New Redfoot Tortoise enclosure ~ Sprout (225g, 1.4 years old)

[vzkev]

Hello everyone! Our little redfoot (225g) is named Sprout.

This is our second attempt at a enclosure for her. The first enclosure we had was a big dog house we converted to suit Sprout. We kept it outside within a covered and screened patio. It had a heat and UVB lamp..... which we thought was securely attached to the ceiling... but, unfortunately on an ExTeMeLY windy day, the heat lamp fell and burnt it down! By a miracle Sprout survived with no injuries (she was in her brick hide which was just far enough)

After that traumatic event we decided to move her indoors. We found this two story house on amazon. We think this enclosure will be perfect for the next few years, and since its made of wood, whenever she out grows it, we can customize it.

We have a ceramic heating bulb 100W (13" from the floor). This is connected to a temp regulator to keep it around 92F.

For lighting we have a reptisun T5 HO 14" UVB light (8" from the floor), and an LED strip for supplemental lighting. This is connected to a timer for 8am-7pm.

For water we have a 6" terracotta bowl inside a 9" terracotta bowl with large river pebbles. Both have water to help increase humidity.

For food we do mainly dandelion greens (handful/day) and Mazuri Tortoise Diet pellets (2-3/day). Once a week we give her a fruit snack like mango or strawberry. (before using the pellets we would also do hard boiled egg whites and calcium powder)

We also added plexi glass to the roof to try and increase humidity.

Substrate is coco coir and large pieces of red pine bark. To help increase humidity we water under the areas covered in bark, that way she doesn't spend her time walking through wet substrate. The house on the second floor is mainly coco coir. (Also, before we settled on coco coir, I tried mixing in sphagnum moss. Problem was that Sprout kept on trying to eat it! She would even go for the dry bits. We didn't want to risk any health issues, so we took as much as we could out.)

~~~Also, while we were transitioning Sprout to her new enclosure, we put her in a temporary box with coco coir and a small brick hide. From what we could tell, the hide was small yet big enough to where she could turn around just fine to get in and out. Well.... turns out, every time she turned within the hide, she was grinding down her outer two nails on both front feet. This resulted in her little front feet developing a small infection. We caught it in time to get her some antibiotic shots from the vet. That was a few weeks ago, and today the area is much better!!! ~~~

Sprout eats with a hearty appetite, goes to the bathroom regularly, and she walks around plenty.... and quite quickly!

Any feedback is appreciated! Our goal is to keep our little Sprout happy and healthy!

Tips we are looking for: Is it okay for the basking stone to be directly under the heat bulb? What is the max temperature the stone should get? Also, humidity is still challenging. We are trying a few new things but we would love to hear some advice.

Thank you!!



For

 

[mojo_1]

That humidity is still to low. I believe even in Florida the baby tortoises should be in a closed chamber enclosure to help with proper shell growth and to prevent respiratory infections.

 

[COmtnLady]

Welcome to The Forum!

You found the place that has the best info!

So many sources elsewhere repeat the old info that only had one-size-fits-all, marginally acceptable, outcomes. The expert members here have discovered much better ways, through hands-on experiences and controlled studies over the last thirty or forty years.

For your own peace of mind don't listen to the "advice" given by other sources (like: pet shops, social media sites, people at reptile shows, official sources - eg: many government and university links, many of the YouTube videos, lots of the care books you can borrow from a library or buy, and even most veterinarians). They're still using old info that doesn't work as well. Settle in here instead.

Everyone will do their best to help you help your tortoise have the most optimal and healthy life possible.

Read the info in the links offered. All those head-exploding details will show you how to help your tortoise thrive.

And, ask questions.

Hint:
Run it by the other members before you buy new equipment or whatever - their expertise can save you a lot of time, stress, money, and damage to your tortoise.


Have you had a chance to read through this yet?

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Debbie Downer Department ~

Please don't be insulted or put off by any of what I'm about to say next. It is intended as constructive suggestions and in your tortoise's best interests.

For optimal health ALL species of tortoises need to be in 84% humidity or higher, coupled with 85F/29C temps for the first two to three years of their lives. There is no practical way to do this in our latitudes without the enclosure having a top on it so that it can be sealed tightly closed to keep the heat and humidity inside.
