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Any suggestions on building a Turtle house for a 90 lb Turtle?
Anyone ever try a water bed heater under the floor for heat?
Anyone ever try a water bed heater under the floor for heat?
90 lb sulcata - Turtle House
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Former Member
New Member
I got his Turle because a friend could not take it with him.
So i want to give him a good home where he is happy.
I live i SoCal.
So i want to give him a good home where he is happy.
I live i SoCal.
Former Member
New Member
Here are some of Tom's nightbox threads: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/#post-632974
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-effective-night-box.86632/#post-807666
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/#post-828952
For heat you can use an oil-filled radiator, or a combination of radiant heat panels on the ceiling and a Kane heat mat on the floor, controlled by a thermostat.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-effective-night-box.86632/#post-807666
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/#post-828952
For heat you can use an oil-filled radiator, or a combination of radiant heat panels on the ceiling and a Kane heat mat on the floor, controlled by a thermostat.
Former Member
New Member
Thank You for the posts there was some good ideas.
I am wondering why they make the floors solid in all of these designs.
If the floor was a slatted floor the poop could escape the box.
Being on social security i do not have a lot of money to spare.
So i try to get creative when i do projects to save money.
I hoked up with the local grocery store for expired greens for food.
That was pretty easy after i talked to them and told them it was for my turtle.
Now i go by on friday afternoon and trade them a couple of pizzas for the greens.
In turn they give me a couple of boxes of greens for the turtle..
That feeds him for a few days and the rest of the time he eats grass.
If you do this expect your turtle to grow faster then normal.
Since i got the turtle he has been gaining 7 - 10 lbs a month.
I took him to the Vet and he said he i was doing everything right.
That the quality of food i was giving him was why he was growing so fast.
The stores are suppose to recycle the green products when expired.
The only thing i had to do is convince them there was no better way to do it.
I am sure the pizzas made the deal a little easier to close.
Back to the house......Sorry got side tracked.
I am thinking of using a pallet for the base.
That way everything is elevated from the damp ground.
With a slatted floor i could place a catch in the area below the floor.
This would make it easy to clean any debris that falls down.
If the floor was slotted i could also put a waterbed header under the slats on one side..
That way the turtle has a warm area if he wants more heat.
I got a 2 x 12 eight foot long for free for the ramp boards to enter.
I checked craigslist and picked up several pallets for free.
There was pavers on craigslist but were out of my area.
I hope to have everything by next weekend so i can get started. .
The only thing i need is to figure out if i want to insulate the walls like most plans.
I am not sure if it is really needed here in the beach area of California.
The temperature rarely gets into the high 40's at night so it is never very cold.
With the heat radiating up from the floor set at 65 the turtle should be fine.
The last owner let him burrow where he stayed all year with no problems.
I am wondering why they make the floors solid in all of these designs.
If the floor was a slatted floor the poop could escape the box.
Being on social security i do not have a lot of money to spare.
So i try to get creative when i do projects to save money.
I hoked up with the local grocery store for expired greens for food.
That was pretty easy after i talked to them and told them it was for my turtle.
Now i go by on friday afternoon and trade them a couple of pizzas for the greens.
In turn they give me a couple of boxes of greens for the turtle..
That feeds him for a few days and the rest of the time he eats grass.
If you do this expect your turtle to grow faster then normal.
Since i got the turtle he has been gaining 7 - 10 lbs a month.
I took him to the Vet and he said he i was doing everything right.
That the quality of food i was giving him was why he was growing so fast.
The stores are suppose to recycle the green products when expired.
The only thing i had to do is convince them there was no better way to do it.
I am sure the pizzas made the deal a little easier to close.
Back to the house......Sorry got side tracked.
I am thinking of using a pallet for the base.
That way everything is elevated from the damp ground.
With a slatted floor i could place a catch in the area below the floor.
This would make it easy to clean any debris that falls down.
If the floor was slotted i could also put a waterbed header under the slats on one side..
That way the turtle has a warm area if he wants more heat.
I got a 2 x 12 eight foot long for free for the ramp boards to enter.
I checked craigslist and picked up several pallets for free.
There was pavers on craigslist but were out of my area.
