Help with enclosing existing enclosure as if in a "greenhouse"

[Tyamar]

I cannot find any premade greenhouse covers that will fit my enclosure. Picture of the actual one I have below. It is 48"L x 24"W x 22.8"H. I have my UVB tube sitting on the metal mesh along the back, my daytime flood sitting on the right (basking) and a ceramic heat emitter sitting on the left. I have (for now) used plastic and painters tape to completely tape up the two sides where the vents are, and more plastic and painters tape to (as close as possible) tape up the metal mesh around all of the lights. I have caulked up all of the insides. What I can't really help are the sliding glass doors. When not in use I tape them up as well, but that's really annoying to remove and replace three times a day at minimum. Plus, the temperature gauge for the ceramic heat emitter has to get in the enclosure somehow, so it's going in the bottom left side where the sliding glass meets the wall.

I have coconut coir as a thick (and currently sopping wet) bottom layer of substrate, with another thick upper layer of repti-bark.

I have a 100w basking flood running from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and with it sitting right on the metal I can now get up to 95 F in the middle of the day when the UV bulb is also on (12-4 PM). My ceramic on the left is set to 82 degrees, to maintain a good temperature at night.

I have a hygrometer inside of the hide on the right, the one my tort always sleeps in, and it's always showing in the 90s.

That said, with all of this, I have another hygrometer on the back wall just above tortoise height, and I'm having trouble getting it to stay above 65% for an extended period of time. Right now every time I take my tort out to soak (2-3x daily) while she's soaking I spray down the entire inside. I also do it at night after she goes into her hide. That will get that gauge up to the 90s, but during the day with the lights all that doesn't last very long at all. At night it'll last a few hours, but by the morning I'm back in the 60s.

I know the answer to all of this is to just wrap the entire thing in a greenhouse cover, but I just can't find anything big enough. With the lights all on there I need something at least 36" tall.

This leads me to my final question, that I have wondered every time I see the cover mentioned. How do you guys string your lights inside? Like, is there some built-in cord outlet somewhere, like in a tent? How does that work to keep the humidity inside?

 

[wellington]

Why species of tortoise and what size is it?

 

[Tyamar]

Why species of tortoise and what size is it?

Sorry, in trying to answer all questions I forgot the most basic details!
Leopard tortoise, still a baby at about 43 grams.

 

[wellington]

For the cover, attach either 2x2 or 1x2 to the ends and then a piece across the top and drap regular roll of plastic over it. Hand the lights etc, from the center pole under the plastic
You can also rig a free standing plastic top holder out of PVC pipe.

 

[Tyamar]

For the cover, attach either 2x2 or 1x2 to the ends and then a piece across the top and drap regular roll of plastic over it. Hand the lights etc, from the center pole under the plastic
You can also rig a free standing plastic top holder out of PVC pipe.

My enclosure looks like it's wood, but it's actually plastic. I'm not creative in the slightest, sadly. I would need an actual blueprint (like IKEA furniture!) if I were to make something myself. I wouldn't even know how to get started.

 

[Tom]

I cannot find any premade greenhouse covers that will fit my enclosure. Picture of the actual one I have below. It is 48"L x 24"W x 22.8"H. I have my UVB tube sitting on the metal mesh along the back, my daytime flood sitting on the right (basking) and a ceramic heat emitter sitting on the left. I have (for now) used plastic and painters tape to completely tape up the two sides where the vents are, and more plastic and painters tape to (as close as possible) tape up the metal mesh around all of the lights. I have caulked up all of the insides. What I can't really help are the sliding glass doors. When not in use I tape them up as well, but that's really annoying to remove and replace three times a day at minimum. Plus, the temperature gauge for the ceramic heat emitter has to get in the enclosure somehow, so it's going in the bottom left side where the sliding glass meets the wall.

I have coconut coir as a thick (and currently sopping wet) bottom layer of substrate, with another thick upper layer of repti-bark.

I have a 100w basking flood running from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and with it sitting right on the metal I can now get up to 95 F in the middle of the day when the UV bulb is also on (12-4 PM). My ceramic on the left is set to 82 degrees, to maintain a good temperature at night.

I have a hygrometer inside of the hide on the right, the one my tort always sleeps in, and it's always showing in the 90s.

That said, with all of this, I have another hygrometer on the back wall just above tortoise height, and I'm having trouble getting it to stay above 65% for an extended period of time. Right now every time I take my tort out to soak (2-3x daily) while she's soaking I spray down the entire inside. I also do it at night after she goes into her hide. That will get that gauge up to the 90s, but during the day with the lights all that doesn't last very long at all. At night it'll last a few hours, but by the morning I'm back in the 60s.

I know the answer to all of this is to just wrap the entire thing in a greenhouse cover, but I just can't find anything big enough. With the lights all on there I need something at least 36" tall.

This leads me to my final question, that I have wondered every time I see the cover mentioned. How do you guys string your lights inside? Like, is there some built-in cord outlet somewhere, like in a tent? How does that work to keep the humidity inside?

View attachment 401350

The problem is that you are trying to force a square peg into a round hole. You bought the wrong type of enclosure. Open tops don't work. All of your heat and humidity is drawn up and out because of the chimney effect. Having all of the heating and lighting outside the enclosure doesn't work, and you are seeing why. It doesn't look like it will be too hard to modify this one.

Cut a piece of plywood (or have Home Depot cut it for you) and screw it on to the top to cover the whole top. Screw up through the ledge that runs around the whole top. I would use some 2x2 or 2x4 on top to catch the screws. To put it another way, you will run a screw up from the inside through the existing rim, into and through your plywood, and into the 2x2 or 2x4 on top of the whole thing.

Then you can use coffee cup holder hooks to hang all of your heating and lighting from. You can screw them into the plywood top. You might have to cut the screen out.