*** Tropical species like RedFoots need those temps and that humidity for their entire lives. ***

While the enclosure you bought is cute for humans to look at, it is too small for an adult and too dry and cold for a juvenile or hatchling. Tortoises need a lot of exercise to process their food and help with elimination. They need room to move around. Minimum size for an adult is 4' x 8'.

This would be good to use for reference, before you go much further -

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

The logic of the terracotta saucers is that they are cheap, can be found just about anywhere, are easy to use, and that the surface of them provides the traction any age of tortoise needs to walk in the water. Those dark stones you have around the outside block that, they're in the way, and have big gaps that a youngster's foot can unexpectedly drop into, hyper-extending ligaments/muscles, and making movement awkward. You don't want to do anything to discourage your tortoise from going into the water whenever it wants to. The easiest way is to sink the saucer down to almost level with the substrate surface so that the edge of the saucer is not a wall preventing access.

The other problem with the stones, especially the brown ones farther from the terracotta dishes, is that there seem to be a lot with rough edges. As your tortoise climbs around on them little gouges will happen. While they will heal, they leave a permanent ding in the plastron. Why ding up your tort's pretty shell when the stones don't actually serve much of a purpose. I'd remove them, If you are set on keeping any, keep the smoother dark ones you currently have in the terracotta dish, but put them out into the enclosure.


How often do you soak your tortoise? For how long each time? Tell us about it.


Is the grass real or fake? If its fake, its a bad idea. Any non-digestible item that can fit into a mouth in an enclosure, WILL be swallowed at some point, and by definition it is not digestible... can cause blockages or tear up the intestinal lining. So - no gravel, no sand, no moss, no plastic anything (I don't care if you think your tortoise won't eat the fake plant, it will at some point), also be cautious of building materials like screws and nails, or decorative pieces like buttons and marbles, no thumbtacks to hold something up, no things near enough that can fall into the enclosure that might be swallowed..

The "railings" on the ramp are not tall enough. Your tortoise will fall over them.

The stringy stuff in your substrate is also dangerous It can cause intestinal obstructions. Best substrate is Orchid (fir) bark, or a combination of Orchid bark and coco coir (the non-fibrous stuff that comes in compressed blocks, or if loose looks like rusty-colored dirt). I use about three inches of coco coir covered with three or four inches of orchid bark. I keep mine in layers, but others mix them together. It is the best and easiest way to keep RedFoot enclosures at at an even consistent humidity by keeping the lowest inch wet and allowing the moisture to evaporate up through the rest of the substrate. Any time your gauges show the humidity dropping a percentage or two you simply pour a couple cups of warm water into the corners. This way most of the surface stays as dry as it can, which lowers your RF's chance of shell fungus. Since substrate seldom needs changed, it creates a great cycling mini-eco system!
Note: You have to have a liner or have sealed your enclosure base to use this method. If you didn't the water will leak out onto your floors. It is well worth starting over if you didn't line or seal, do it, then put the layer of wet, hand-packed coco coir and orchid bark in. There is no other good way to keep the humidity up because sprayers, misters, and foggers create droplets that can cause respiratory issues for tortoises.

Mojo (comment above) is right. The higher humidity is VERY important.


If you can get this entire enclosure 100% sealed up to keep the heat in mid-80s and humidity at 84-85% all the time (a greenhouse over it might do it), it can made to make-do for a couple years. But you really will need something bigger and more easily closed-up for when you tortoise is an adult.

Here are a couple threads another of our members made for easily finding enclosure ideas ~

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Enclosure inspiration

Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...

tortoiseforum.org

And this is my favourite background info new RedFoot keepers should have (there are a couple ideas we have since decided are wrong - eg: in one spot he says something about sand being ok, but now we know that it just isn't worth the impaction risk) ~

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

Welcome aboard!




.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[vzkev]

Welcome to The Forum!

You found the place that has the best info!

So many sources elsewhere repeat the old info that only had one-size-fits-all, marginally acceptable, outcomes. The expert members here have discovered much better ways, through hands-on experiences and controlled studies over the last thirty or forty years.

For your own peace of mind don't listen to the "advice" given by other sources (like: pet shops, social media sites, people at reptile shows, official sources - eg: many government and university links, many of the YouTube videos, lots of the care books you can borrow from a library or buy, and even most veterinarians). They're still using old info that doesn't work as well. Settle in here instead.