I hope to have everything by next weekend so i can get started. .
The only thing i need is to figure out if i want to insulate the walls like most plans.
I am not sure if it is really needed here in the beach area of California.
The temperature rarely gets into the high 40's at night so it is never very cold.
With the heat radiating up from the floor set at 65 the turtle should be fine.
The last owner let him burrow where he stayed all year with no problems.
I have my nightbox heated to 80F. At only 65F, your tortoise will probably survive but he won't be comfortable and he won't be able to eat since he can't digest his food unless he gets warm. Insulation should help lower your heating costs.
I don't know how comfortable sitting on a pallet will be for his feet. Half of his waste will end up on top of the pallet anyway. I think that would make your cleanup more difficult. How are you going to train him not to drop waste on top of the waterbed heater? Also since this will be outside, is it safe to use a waterbed heater that is designed to be used indoors?
I don't know how comfortable sitting on a pallet will be for his feet. Half of his waste will end up on top of the pallet anyway. I think that would make your cleanup more difficult. How are you going to train him not to drop waste on top of the waterbed heater? Also since this will be outside, is it safe to use a waterbed heater that is designed to be used indoors?
@Vigil
@Big Charlie
With not such extreme weather like us out in the north east the idea may work. @Vigil Just keep an eye and be ready for a back up solution.
Also @Vigil
I have never heard of anyone using this for a sully heater. You could never put it right in with him for he will dig and wreck the heater. If you put it under the floor, it would have to be a thin floor like sheet metal. Plus you would have to add something under the heater to reflect the heat..
@Big Charlie
These waterbed heaters are water sealed for it a waterbed ever leaks it could electrocute someone. So the weather won't hurt it.
With not such extreme weather like us out in the north east the idea may work. @Vigil Just keep an eye and be ready for a back up solution.
Also @Vigil
Pay attention to the correct greens to feed your sully.
How on earth would you clean out the poop under the pallet? In my opinion, tortoise poop, just like the waste from any other animal you care for, should be picked up and disposed of on a daily basis. I rake out my tortoise sheds every morning when I feed and water the animals. That's why I make actual sheds rather than night boxes. I want to be able to walk inside and rake up the poop. Here's a link to my sulcata's shed:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/dudleys-rebuild.111350/#post-1034676
Also, if you have the shelter up on a pallet, cold air will come in from underneath.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/dudleys-rebuild.111350/#post-1034676
Also, if you have the shelter up on a pallet, cold air will come in from underneath.
There are two seasons where these animals come from. Hot and hotter. Its hot in the hot season. Its even hotter in the hotter season. There is no high 40s, cold clammy beachy weather where they come from. They need it warm at night, and tortoises near the beach show an extreme predilection towards respiratory infections. The point is: Heat is needed for this tropical species. Every day, all year long. You need temps in the mid 80s for winter, and in your climate, I wouldn't go below 80 in summer.
I've never tested a water bed heater and frankly, there is no reason too. I have tested all sorts of other heating elements, so this wheel has already been invented. No need to re-invent it with equipment that is designed for other uses and is possibly unsafe or ineffective. There is a reason why there is not a host of people on this forum of 40,000 people all over the world is not using waterbed heaters for their tortoises. Mini radiant oil-filled heaters cost about $30, and the thermostat to run them costs about another $30. If you put these into a well insulated properly sealed night box, there are also very efficient to keep your electric bill down, while also being very effective at keeping your night temperatures correct for this species.
I don't think living on a pallet with large slats is a good idea. Its a question of time before a foot gets caught or a leg gets injured. Also, while some poop might drop down, a large amount will be smooshed onto the slats and do the same thing as a regular floor would do. Why do we all do it with solid floors? Because its safe and it works.
If you live in an area that regularly get 100+ in summer, a burrow is an excellent way to go for the summer months. If you live near the beach, I wouldn't let them burrow. Regardless of where you live in North America, its too cold to let them burrow in winter. While some percentage of them can survive this in areas that are hot all year like Phoenix AZ, many more die from these inappropriate temperatures. There is no cool season where they come from. Its hot all year long. A cold winter day over there would have a high of 88. Most days are near or over 100 degrees. Night temps can be high 60s in winter over there, or mid 80s in summer, but each of those nights is followed by a very hot day. 68 at night followed by a cool cloudy day at the beach will make them sick. 68 degrees on a dry night where I live, followed by a 100 degree sunny day is fine.
