enclosure good or bad

Ali311

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0C414035-60D4-4A2C-B802-45AD891F88D3.png 2F9D2FFC-E88C-46A8-8E3F-A93AD92F76BD.png im thinking about buying a premade enclosure for my baby sulcata. it was made of birch plywood, then the inside has porcelain tile painted white and sealed with kennel seal. it has 2 heat lamp fixtures and one flourescent. it has sliding acrylic doors. it has 4 vents. im wondering if the vents will cause problems in maintaining 80% humidity for him. the vents do not close. im wondering if the birch will stand up to that humidity level even though it was sealed. is this a good enclosure to purchase ?
 

Blackdog1714

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Wow can I have it when they outgrow it in like 6 months. Awesome looking but those bulldozers grow fast. Check out the TFO Sulcata section for some suggestions they will be way cheaper
 

Jodie

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That is very pretty. You would need to cover the vents. The ramp and the second level would need rails, they will dive off without. You would also have to modify the front some how to be able to put substrate in that will not fall out when the door is opened. They need several inches or more of substrate you can keep damp for humidity. What are the dimensions of this? I agree with the above, a sulcata will outgrow this very quickly.
 

H2447INTX

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I would close off the 2 big vents.

As for humidity, you may still have trouble being there is no substrate/dirt .
 

Ali311

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its 4x2x2. id use cypress mulch and coconut coir. yes...i was going to put a piece of plexi glass in front of the doors to block substrate from coming out. i could sell it when he outgrows it i guess. the ramp does not come with it. i use a piece of slate tile for basking and half log as a humid hide. i figured itd last like 1-2 years...no?
 

TriciaStringer

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Just want to warn you that kennel seal is no match for the amount of moisture needed to keep 80% or higher humidity. We did 4 coats of kennel seal and still had an insane amount of mold or mildew growth under the enclosure when we picked it up. It had only been about 6 months of use.

A sulcata needs an 8x4 enclosure well before a year old. A two year old can usually live outside fulltime with a heated night box. Once they are 8-10 inches, they can move outside.

Be sure to read the posts in the sulcata section.

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
 
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Jodie

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its 4x2x2. id use cypress mulch and coconut coir. yes...i was going to put a piece of plexi glass in front of the doors to block substrate from coming out. i could sell it when he outgrows it i guess. the ramp does not come with it. i use a piece of slate tile for basking and half log as a humid hide. i figured itd last like 1-2 years...no?
They all grow at their own rates, but I would not expect more than a year. This will not be big enough to get you to the point where you no longer need closed chambers, so I would just go bigger to start.
 

Ali311

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so is 8x4x2 closed chamber my best bet? also, should i have a hinged roof instead of swinging doors so he cant break the doors?
 

TriciaStringer

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Yes, but im wondering what size is best considering he will pretty much outgrow anything
You’ll want to get the 8x4. It will be big enough until he is ready to live outside in a large enclosure all year long.
 

TriciaStringer

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I’m going to tag @Tom. He has them and knows exactly what to order. You do want it tall so the lights are at an appropriate height so it doesn’t get too hot under the basking light. Not sure how tall though.
 

Ali311

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I am going to try to build one myself. I am just not sure about that lighting. I usually use a daytime basking bulb in a nighttime basking bulb so I’m not sure if one would go on the right in the center or both on the same side. Also I’m not sure how long the fluorescent would need to be. Would it run the entire length or just half?
 

TriciaStringer

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The nighttime bulb should be a CHE. It gives off zero light and just keeps the temp stable. It needs a thermostat. I put my basking daytime bulb (65 watt flood bulb) in the center. How high or low it hangs depends on your tortoise’s size. You’ll need to know what the temp will be on the top of his shell. You can put a brick under the light and then use a digital laser gun thermometer to check the temp on the brick after about 10-15 minutes. If it’s under 95, lower it a little, it it is too hot, above 100, raise it up. This is why a 2 foot high enclosure might be too low. I could be wrong about that. Now that I think about it, I can’t remember the height of mine. It’s difficult to adjust it with that little of a space to work with. I didn’t use UVB because in my climate, my tortoises could go outside just about everyday. Someone else will probably chime in on that subject.
 

Ali311

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It plugs into a thermostat and turns off at a set temp? Can u suggest a thermostat type as an example?
 

Ali311

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In order to maintain daytime temps, could you also plug incandescent bulbs into this too or would that mess with his sense of day and night?
 

TriciaStringer

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In order to maintain daytime temps, could you also plug incandescent bulbs into this too or would that mess with his sense of day and night?
The basking light will keep the temp up in the enclosure during the day if it is a closed chapter, but the CHE will continue to work during the day if the temps try to drop below 80.
 

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