Marisaur
New Member
Hi again! I had made a post in the Intro section and got a lot of great info, including the fact that my wanting an ADULT Russian Tortoise would require a minimum 4'x8' of space (rather than just the big plastic tub I'd planned on). I live in an apartment and this tortoise will realistically be an indoor tortoise. I'd like to make it work if I can, so I'd like to try and pick everyone's brains for a solution.
I've lived in NYC all my life so I'm no stranger to limited floor space. Like everyone else here, the solution is to "build upwards". Basically, I'm wondering if I can pull off a two-story tortoise enclosure. I attached a picture of what I had in mind. It's two 4'x2' boxes stacked like bunk beds, so it adds up to 4x8 while taking up only 2x4 of space. I've seen some gorgeous two-story tortoise tables here, but usually the upper story is smaller than the lower.
Can this be done? I'd be enlisting some manual labor assistance on this but I wanted to know if I'm missing considerations before I even make an attempt - how much space should the two boxes be separated if I want to put flourescent UVB lights under the top box (the ceiling of the bottom box)? Will the tortoise be able to climb a ramp that steep or long? Is this completely crazy?
For the record, I do understand that there may not be a solution until I can find a place to live with decent and controllable outdoor options. Where I live, it's much more likely that the best I can do is just a larger indoor solution someday. Is that cruel, to get a tortoise meant to only live indoors? I've been wanting a tortoise for a long time but I won't if it's not right.
I've lived in NYC all my life so I'm no stranger to limited floor space. Like everyone else here, the solution is to "build upwards". Basically, I'm wondering if I can pull off a two-story tortoise enclosure. I attached a picture of what I had in mind. It's two 4'x2' boxes stacked like bunk beds, so it adds up to 4x8 while taking up only 2x4 of space. I've seen some gorgeous two-story tortoise tables here, but usually the upper story is smaller than the lower.
Can this be done? I'd be enlisting some manual labor assistance on this but I wanted to know if I'm missing considerations before I even make an attempt - how much space should the two boxes be separated if I want to put flourescent UVB lights under the top box (the ceiling of the bottom box)? Will the tortoise be able to climb a ramp that steep or long? Is this completely crazy?
For the record, I do understand that there may not be a solution until I can find a place to live with decent and controllable outdoor options. Where I live, it's much more likely that the best I can do is just a larger indoor solution someday. Is that cruel, to get a tortoise meant to only live indoors? I've been wanting a tortoise for a long time but I won't if it's not right.
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