Everyone will do their best to help you help your tortoise have the most optimal and healthy life possible.

Read the info in the links offered. All those head-exploding details will show you how to help your tortoise thrive.

And, ask questions.

Hint:
Run it by the other members before you buy new equipment or whatever - their expertise can save you a lot of time, stress, money, and damage to your tortoise.


Have you had a chance to read through this yet?

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Debbie Downer Department ~

Please don't be insulted or put off by any of what I'm about to say next. It is intended as constructive suggestions and in your tortoise's best interests.

For optimal health ALL species of tortoises need to be in 84% humidity or higher, coupled with 85F/29C temps for the first two to three years of their lives. There is no practical way to do this in our latitudes without the enclosure having a top on it so that it can be sealed tightly closed to keep the heat and humidity inside.
*** Tropical species like RedFoots need those temps and that humidity for their entire lives. ***

While the enclosure you bought is cute for humans to look at, it is too small for an adult and too dry and cold for a juvenile or hatchling. Tortoises need a lot of exercise to process their food and help with elimination. They need room to move around. Minimum size for an adult is 4' x 8'.

This would be good to use for reference, before you go much further -

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

The logic of the terracotta saucers is that they are cheap, can be found just about anywhere, are easy to use, and that the surface of them provides the traction any age of tortoise needs to walk in the water. Those dark stones you have around the outside block that, they're in the way, and have big gaps that a youngster's foot can unexpectedly drop into, hyper-extending ligaments/muscles, and making movement awkward. You don't want to do anything to discourage your tortoise from going into the water whenever it wants to. The easiest way is to sink the saucer down to almost level with the substrate surface so that the edge of the saucer is not a wall preventing access.

The other problem with the stones, especially the brown ones farther from the terracotta dishes, is that there seem to be a lot with rough edges. As your tortoise climbs around on them little gouges will happen. While they will heal, they leave a permanent ding in the plastron. Why ding up your tort's pretty shell when the stones don't actually serve much of a purpose. I'd remove them, If you are set on keeping any, keep the smoother dark ones you currently have in the terracotta dish, but put them out into the enclosure.


How often do you soak your tortoise? For how long each time? Tell us about it.


Is the grass real or fake? If its fake, its a bad idea. Any non-digestible item that can fit into a mouth in an enclosure, WILL be swallowed at some point, and by definition it is not digestible... can cause blockages or tear up the intestinal lining. So - no gravel, no sand, no moss, no plastic anything (I don't care if you think your tortoise won't eat the fake plant, it will at some point), also be cautious of building materials like screws and nails, or decorative pieces like buttons and marbles, no thumbtacks to hold something up, no things near enough that can fall into the enclosure that might be swallowed..

The "railings" on the ramp are not tall enough. Your tortoise will fall over them.

The stringy stuff in your substrate is also dangerous It can cause intestinal obstructions. Best substrate is Orchid (fir) bark, or a combination of Orchid bark and coco coir (the non-fibrous stuff that comes in compressed blocks, or if loose looks like rusty-colored dirt). I use about three inches of coco coir covered with three or four inches of orchid bark. I keep mine in layers, but others mix them together. It is the best and easiest way to keep RedFoot enclosures at at an even consistent humidity by keeping the lowest inch wet and allowing the moisture to evaporate up through the rest of the substrate. Any time your gauges show the humidity dropping a percentage or two you simply pour a couple cups of warm water into the corners. This way most of the surface stays as dry as it can, which lowers your RF's chance of shell fungus. Since substrate seldom needs changed, it creates a great cycling mini-eco system!
Note: You have to have a liner or have sealed your enclosure base to use this method. If you didn't the water will leak out onto your floors. It is well worth starting over if you didn't line or seal, do it, then put the layer of wet, hand-packed coco coir and orchid bark in. There is no other good way to keep the humidity up because sprayers, misters, and foggers create droplets that can cause respiratory issues for tortoises.

Mojo (comment above) is right. The higher humidity is VERY important.


If you can get this entire enclosure 100% sealed up to keep the heat in mid-80s and humidity at 84-85% all the time (a greenhouse over it might do it), it can made to make-do for a couple years. But you really will need something bigger and more easily closed-up for when you tortoise is an adult.

Here are a couple threads another of our members made for easily finding enclosure ideas ~

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Enclosure inspiration

Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...