Its great that you made a deal with your local store, but that is not the right food for your giant turtle. They should be eating primarily grass, grass hay, certain weeds, leaves and flowers, and some spineless opuntia pads. Grocery store greens lack fiber, lack calcium, and typically have the wrong calcium to phosphorous ratio. If you are going to feed that to him, you'll need to amend it with something. I use grass hay, or fresh grass that I cut up with scissors and mix in. Orchard grass hay and bermuda grass hay work the best. Timothy is too stemmy. You can also feed them on a bed of this grass hay to get them used to it and hopefully get them to start eating it on their own.
I hope this info will help you and your new tortoise. Please feel free to ask for more explanation or clarification. Everyone here wants to see your tortoise thrive and you happy.
I've never tested a water bed heater and frankly, there is no reason too. I have tested all sorts of other heating elements, so this wheel has already been invented. No need to re-invent it with equipment that is designed for other uses and is possibly unsafe or ineffective. There is a reason why there is not a host of people on this forum of 40,000 people all over the world is not using waterbed heaters for their tortoises. Mini radiant oil-filled heaters cost about $30, and the thermostat to run them costs about another $30. If you put these into a well insulated properly sealed night box, there are also very efficient to keep your electric bill down, while also being very effective at keeping your night temperatures correct for this species.
I don't think living on a pallet with large slats is a good idea. Its a question of time before a foot gets caught or a leg gets injured. Also, while some poop might drop down, a large amount will be smooshed onto the slats and do the same thing as a regular floor would do. Why do we all do it with solid floors? Because its safe and it works.
If you live in an area that regularly get 100+ in summer, a burrow is an excellent way to go for the summer months. If you live near the beach, I wouldn't let them burrow. Regardless of where you live in North America, its too cold to let them burrow in winter. While some percentage of them can survive this in areas that are hot all year like Phoenix AZ, many more die from these inappropriate temperatures. There is no cool season where they come from. Its hot all year long. A cold winter day over there would have a high of 88. Most days are near or over 100 degrees. Night temps can be high 60s in winter over there, or mid 80s in summer, but each of those nights is followed by a very hot day. 68 at night followed by a cool cloudy day at the beach will make them sick. 68 degrees on a dry night where I live, followed by a 100 degree sunny day is fine.
Its great that you made a deal with your local store, but that is not the right food for your giant turtle. They should be eating primarily grass, grass hay, certain weeds, leaves and flowers, and some spineless opuntia pads. Grocery store greens lack fiber, lack calcium, and typically have the wrong calcium to phosphorous ratio. If you are going to feed that to him, you'll need to amend it with something. I use grass hay, or fresh grass that I cut up with scissors and mix in. Orchard grass hay and bermuda grass hay work the best. Timothy is too stemmy. You can also feed them on a bed of this grass hay to get them used to it and hopefully get them to start eating it on their own.
I hope this info will help you and your new tortoise. Please feel free to ask for more explanation or clarification. Everyone here wants to see your tortoise thrive and you happy.
Thank you @Tom I always love hearing it from you. Even though I buck your system, a little bit. ;-)
Former Member
New Member
I was planning on putting it at a angle on the side of th box so any poop will slide to the bottom.
If the crack is at that point it would drop through is what i was hoping..
The turtle is outside now in his burrow.
He comes out everyday and eats and drops a few elephant turds in the yard.
I put a thermometer in the hole and came to the conclusion 65 was the temp i needed.
This was from the temperature in the hole at the top.
I tried to take the temp under him but could not get a good reading.
If it seems to cold later i can always turn it up the temperature..
At 80 degrees i would be afraid it would upset the normal cycle for the animal.
In the desert there is no heater and the temperature is colder then 65 degrees
I was at a rescue yesterday and they did not use heaters.
They had a buch of what looked like pig mat the turtles crawl under.
SANDYSFROGS
New Member
Aww it makes me miss Louie even more.
