Bigger and slightly more permanent?

[PenguBySleep]

I currently have 5 baby sulcatas (about 6 months old) and I live in MD so it's cold for a good portion of the year (I'm moving in about two years to Florida though). I currently have them in an under the bed storage bin right now (no lid, the bin is on my desk under a heat lamp) and they have a dome like hide out and a dosh for food and a dish for water, this was meant to be just a small quick and easy thing to get them started. I want to expand and make a more permanent enclosure but I don't know what to use or do. I need it to be able to sit on my desh so a table won't work like most people have. I also don't have to tools or money or skills to build a box for them or buy one for them. Any and all suggestions are welcome, thank you!

I'll try to post pictures of their current home on this threas later.

~Colette

 

[theelectraco]

Any habitat big enough for 5 growing Sulcatas is not going to be able to sit on a desk top.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Colette, and welcome to the Forum!!

 

[mctlong]

Welcome to the forum!!!

Any habitat big enough for 5 growing Sulcatas is not going to be able to sit on a desk top.

I agree! How long do you plan on keeping them in the "bigger and slightly more permanent" strucure before moving them to a permanent outdoor pen? Some people have had luck usng the big tubberwares for temporary hatchling homes, but even those are going to be too small for five, growing, 6+ month old sullys, unless you get one for each sully, and even then they might not be big enough after a few months.....

 

[PenguBySleep]

Its just for two years, until I move

 

[theelectraco]

I think you may be underestimating how big a sulcata can get in two years, plus the fact that you have 5 of them...you are definitely going to need to build a large tortoise table.

---

How big is their enclosure now?

 

[jessrich87]

I'm going to assume that you know sulcatas can reach sizes of 200lbs or more, of course that will be awhile. The others are right though, they will outgrow a storage container quickly. Mine is a year old and he does fine in his, but he is on there by himself and its about 3ft long. I would recommend getting the largest storage containers that will fit in the available space or a water trough, until you can provide them a permanent outdoor enclosure. Keep in mind also that you may have to house them separately in the future. In fact, if you have more than one desk now you could get more than one container and split them up now. That would provide them more room. Welcome to the forum! I am not a pro in any way. I've only had my sully for about a year. There are some very knowledgable people here that will be able to help you though. Be prepared for them to jump all over you for having so many torts that get so large in such a small space and not being totally prepared for it... Lol but just take all the help you can get and do your best. They are very rewarding animals. Good luck!

 

[Laura]

in two years.. you might even has trouble housing one in a box on your desk... I think you may have jumped the gun a bit on getting five and not moving for two years....
they could be 4-5 pounds each by then. It can vary...
any chance of moving sooner or rehoming a few now and waiting till you move to get more? Its the best for them...maybe?

 

[PenguBySleep]

Two of them are my dads, hes unable to get them until march so I will be down to three soon. The bin is relatively large, i dont know exact measurements and im at school so I cant check right now anyway.

 

[FLINTUS]

I would imagine by even two years you'd be looking at a small room(or at least a large quantity of it) to house 5 of them.

 

[ra94131]

I might suggest something similar to what I've put together for my Sulcata until I move him outside this summer (hopefully). It is affordable, relatively easy to put together, and mobile (on an infrequent basis; certainly not every day). It could also technically be expanded ad infinitum.

It obviously won't fit on a desk, but I don't think any suitably sized enclosure for five (or even three) Sulcatas older than 6 months would. (Unless you have a much larger desk than I do.)

I've included a link below that includes my current temporary solution. (I know a number of other forum members have put together something similar.) I should also add that the amount of electrical/heating/lighting I have is probably (almost certainly) overkill; focus on the basic enclosure.

Link: Rasputin, the Sulcata Tortoise