sacrifices to give them what they need. Obviously, that a lot easier said then done. I love animals and have bigger plans for the future, but we'll see!

Thanks for answer my questions, it's appreciate! When it comes to heating my sully, is there a guide on how many radiant oil heaters to get or something similar for the mats?

As for your answer about UV, I've definitely learnt a lot from this! It's crazy how much misinformation is out there, so thank you!

The photo caught me off guard, and I must admit, if it happened to me as bad as I'm sure it is for the tortoise, I'd probably laugh. Thankfully, I've read and am aware how great diggers these guys are and how strong they actually are so will be adding plywood or planks to the bottom parts of his enclosure!

Thanks again for your help!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

What you've said about a closed chamber area is roughly what I was thinking (mentioned above so won't repeat it), but then I've also heard and somewhat thought that it was best to mimic the "ideal" conditions for as long as possible? Is it best/possible then to keep the whole enclosure at 80% humidity or just a section? If it's the second option, am I aiming for a specific humidity in the rest of the enclosure?

As far as I understand 10 inches or about 25.4 cm is somewhat of a cutting point, when it is safe to transfer a sulcata from a closed chamber to an outdoor enclosure.

This refers to the SCL (straight carapace lenghth), here is how to take the measurement:

Weighing & Measuring

Weighing & Measuring

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

 

[MaNaAk]

Hello! It’s great to hear from another UK member!

It’s honestly sad to see the lack of knowledge “experts” seem to have, and how they just allow people to buy this animal without knowing themselves what best for them! I’ve read far too often about owners who don’t know what they’re getting themselves into and end up just leaving their sully to fend for themselves which isn’t possible over here. I completely agree with you that sully’s shouldn’t be allowed as pets over here and the fact you can buy them with no checks on the owners competence or ability is surprising. Like you mentioned though, we can only live and learn, and I’d much rather a sully be with someone like myself who knows the situation we’re in isn’t ideal, but will do what we can for them then some of the owners over here.

Thanks for sharing Anyfoot's thread. I'll be sure to give this a read tonight, keeping in mind that it's an older post so recommendations have changed since then. Thanks as well for answering the questions I have. You've been a great help!

Regarding the substrate, obviously, price is a factor but I'd rather get the right stuff and have to pay a premium for it then save a few £'s and it not be great for my sully. The biggest struggle I was having was finding anywhere that sells any suitable substate in large enough quantities. 1 to cover the floor and also 2 so there was enough of it to allow Stompy to dig. His current enclosure is made up of coco coir and orchid bark and is about 4-6 inches deep. Should his substrate be deeper, shallower or is it okay how it is? I see you also mention about partially covering the room, I was planning to essentially split the enclosure into 3 sections. 1 would be a hide for him with deep substate to allow him to borrow. A middle bit with shallower substrate, but more hills and things like that and then a 3rd section for his food & water that would have a very shallow amount of substate. Just enough for his water bowl to be sunk into. I've found out how messy these animals can be and how he manages to get his food in some places is beyond me! I'm just in the process of writing my shopping list of bits to get.

You are indeed correct. Currently he's in a large close chamber. I've put sections of grow tents for plants together creating the closed chamber. He's also got a section with a lid within the closed chamber. He's just turn 4 years old and is still relatively small for his age weighing around 5kg. I believe he wasn't looked after great when he was younger, but since feeding him the right stuff and giving him the right environment, he's doubled in size in 9 months and seems to show no signs of slowing down! What you've said about a closed chamber area is roughly what I was thinking (mentioned above so won't repeat it), but then I've also heard and somewhat thought that it was best to mimic the "ideal" conditions for as long as possible? Is it best/possible then to keep the whole enclosure at 80% humidity or just a section? If it's the second option, am I aiming for a specific humidity in the rest of the enclosure? Apologies to ask so many questions, but I just want to be sure with what I'm doing and give my sully the best life possible!

For his new enclosure, I'm planning to build closed chamber, but one that is the whole size of the summerhouse. Before we moved in someone was living in it, but we don't need the space, so can give Stompy all of the room possible. With regards to radiators, am I right in saying the oil radiators are suggested over other types as they hold heat for longer or is there any other benefits more specific for this use? And as for the Kane heat mats and radiant heat panels, I know you said you don't have experience with them, but I'm hoping you might or someone else in the thread might know, but are there any brands/suppliers people recommend?

Thanks for explaining about the UV as well. I must admit, until now I was of the understanding it had to be on for 12 hours a day, but I'll be changing this. I presume this is why it is suggested to get LED lights? As the UV bulb doesn't need to be one for 12 hours a day and otherwise the enclosure would be dark? I've also seen a fair few people suggesting to get a solarmeter in a few threads, so this is something I'll be adding to my shopping list! Happy to hear though that the UVB I've got is perfect!

