Advice wanted: Tortoise shed as night/winter enclosure for large tortoise species in a cold climate

Eredant

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Dear all,

I will soon start building a shed (5x3m or roughly 16x10 feet) specifically to house my two aldabras (about 2 years old now) at night and during the winter months. I realize that bigger is always better, but rather than building a bigger shed, I was thinking of adding a greenhouse as an outdoor area. This could be one of those plastic tunnel types that I could put up for say 5 months a year.

For the shed I plan to buy a standard wooden shed with insulated roof and then add an additional 10cm of PIR foam all around. I'd protect the foam by glueing on PVC panels in the inside since those can stand the high humidity. In total that would give me 13cm (5 inch) walls and floor and a 15cm (6inch) roof. Since they are still small at the moment will provide them with a 'night box', so I don't need to heat the whole shed at night.

The main reason I'm posting is to get some advice about the lighting, although other advice is also welcome. How would you provide the UVB light? In a perfect world, I'd hang 15x T5 lights at about half a meter above the ground but that doesn't seem reasonable? How do zoos do this?
 

Yvonne G

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I had two male aldabran tortoises, and this is where they lived:

aldab soon to be leopard yard.jpgAldabran 9-1-14 a.jpgAldabran shed 8-2-13 a.jpgAldabran Shed 8-2-13 b.jpgAldabran-3.jpg
 

Maggie3fan

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I keep Sulcata in the PacificNorthWest...I have a heated and insulated shed 20'x8ft or so...I have overhead florescent lighting, I have a 100 watt MVB, a sleeping box with a Cane heating pad and for ambient heat an oil filled radiator...keeps the shed at 85 to 90 even when it's freezing outside...both sides have their own MVB, heat mat and sleeping box....My shed stays that temp day and night...some nights Big Sam sleeps in the hay outside his box...sure wouldn't want not to have heat at night.010.JPG
 

Eredant

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Aalter, Belgium
Thank you all for the advice so far!

@maggie18fan Yes, I will definitely ensure that the shed is heated, not just relying on the insulation. So the MVB is where they get the UVB light from? Do you let them go outside in the winter months as well to get some natural light? If one MVB suffices, then perhaps an array of 2-3 T5 bulbs mounted under a table might be a nice way to get that light to them
 

Maggie3fan

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Thank you all for the advice so far!

@maggie18fan Yes, I will definitely ensure that the shed is heated, not just relying on the insulation. So the MVB is where they get the UVB light from? Do you let them go outside in the winter months as well to get some natural light? If one MVB suffices, then perhaps an array of 2-3 T5 bulbs mounted under a table might be a nice way to get that light to them
I use the MVB because I like them. Other keepers will recommend different lighting...I have 2 Sulcata and the shed is separated in half...each tort has a MVB, heat mat, CHE...there is a fluorescent bulb over the the area...walls, floor, roof all are insulated...my torts are older now so they do go out in the winter...they go out in the snow, but it rains here 7 months a year....I
 

Yvonne G

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My aldabrans were able to go out of the shed whenever they wanted to, except at night. I always closed them in at night.
 

DarkerGraphic

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Dear all,

I will soon start building a shed (5x3m or roughly 16x10 feet) specifically to house my two aldabras (about 2 years old now) at night and during the winter months. I realize that bigger is always better, but rather than building a bigger shed, I was thinking of adding a greenhouse as an outdoor area. This could be one of those plastic tunnel types that I could put up for say 5 months a year.

For the shed I plan to buy a standard wooden shed with insulated roof and then add an additional 10cm of PIR foam all around. I'd protect the foam by glueing on PVC panels in the inside since those can stand the high humidity. In total that would give me 13cm (5 inch) walls and floor and a 15cm (6inch) roof. Since they are still small at the moment will provide them with a 'night box', so I don't need to heat the whole shed at night.

The main reason I'm posting is to get some advice about the lighting, although other advice is also welcome. How would you provide the UVB light? In a perfect world, I'd hang 15x T5 lights at about half a meter above the ground but that doesn't seem reasonable? How do zoos do this?
In case this thread helps. https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-shed-conversion.202231/
 

SanctuaryHills

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I keep Sulcata in the PacificNorthWest...I have a heated and insulated shed 20'x8ft or so...I have overhead florescent lighting, I have a 100 watt MVB, a sleeping box with a Cane heating pad and for ambient heat an oil filled radiator...keeps the shed at 85 to 90 even when it's freezing outside...both sides have their own MVB, heat mat and sleeping box....My shed stays that temp day and night...some nights Big Sam sleeps in the hay outside his box...sure wouldn't want not to have heat at night.View attachment 293355
Curious why you need the mats if you are able to keep the Ambient temps 85-90 with an oil filled radiator? Are the mats themselves helping you reach those temps?
 

Maggie3fan

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Curious why you need the mats if you are able to keep the Ambient temps 85-90 with an oil filled radiator? Are the mats themselves helping you reach those temps?
The Sulcata uses the mat sort of like a basking bulb...the ambient temp is 85 but the mat is 90-95 and the Sulcata sleeps on the mat...there is room for her to get off the mat
Thank you all for the advice so far!

@maggie18fan Yes, I will definitely ensure that the shed is heated, not just relying on the insulation. So the MVB is where they get the UVB light from? Do you let them go outside in the winter months as well to get some natural light? If one MVB suffices, then perhaps an array of 2-3 T5 bulbs mounted under a table might be a nice way to get that light to themt and still be in the sleeping box. Also there is a basking bulb and a che to use if she wants.
 

Maggie3fan

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I open the doggie door for my Sulcata everyday regardless of the weather, but not the smaller species. Mary K is about 40 pounds and that is big enuf to hold core heat for a bit. She is not fond of snow but she will go out in the rain and graze for a bit. When she goes back in the shed then she goes under the UVB bulb for a bit to warm up.
In Miami you have great weather for your Aldabs...but they are too small to be allowed to get cold...having enuf area to walk around aids in digestion, and their core temp needs to be 80-85 degrees to digest food as well. The way you should keep your torts is not necessarily the same as I keep my Sulcata in this...100_6489.JPG
this was last year. We haven't had winter weather other than damn cold...100_6496.JPG100_6496.JPG
 

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