tortoiseforum.org

And this is my favourite background info new RedFoot keepers should have (there are a couple ideas we have since decided are wrong - eg: in one spot he says something about sand being ok, but now we know that it just isn't worth the impaction risk) ~

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

Welcome aboard!




.

Thank you so much! Very helpful and guiding!!

Enclosure: The bottom layer is 44"x25", and the top layer is 18"x25"
We realize humidity is the biggest thing we need to tackle ASAP. The floor is a plastic pull out tub, and we can line the wood walls with a good liner. We also like the idea of a green house tent over top. But idk yet, we may just get a different enclosure for more peace of mind. We will definitely keep your substrate strategy in mind, rn we only have a layer that is about 2-3in so it does dry out quickly.

Yes, it is artificial grass. Made sure no screws were anywhere near an issue! And yes, worried about the sphagnum moss I left behind. Will need to scrap this substrate and start fresh. Copy on the pebbles in the water bowl situation, will fix that. We soak her every day, but we learned from the forms we need to do it for a longer time. Also, the railings definitely seem too short. She hasn't had any issues as of now, but definitely don't want to wait till she does! For now i will add in some taller railings.

Thank you for including those extra resources! Looking through them today. We are so glad we found this community!!

Have a wonderful day!

 

[vzkev]

That humidity is still to low. I believe even in Florida the baby tortoises should be in a closed chamber enclosure to help with proper shell growth and to prevent respiratory infections.

Thank you Mojo! Yes! working on a new set up to keep the humidity in. We like your set up. Especially having the stats accessible from the phone. Will definitely be implementing that!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to The Forum!

You found the place that has the best info!

So many sources elsewhere repeat the old info that only had one-size-fits-all, marginally acceptable, outcomes. The expert members here have discovered much better ways, through hands-on experiences and controlled studies over the last thirty or forty years.

For your own peace of mind don't listen to the "advice" given by other sources (like: pet shops, social media sites, people at reptile shows, official sources - eg: many government and university links, many of the YouTube videos, lots of the care books you can borrow from a library or buy, and even most veterinarians). They're still using old info that doesn't work as well. Settle in here instead.

Everyone will do their best to help you help your tortoise have the most optimal and healthy life possible.

Read the info in the links offered. All those head-exploding details will show you how to help your tortoise thrive.

And, ask questions.

Hint:
Run it by the other members before you buy new equipment or whatever - their expertise can save you a lot of time, stress, money, and damage to your tortoise.


Have you had a chance to read through this yet?

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Debbie Downer Department ~

Please don't be insulted or put off by any of what I'm about to say next. It is intended as constructive suggestions and in your tortoise's best interests.

For optimal health ALL species of tortoises need to be in 84% humidity or higher, coupled with 85F/29C temps for the first two to three years of their lives. There is no practical way to do this in our latitudes without the enclosure having a top on it so that it can be sealed tightly closed to keep the heat and humidity inside.
*** Tropical species like RedFoots need those temps and that humidity for their entire lives. ***

While the enclosure you bought is cute for humans to look at, it is too small for an adult and too dry and cold for a juvenile or hatchling. Tortoises need a lot of exercise to process their food and help with elimination. They need room to move around. Minimum size for an adult is 4' x 8'.

This would be good to use for reference, before you go much further -

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

The logic of the terracotta saucers is that they are cheap, can be found just about anywhere, are easy to use, and that the surface of them provides the traction any age of tortoise needs to walk in the water. Those dark stones you have around the outside block that, they're in the way, and have big gaps that a youngster's foot can unexpectedly drop into, hyper-extending ligaments/muscles, and making movement awkward. You don't want to do anything to discourage your tortoise from going into the water whenever it wants to. The easiest way is to sink the saucer down to almost level with the substrate surface so that the edge of the saucer is not a wall preventing access.

The other problem with the stones, especially the brown ones farther from the terracotta dishes, is that there seem to be a lot with rough edges. As your tortoise climbs around on them little gouges will happen. While they will heal, they leave a permanent ding in the plastron. Why ding up your tort's pretty shell when the stones don't actually serve much of a purpose. I'd remove them, If you are set on keeping any, keep the smoother dark ones you currently have in the terracotta dish, but put them out into the enclosure.


How often do you soak your tortoise? For how long each time? Tell us about it.