The CHE should be near the middle to evenly heat the whole enclosure. Basking and UV should be together over to one side. LEDs should be evenly spaced to brighten up the whole enclosure. One thing that you will discover is that your thermostat will keep the CHE off most of the time, and that 100 watt heat lamp will be way too much. 100 watts in something this size will over heat the whole thing. You'll probably have to drop down to a 50 watt. After all this is done, you can use some electrical tape to cover the vents on the sides as needed. You'll probably need to leave some of them uncovered for some ventilation, but let your thermometer and hygrometer be your guide there. Once the top is closed in, there will be no need to tape up the front doors.

 

[Tyamar]

Cut a piece of plywood (or have Home Depot cut it for you) and screw it on to the top to cover the whole top. Screw up through the ledge that runs around the whole top. I would use some 2x2 or 2x4 on top to catch the screws. To put it another way, you will run a screw up from the inside through the existing rim, into and through your plywood, and into the 2x2 or 2x4 on top of the whole thing.

I don't think that will work, because it's not wood, it's plastic.

The problem is that you are trying to force a square peg into a round hole. You bought the wrong type of enclosure. Open tops don't work. All of your heat and humidity is drawn up and out because of the chimney effect. Having all of the heating and lighting outside the enclosure doesn't work, and you are seeing why. It doesn't look like it will be too hard to modify this one.

Cut a piece of plywood (or have Home Depot cut it for you) and screw it on to the top to cover the whole top. Screw up through the ledge that runs around the whole top. I would use some 2x2 or 2x4 on top to catch the screws. To put it another way, you will run a screw up from the inside through the existing rim, into and through your plywood, and into the 2x2 or 2x4 on top of the whole thing.

Then you can use coffee cup holder hooks to hang all of your heating and lighting from. You can screw them into the plywood top. You might have to cut the screen out.

The CHE should be near the middle to evenly heat the whole enclosure. Basking and UV should be together over to one side. LEDs should be evenly spaced to brighten up the whole enclosure. One thing that you will discover is that your thermostat will keep the CHE off most of the time, and that 100 watt heat lamp will be way too much. 100 watts in something this size will over heat the whole thing. You'll probably have to drop down to a 50 watt. After all this is done, you can use some electrical tape to cover the vents on the sides as needed. You'll probably need to leave some of them uncovered for some ventilation, but let your thermometer and hygrometer be your guide there. Once the top is closed in, there will be no need to tape up the front doors.

 

[Tyamar]

The CHE should be near the middle to evenly heat the whole enclosure. Basking and UV should be together over to one side.

I got my UV after a recommendation from a pinned message in this forum, which is why it's a long tube along the back. I can't put it "on one side" unless you count the back side, which it is. I can move the CHE into the middle, that makes sense.

 

[Tyamar]

I got my UV after a recommendation from a pinned message in this forum, which is why it's a long tube along the back. I can't put it "on one side" unless you count the back side, which it is. I can move the CHE into the middle, that makes sense.

Okay, I just found a different pinned thread with actual pictures, and I get it now. I need to put it in the middle and not the back.

 

[Tom]

I don't think that will work, because it's not wood, it's plastic.

It will work just fine with plastic. The wood will essentially be resting on top of the whole enclosure and the few screws will hold it in place. My closed chambers are all plastic and I screw into and through them on the regular. My heat lamps and CHEs hang from the metal coffee cup hooks.

Another way to do it would be to just make a wooden lid to cover the whole top. Cut a piece of plywood 4 inches longer, and 4 inches wider than the top of the enclosure, and make a rim of 2x3 all around the outside. Then, just gently lower the lid on to the top of the enclosure. No screws needed. The lip around it and the weight will hold it in place. You can then screw up and into the plywood to hold all your heating and lighting. Again, you might have to remove the screen if you aren't able to screw through it with your cup holders. Here is an example of the cup holders I am talking about:

https://www.amazon.com/Bronze-Screw-105Pcs-Ceiling-Hanging/dp/B08D6B3CW6/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Here is what I mean by making a lip around the top. In the picture I'm using 2x4, as this is going to be an insulated lid for an outdoor night box. You can just use 2x3 or 2x2 so it doesn't hang down and obstruct your view as much. This is one side, but you would do all four sides.


When it's all done, it will look something like this, but you don't need to do the caulking or any of those extra steps. You'll just screw a lip around a piece of plywood. Easy peasy. Just rest your new lid on the top of the existing enclosure as is, and you can screw up into it for all your fixtures.

 

[Tyamar]

I realized that although I don't have any woodworking skills whatsoever, or tools... I do have ton of aluminum foil and tape. Because my light fixtures are the clamp-on types, and the clamps are sticking straight up in the air, I moved the lights into your recommended locations and then trussed the whole thing up like a holiday turkey.

The humidity lasts so much longer now. And yes, now the heat is actually a lot better than it was. Instead of her spending on day on the "hot" side and just laying there like a log, she moves around her entire enclosure regularly.

However, the humidity still isn't lasting overnight. But, as I was trying to put my cactuses into the enclosure just now, I think I figured out why. I way underestimated the depth of my substrate. I'm barely hitting 2".

So, I'm going to be picking up another 2 24qt bags of ReptiBark tonight. Tomorrow I'll be taking everything out, mixing up the existing substrate with even more coco coir that I already have prepped (for my seedlings!) to get all of it nice and wet. Then I'll put my plants and grasses back in and add the new bags of bark (along with another 10qt bag that I already have) on top/around it all again.

I may not use all of the new bark, since I'll be measuring it and checking the distance from the glass as I go. I only have 5.8" of space for it before it'll be flush with the glass. That's fine, if so, as I'll then be putting some tape on the bottom of the glass so that she can't see out.

Anyway, that's my plan for now.