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That's a great suggestion... I didn't even consider short (relative to Jungle Dawn LED bar), perpendicular UVB light placement. 1x 48" LED bar may actually be enough for this enclosure size, but I'm a little worried about light coverage on periphery.

We're in the process of buying lights for my new Aldabra enclosure. Arcadia LumenIZE is a good (though expensive) product line; I wish it had been available for my Boxie's stock tank (JUN 2023). Little Aldabra's enclosure will be slightly larger (96" x 48" x 48") and require more lighting...

I initially planned to do the same for my box turtle, but decided that Pet Tekk cave was a better fit. She really seems to enjoy the feel of natural wood, however. I'm happy with both purchases.

Thankfully, the hide we received has more than enough room for my (nearly adult) box turtle. It wouldn't be a good value for Aldabra hatchlings though... they would probably outgrow in <18 months.

Has anyone (besides me) purchased a java wood reptile hide through Etsy or Amazon? These are produced by a Vietnamese driftwood manufacturer. The XL version isn't exactly cheap, but seems appropriately sized for my Boxie and/or future tortoise. Hopefully it's safe for both...🤞 I'll upload a...

UPDATE: We somehow managed to haul this fully assembled (minus glass panels) enclosure home. It barely fit in my cousin's truck bed. Animal Plastics is extremely durable, and we're a little surprised that nothing broke in transit. The whole process took ~12h. In retrospect, a full teardown &...

That's actually very close to what I had in mind! We've only begun to dabble in small pit greenhouses and fruit trenches since 2020, but have some ideas about scaling up and using local topography to our advantage. I need to read more about the climate battery greenhouse concept. 🌞🔋 Our...

Sorry for my delayed response and overlooking those FAQ threads. I'm more efficient on desktop PC than mobile phone, but can't socialize with animals from my home office. We're extremely vigilant about pest control. I'm not a sport hunter, but have killed multiple coyotes in Arkansas and...

Yeah, that's my understanding and ultimate goal. The heated building(s) may have different proportions, but similar footprint to agricultural pole barn or quonset hut. We have multiple building sites to choose between (even if I didn't clear more land).

Our extended (Arkansan) family raise large hoofstock, emu and goats. I'm less experienced than some of the old ranchers, but have done my share of wrangling. The most challenging animal(s) to date were our neighbor's runaway turkey pair. These required a search party with ATVs to scour 400+...

Thank you. I'd rather err on the side of caution with this. I'm adding Solarmeter to my shopping list. David (Etsy merchant) was gracious about cancellation, and I hope that more knowledgeable parties will eventually review his product. My application to join that FB group is now pending. :)

Little tort is currently 5.5", and ~6 months old. 👶 Arkansas has middling soil/water quality as a whole (thanks to some irresponsible municipalities and agricultural practices), but our local water quality is good. My family used the same well for 100+ years; we didn't have access to municipal...

The original recommendation came through a distant cousin (also living in Arkansas). He keeps an imported box turtle which isn't native to this state, and has a background in electrical engineering. An acquaintance with bearded dragons and uromastyx at his flea market also mentioned Hexware...

Hi everyone. As I mentioned on my introductory thread, a tortoise will join our family soon. This forum has been an incredible resource, especially for theory of closed chamber design. I've made some progress on both my Aldabra enclosures (indoor & outdoor). Indoor: 1) Found a used 'Animal...

Btw, I've discontinued use of reptile fogger in Boxie tank (as of last substrate change). Other family members are disappointed, but finally understand. We're looking into room or house-scale humidification. i should probably begin a new thread for ongoing Aldabra discussion. This was supposed...

Thanks, I'll definitely avoid using reptile fogger with our tortoise. The conditions in my boxie's open-topped stock tank are very different... the humidity rarely drops below 60%, so fogger hasn't triggered in several weeks. It's set to the lowest output and is positioned over her...

Yes, my little gem is already 5.5" (and growing rapidly at her Florida nursery). We've allocated ~75 sqf space for the initial outdoor pen. This area is pesticide-free, adjacent to house and accessible through window. Light conditions are reptile-friendly... persistent basking and shady zones...

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. We use coconut coir (Zoo Med Eco Earth) as the majority substrate in my box turtle habitat. It's affordable and holds moisture well (even without closed chamber).

Yep! Nate said they'll have a quote for me soon. They're actually the first shop I contacted.

That may be an issue. I thought we could use fogger with enclosed terrarium for optimal 80% humidity when tort cannot be outside. The solarium where boxie resides (in stock tank) has ambient humidity of 60%+ for most of year, but 80% isn't feasible without a drastic remodel. If using fogger in...