Is the grass real or fake? If its fake, its a bad idea. Any non-digestible item that can fit into a mouth in an enclosure, WILL be swallowed at some point, and by definition it is not digestible... can cause blockages or tear up the intestinal lining. So - no gravel, no sand, no moss, no plastic anything (I don't care if you think your tortoise won't eat the fake plant, it will at some point), also be cautious of building materials like screws and nails, or decorative pieces like buttons and marbles, no thumbtacks to hold something up, no things near enough that can fall into the enclosure that might be swallowed..

The "railings" on the ramp are not tall enough. Your tortoise will fall over them.

The stringy stuff in your substrate is also dangerous It can cause intestinal obstructions. Best substrate is Orchid (fir) bark, or a combination of Orchid bark and coco coir (the non-fibrous stuff that comes in compressed blocks, or if loose looks like rusty-colored dirt). I use about three inches of coco coir covered with three or four inches of orchid bark. I keep mine in layers, but others mix them together. It is the best and easiest way to keep RedFoot enclosures at at an even consistent humidity by keeping the lowest inch wet and allowing the moisture to evaporate up through the rest of the substrate. Any time your gauges show the humidity dropping a percentage or two you simply pour a couple cups of warm water into the corners. This way most of the surface stays as dry as it can, which lowers your RF's chance of shell fungus. Since substrate seldom needs changed, it creates a great cycling mini-eco system!
Note: You have to have a liner or have sealed your enclosure base to use this method. If you didn't the water will leak out onto your floors. It is well worth starting over if you didn't line or seal, do it, then put the layer of wet, hand-packed coco coir and orchid bark in. There is no other good way to keep the humidity up because sprayers, misters, and foggers create droplets that can cause respiratory issues for tortoises.

Mojo (comment above) is right. The higher humidity is VERY important.


If you can get this entire enclosure 100% sealed up to keep the heat in mid-80s and humidity at 84-85% all the time (a greenhouse over it might do it), it can made to make-do for a couple years. But you really will need something bigger and more easily closed-up for when you tortoise is an adult.

Here are a couple threads another of our members made for easily finding enclosure ideas ~

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Enclosure inspiration

Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...

tortoiseforum.org

And this is my favourite background info new RedFoot keepers should have (there are a couple ideas we have since decided are wrong - eg: in one spot he says something about sand being ok, but now we know that it just isn't worth the impaction risk) ~

Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet

NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...

tortoiseforum.org

Welcome aboard!




.

This post is very well thought out. Great info!

 

[mojo_1]

Thank you Mojo! Yes! working on a new set up to keep the humidity in. We like your set up. Especially having the stats accessible from the phone. Will definitely be implementing that!!

That is wonderful news, and thank you. I travel for work a lot so I want to keep a close eye on Mojo and make it easier for my wife to care for him when I'm not home.

 

[vzkev]

https://a.co/d/0dB5vYbh

Thinking of ordering this enclosure so far. Plan on sealing the top mesh with a metal cover with holes for the heat lamp and uvb light to poke through, that way humidity is retained. Then after a bit more of saving I'm thinking of ordering a second one and combining them into a L shape.
Do you guys think this tank could be a good investment?

 

[mojo_1]

https://a.co/d/0dB5vYbh

Thinking of ordering this enclosure so far. Plan on sealing the top mesh with a metal cover with holes for the heat lamp and uvb light to poke through, that way humidity is retained. Then after a bit more of saving I'm thinking of ordering a second one and combining them into a L shape.
Do you guys think this tank could be a good investment?

View attachment 400041

You want to have everything inside if possible. The heat lamp on the outside of the enclosure acts as a chimney and pulls the heat and humidity out. Aside from sealing up the top that should work pretty well.

 

[vzkev]

Just got the new enclosure! wanted to ask whether or not I should silicon the bottom edges of the enclosure to make it a bit more water tight.

 

[mojo_1]

Just got the new enclosure! wanted to ask whether or not I should silicon the bottom edges of the enclosure to make it a bit more water tight.

View attachment 400078

Yes, I use this stuff. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lexel-5-fl-oz-Clear-Paintable-Solvent-Caulk/1000619621

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Just got the new enclosure! wanted to ask whether or not I should silicon the bottom edges of the enclosure to make it a bit more water tight.

