Hey!
So I decided to build an area for my tort in the garage to play in when mum and dad aren't home.
Area: 8ft x 8ft of substrate area + 8ft x 4ft non-substrate area.
Substrate: I could not find cypress for the life of me (people around here have never even heard of it), so I have hemlock / fir mulch and bark chips. I researched as best I could and did not see anything about it being poisonous. I have learned that I get teeny little splinters when I am digging around in there, though. I haven't seen any skin irritation on my tort, but I will keep everyone posted. The mulch is rich and smells fantastic.
Temperature: The temperature is stable at 28 degrees. Question: Should I lower my temperature at night? Is it too hot? Will he spend less time under his basking light since it is so warm in there?
Humidity: Quite humid, but this isn't supposed to be a big deal.
Plants: All I have are day lilies right now, but I will have hibiscus, sweet peas, and a clematis (this one isn't for him to eat!) growing in there, on my next paycheque. I also want to plant a big dandelion and thistle. Should be beautiful in there.
Pictures!
- Not yet complete. We have cardboard underneath the mulch to help soak up moisture and to help prevent staining of the concrete. I don't know what to do on this half. It's really nice to have a rocking bench down there, though! We keep the hay in the box to help keep it from going EVERYWHERE... will find a cuter method eventually.
- The substrate side! I want one more bag of the mulch to make it softer. He also isn't a big fan of sleeping in his igloo. Tonight he opted for sleeping in his hay box. Weirdo.
- And, as always, trying to figure out if there is a way to escape.
COSTS:
- Mulch: $25
- Heater: $65
- Air Purifier (yet to arrive): $45
- Cardboard: $0 (yay fastfood restaurant dumpster diving)
- Igloo: $50
- Wood: $40
--- TOTAL: $225 +/-
Let me know your thoughts / suggestions!
Yes, the tort still hangs out upstairs like a puppy dog on occasion. He usually joins us from 6pm-8pm.
So I decided to build an area for my tort in the garage to play in when mum and dad aren't home.
Area: 8ft x 8ft of substrate area + 8ft x 4ft non-substrate area.
Substrate: I could not find cypress for the life of me (people around here have never even heard of it), so I have hemlock / fir mulch and bark chips. I researched as best I could and did not see anything about it being poisonous. I have learned that I get teeny little splinters when I am digging around in there, though. I haven't seen any skin irritation on my tort, but I will keep everyone posted. The mulch is rich and smells fantastic.
Temperature: The temperature is stable at 28 degrees. Question: Should I lower my temperature at night? Is it too hot? Will he spend less time under his basking light since it is so warm in there?
Humidity: Quite humid, but this isn't supposed to be a big deal.
Plants: All I have are day lilies right now, but I will have hibiscus, sweet peas, and a clematis (this one isn't for him to eat!) growing in there, on my next paycheque. I also want to plant a big dandelion and thistle. Should be beautiful in there.
Pictures!
- Not yet complete. We have cardboard underneath the mulch to help soak up moisture and to help prevent staining of the concrete. I don't know what to do on this half. It's really nice to have a rocking bench down there, though! We keep the hay in the box to help keep it from going EVERYWHERE... will find a cuter method eventually.
- The substrate side! I want one more bag of the mulch to make it softer. He also isn't a big fan of sleeping in his igloo. Tonight he opted for sleeping in his hay box. Weirdo.
- And, as always, trying to figure out if there is a way to escape.
COSTS:
- Mulch: $25
- Heater: $65
- Air Purifier (yet to arrive): $45
- Cardboard: $0 (yay fastfood restaurant dumpster diving)
- Igloo: $50
- Wood: $40
--- TOTAL: $225 +/-
Let me know your thoughts / suggestions!
Yes, the tort still hangs out upstairs like a puppy dog on occasion. He usually joins us from 6pm-8pm.