Apologies if my reply is spread out all over the place, but I hope it makes sense! You've definitely given me a lot of ideas and help - much appreciated! Glad to being a part of this wonderful community!

I'm from Essex

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thanks for sharing the thread! I'll read through this tonight! As for the hydroponic grow tent, I've got something very similar currently, which has worked perfectly, and I would continue to use it, if I could find it in a large enough size, but I've been unable to so far. Is there any specific suppliers that you recommend that offer larger tents that I could look into?

I was not aware you could get coco coir in 5kg blocks - Thanks for sharing! I though about using dirt from my garden to grow grasses and weeds in, but I've heard mixed thoughts about this as it can be hard to grow anything due to the tortoise essentially destroying it. I don't have any experience and haven't tried this before, but definitely something I'd be willing to try. Thanks again for the sharing!

I cannot, unfortunately, share any experience with specific vendors. https://www.budboxgrowtents.com/budbox-pro-grow-tents.htm - this site offers tents of decent sizes, prices are not very pleasant.

Tortoises definitely happily chomp and stomp everything green in the enclosure but there is still a chance to grow some forage (using sectioning, growing bushy plants like hibiscus etc.).

Maybe this kind of design will be useful for you: https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/climateframe.html (at least, you can extend time outdoors, especially when coupled with Tom's insulated nightbox).

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello! It’s great to hear from another UK member!

It’s honestly sad to see the lack of knowledge “experts” seem to have, and how they just allow people to buy this animal without knowing themselves what best for them! I’ve read far too often about owners who don’t know what they’re getting themselves into and end up just leaving their sully to fend for themselves which isn’t possible over here. I completely agree with you that sully’s shouldn’t be allowed as pets over here and the fact you can buy them with no checks on the owners competence or ability is surprising. Like you mentioned though, we can only live and learn, and I’d much rather a sully be with someone like myself who knows the situation we’re in isn’t ideal, but will do what we can for them then some of the owners over here.

Thanks for sharing Anyfoot's thread. I'll be sure to give this a read tonight, keeping in mind that it's an older post so recommendations have changed since then. Thanks as well for answering the questions I have. You've been a great help!

Regarding the substrate, obviously, price is a factor but I'd rather get the right stuff and have to pay a premium for it then save a few £'s and it not be great for my sully. The biggest struggle I was having was finding anywhere that sells any suitable substate in large enough quantities. 1 to cover the floor and also 2 so there was enough of it to allow Stompy to dig. His current enclosure is made up of coco coir and orchid bark and is about 4-6 inches deep. Should his substrate be deeper, shallower or is it okay how it is? I see you also mention about partially covering the room, I was planning to essentially split the enclosure into 3 sections. 1 would be a hide for him with deep substate to allow him to borrow. A middle bit with shallower substrate, but more hills and things like that and then a 3rd section for his food & water that would have a very shallow amount of substate. Just enough for his water bowl to be sunk into. I've found out how messy these animals can be and how he manages to get his food in some places is beyond me! I'm just in the process of writing my shopping list of bits to get.

You are indeed correct. Currently he's in a large close chamber. I've put sections of grow tents for plants together creating the closed chamber. He's also got a section with a lid within the closed chamber. He's just turn 4 years old and is still relatively small for his age weighing around 5kg. I believe he wasn't looked after great when he was younger, but since feeding him the right stuff and giving him the right environment, he's doubled in size in 9 months and seems to show no signs of slowing down! What you've said about a closed chamber area is roughly what I was thinking (mentioned above so won't repeat it), but then I've also heard and somewhat thought that it was best to mimic the "ideal" conditions for as long as possible? Is it best/possible then to keep the whole enclosure at 80% humidity or just a section? If it's the second option, am I aiming for a specific humidity in the rest of the enclosure? Apologies to ask so many questions, but I just want to be sure with what I'm doing and give my sully the best life possible!

For his new enclosure, I'm planning to build closed chamber, but one that is the whole size of the summerhouse. Before we moved in someone was living in it, but we don't need the space, so can give Stompy all of the room possible. With regards to radiators, am I right in saying the oil radiators are suggested over other types as they hold heat for longer or is there any other benefits more specific for this use? And as for the Kane heat mats and radiant heat panels, I know you said you don't have experience with them, but I'm hoping you might or someone else in the thread might know, but are there any brands/suppliers people recommend?

