Animal Plastics enclosure for Spider Tortoises?

Mock Tortoise

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Joined
Apr 11, 2020
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17
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California
Hello, I’m new here. I have a Spider Tortoise (P. a. arachnoides) about 15 years old. I currently keep her (or him, not sure but she has a girl name) in an industrial food tub, but would like to get a better enclosure. I read about Animal Plastics enclosures here and wondering if one of those would be suitable for Spider Tortoises. I’ve been reading a lot of posts, mostly Tom’s, about Animal Plastics enclosures here but I’m still not sure about what specific set up I should ask for, especially the lighting part. These are the specs I’m thinking so far:

Size: My tort is about 4”. I’ve had her for about 15 years and I’m not sure if she will grow another inch in the next 15 years. I think 2 feet x 3 feet is enough space for her. But is it big enough for heat gradient in a closed enclosure? If so, T5 36*24*18 or T6 36*24*24. 18 or 24” height?

Lighting: I was thinking having a fixture that takes 22” Arcadia T5 12% bulb so there will be less bright area on one side. Or should I just get the full length 33”? And a dome fixture on the brighter end for basking (25 watt?). Maybe have LED installed as well so the Arcadia bulb can be on thermostat or timer?

Vent: Not sure about this at all. Do AP terrestrial cages have vents? Should I ask for some to be installed? On top? Sides?

Dam: 6” dam in front as suggested by Tom.

Color: I think I prefer the light cream color, but are there any pro/cons functionally between the colors?

Other considerations: I currently use orchid bark for substrate. It’s ok, but wondering if I should try top soil.

Do those sound ok? Any suggestion/advice will be greatly appreciated.
 

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