Just because 65 is the temp of the current burrow, doesn't mean that is the optimal temp. Your tort is trying to make the best of his situation. Even though he is surviving, that doesn't mean he is thriving.
I have tried a waterbed Heater. It can work. But in the end it was not ideal. Water in close contact with the temperature probe and heat mat is not the same as the open air. The mat can over heat and melt. If you put the probe right on the mat it just it just turns on and off continually and burns out the thermostat.
As for poop I have all my heated hides on a nice slope or I build the floor sloped to the door. So all the was runs out the door. The tortoises are continually shifting around. Every wiggle moves the poop down hill and eventually out the door. My favorite night box is a chest freezer cut a door, hang a che or heat mat on the wall. On a thermostat. Prop up the end opposite the door. Screw some plastic flaps over the door. Done.
As for poop I have all my heated hides on a nice slope or I build the floor sloped to the door. So all the was runs out the door. The tortoises are continually shifting around. Every wiggle moves the poop down hill and eventually out the door. My favorite night box is a chest freezer cut a door, hang a che or heat mat on the wall. On a thermostat. Prop up the end opposite the door. Screw some plastic flaps over the door. Done.
You don't have a desert tortoise from a temperate climate. You have a grassland/forrest edge tortoise from a tropical climate. 65 is too cold.
If the night temp in sulcata land did happen to drop to 65 on the coldest "winter" night of the year, the tortoise would be down underground in an 80 degree burrow, and the daytime temp the next day would be in the 90s or 100s. You are making a mistake and it is likely to cost your tortoise its life.
The "normal" cycle for this animal is warm. Every day, all year. Rescues and many other people have the wrong idea about care for this species. We are trying to give you the info that will keep your tortoise alive and well.
Former Member
New Member
I was wondering about the water bed heater that is why i posted the information.
Thanks for the information..............
What do you think they do in the Sahara desert at night?
The temp gets to 6 C at night.42 F
My point If you running 80 f your cooking the turtles insides in my opinion.
If they can live in the wild at 42 F i am not to worried about him getting cold in Huntington beach.
We are mostly at 55 F at night.and only go to 48-49 in December and January.
The main reason turtles get sick is when they get wet which gives them a runny noise.
At that point it is a cold which can be a up hill battle to get well.
I took care of a turtle for the rescue in my area because he was sick.
It had to be removed from the other turtles or they would get sick too.
After 6 months the Turtle got a clean bill of health and was returned to the rescue.
In this case i did keep him inside at night and in the yard during the day.
Actually i would open the door on my way out in the morning.
Then he could come and go when ever he wanted.
I am good friends with the Veterinarian for the rescue.
He told me he did not think i needed to worry about the turtle getting sick in the hole.
if looks like rain to put him in my garage.until the area drys out.
I just would like to make him a nice home where i do not have to dig him up if it rains.
Thanks for the information..............
What do you think they do in the Sahara desert at night?
The temp gets to 6 C at night.42 F
My point If you running 80 f your cooking the turtles insides in my opinion.
If they can live in the wild at 42 F i am not to worried about him getting cold in Huntington beach.
We are mostly at 55 F at night.and only go to 48-49 in December and January.
The main reason turtles get sick is when they get wet which gives them a runny noise.
At that point it is a cold which can be a up hill battle to get well.
I took care of a turtle for the rescue in my area because he was sick.
It had to be removed from the other turtles or they would get sick too.
After 6 months the Turtle got a clean bill of health and was returned to the rescue.
In this case i did keep him inside at night and in the yard during the day.
Actually i would open the door on my way out in the morning.
Then he could come and go when ever he wanted.
I am good friends with the Veterinarian for the rescue.
He told me he did not think i needed to worry about the turtle getting sick in the hole.
if looks like rain to put him in my garage.until the area drys out.
I just would like to make him a nice home where i do not have to dig him up if it rains.
Did you bother to read @Tom’s post about where this tortoise actually lives and what it does to cope with cold?
He isn’t just making this stuff up; he’s been there to see for himself.
He knows Sulcatas, he knows their native habitat and he knows what makes them healthy and unhealthy.
I trust his sources more than many vets who know lots about small mammals, but frankly don’t have a clue when it comes to tortoises.
Crazy Tortoise
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