Thanks for explaining about the UV as well. I must admit, until now I was of the understanding it had to be on for 12 hours a day, but I'll be changing this. I presume this is why it is suggested to get LED lights? As the UV bulb doesn't need to be one for 12 hours a day and otherwise the enclosure would be dark? I've also seen a fair few people suggesting to get a solarmeter in a few threads, so this is something I'll be adding to my shopping list! Happy to hear though that the UVB I've got is perfect!

Apologies if my reply is spread out all over the place, but I hope it makes sense! You've definitely given me a lot of ideas and help - much appreciated! Glad to being a part of this wonderful community!

Totally agree, it’s like the more you know, the more heartbreaking it can become looking at some tortoises living situations
I am glad that the lucky few end up with keepers like you though, willing to learn the most up to date stuff and open to adapt things

Yeah that one is certainly a fun read! Not many can build projects like that, but it’s definitely inspiring

Substrate for a large scale indoor enclosure is a bit of a tricky one here, Alex’s suggestion of soil from your own yard is a good shout, but understand not everyone has the option to dig some up. I can see a pine substrate was suggested above, personally I’d stay clear unless the listing specifies it’s for reptile use, I don’t trust regular store bought to be prepared properly, but I’d be open to looking into the link to what they buy.
A bulk load of coir as a base with a mix of yard soil might be the way to go, if you’re able to get bark too you could put a load of that in one section for some different texture, I’d personally create different depths throughout for some enrichmentyour idea sounds great!

In regards to your ‘is it best to mimic ideal conditions for as long as possible’ question, @Tom can probably cover this much better, it gets a little confusing because technically, once sulcata reach’s around 10 inches, as mentioned here

As far as I understand 10 inches or about 25.4 cm is somewhat of a cutting point, when it is safe to transfer a sulcata from a closed chamber to an outdoor enclosure.

This refers to the SCL (straight carapace lenghth), here is how to take the measurement:

Weighing & Measuring

Weighing & Measuring

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Being in a closed chamber high humidity environment is no longer as important, however, obviously a 10inch sulcata isn’t done growing.
My take is; folks who live in more ideal climates where their 10+inch sulcatas can live outdoors, are in spaces where heat sources aren’t overhead 24/7, which I imagine allow conditions for smoother growth to occur(having no heat sources drying their shell, natural humidity etc).
Our climate doesn’t allow us to keep these guys outdoors for long in a given year, humidity can be a battle on a large scale indoors, even a lot of warmer climates where people keep adult sulcatas don’t necessarily have the highest humidity(but obviously have the luxury of access to a natural climate for these giants).
My point is, would keeping the whole environment around 80 humidity be ideal whilst your tortoise is still growing indoors? Yes, but for the size your tortoise is becoming and how quickly he’s growing, it might be difficult keeping the entire space 80% humidity on the large scale you’re planning.
If he has access to a large, temperature controlled closed space, with a nice thick damp layer of substrate, a heat panel overhead, some ambient lighting(maybe uv in there) maintained at a higher humidity, the space could be be secured in at night. He could then have access to the rest of the space during the day, adequately heated with oil heaters(I wish I could answer why those are specifically recommended, I’ve just seen and heard many use them for larger spaces) all built to his needs. I’d probably set up an area with no substrate for his kane mat(hopefully others can make suggestions for its placement) as long as the open room area is kept warm enough(it’s good it’s insulated), I wouldn’t worry what humidity it is, he’ll have access to a warm humid space, and be humid all night. That’s my thoughts, but perhaps others will weigh in on that kind of idea.

Do you know roughly what sq footage you’re converting for him?

I cannot, unfortunately, share any experience with specific vendors. https://www.budboxgrowtents.com/budbox-pro-grow-tents.htm - this site offers tents of decent sizes, prices are not very pleasant.

Tortoises definitely happily chomp and stomp everything green in the enclosure but there is still a chance to grow some forage (using sectioning, growing bushy plants like hibiscus etc.).

Maybe this kind of design will be useful for you: https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/climateframe.html (at least, you can extend time outdoors, especially when coupled with Tom's insulated nightbox).

I like the look of those tents Alex linked! It could work whilst he’s the size he is, but once full grown I’d worry about him potentially tearing through lol. My thinking would maybe lean towards some sort of large diy frame with polly tunnel material for a more cost effective option, but perhaps you can look into both.

Yeah no problem in regards to the uv, that threw me at first too when first joining. Yes that’s why it’s recommended to have ambient lighting, in your case, now your guy is getting bigger, your heat sources won’t be light sources like a basking bulb would. Ambient lighting is needed to create that day&night cycle
A solar meter is definitely a good investment, it’ll let you know exactly when to replace your uv instead of potentially throwing it out too soon, plus you’re able to make doubly sure the bulb is efficient and at the perfect height

All made perfect sense, I’m so glad to be of some help, even if it’s pointing you to the best members for advice