View attachment 400078

Yes, definitely.
As a second layer of protection you can line the bottom with a pond liner (and Gorilla Tape). And put a mat under the enclosure to catch leaks.

I'm not joking: these measures are easy and cheap to implement *before* you add substrate and a tortoise. And I do all aforementioned because I don't trust my DIY skills Water always finds a way so it's better to overthink a bit.

 

[COmtnLady]

As long as you are starting from the floor up (listen to Alec! Its better to have a layer protecting your floor under the enclosure, and the enclosure is doubly water-proofed... more is better, first.) -

(The below is copied from another thread, but my middle initial is "L" for lazy, and why write the same info twice...)

I buy the coco coir in the 3-brick packages which are a little cheaper and store more easily than the loose type. I do NOT buy the loose stuff because it is harder to get it to hold the water initially and it seems to dry out again quicker, plus there is a "dusty" factor when you try to get it damp (that can cause you to cough like a fool for a bit - think what dusty coco coir does to the poor tortoises who are trying to live on it only!). It will also take as much, quantity-wise, so you would have to buy more packages of the loose stuff to have the same amount as the bricks. It also takes up a lot more space to store it in loose form.

Then I use a very clean, definitely does not have any soap, oil, cleaners, or other type of residue, five gallon bucket (I have two five gallon buckets dedicated to only tortoise substrate, nothing else).
Fill it about 2/3 full of warm water and submerge one of the bricks. Allow it to soak until it has completely fallen apart, with no hard lumps left. You may have to add more water if it expands above the waterline. I'm impatient and usually stick my hand in after 20 minutes or a half hour and break it apart as it soaks.

Once there are no lumps left, hand-wring-out as much of the water as possible (pretend you're six and actually are allowed to play in the mud - its kind of fun) and pack it tightly into the bottom of the enclosure. Begin at one end and work your way to the other end, so that you can see if you got enough of the water out. You don't want any standing water visible, especially not when you are finished. Pack it solidly!

Pack the coco coir about two or three inches deep. (I like deeper, but this will do for most situations.)

Next I put a two to three inch layer of Orchid Bark/Fir Bark on top and pat it down a little - this doesn't have to be packed as firmly as the coco coir, but pat it down until it feels even/stable, and solid.

Close your enclosure up tight and let it acclimate for several hours or a day, then measure the humidity and heat. If it is too humid when you check, vent it for a day or more until it is in the range that's best for your tortoise with the lid closed. (RFs need mid 80sF and mid-80s% humidity, when in doubt go bit higher.)

Once its stable, put your tortoise into its new home.

Show us pics of your new enclosure when its ready!

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[vzkev]

Hey all, this is the new enclosure! Humidity has been a steady mid to high 80's
Temp is also consistently mid to high 80's.
The left side of the enclosure is always more humid and cool, We are going to add a cozier hide on the left side to see if she uses it. We are also adding a black out curtain to the front to block our the room light if we are in the room at night.
Sprout has been really happy and active walking around these past few days, pooping daily almost and has been regularly soaking.

Thank you all for the help!

 

[Tortellini0000]

Hey all, this is the new enclosure! Humidity has been a steady mid to high 80's
Temp is also consistently mid to high 80's.
The left side of the enclosure is always more humid and cool, We are going to add a cozier hide on the left side to see if she uses it. We are also adding a black out curtain to the front to block our the room light if we are in the room at night.
Sprout has been really happy and active walking around these past few days, pooping daily almost and has been regularly soaking.

Thank you all for the help!
View attachment 400199

Nice job!!

 

[mojo_1]

Hey all, this is the new enclosure! Humidity has been a steady mid to high 80's
Temp is also consistently mid to high 80's.
The left side of the enclosure is always more humid and cool, We are going to add a cozier hide on the left side to see if she uses it. We are also adding a black out curtain to the front to block our the room light if we are in the room at night.
Sprout has been really happy and active walking around these past few days, pooping daily almost and has been regularly soaking.

Thank you all for the help!
View attachment 400199

It looks good. Couple of things though. Are you able to get the terracotta saucers flush with the substrate? It makes it easier for them to get in and out. And a tip to help keep Sprout active put something in the middle of the enclosure to block line of site to the other side of enclosure. They will get board and if they can clearly see everywhere they will not be as active. Mojo loved his tunnels when he was that small.