Building Tortoise Table Number Two!

[xirxes]

I do not have Russians, but you cannot get through this stuff even with a knife. You would need hammer and chisel.

 

[Gary Gerrard]

I do not have Russians, but you cannot get through this stuff even with a knife. You would need hammer and chisel.

Think this will be getting used for my table oncethis has been put down how long would you leaveit to air out? And do you need anything special to apply it?

 

[Oxalis]

I do not have Russians, but you cannot get through this stuff even with a knife. You would need hammer and chisel.

Glad to hear my Russian won't be able to scratch it off so quickly. I'm always wondering how to compete with his "active" behavior.

Think this will be getting used for my table once this has been put down how long would you leaveit to air out? And do you need anything special to apply it?

We left it for a few hours in the room, with the fan going and the windows open (on a warm day) to help it dry faster and air out. It's at least tacky a half hour after application, but hubby says it's dry to the touch within about 1 to 2 hours, and fully cures by about 24 hours, minimum. This is all dependent upon your humidity and other factors. Steve was outside in his outdoor enclosure so it worked out well.

 

[xirxes]

you can apply with short nap roller, or if surface is super slick, a squeegee. make sure to press it in well to any gaps and as directed, two caots to get a 10 mil finish for full warrantee.

 

[Oxalis]

I think we finally figured out our lighting for the enclosure! We've been busy lately but Steve's almost ready to move in. We found a 48-inch LED light with a color temperature of 4000 K (which is a white, neutral light) and outputs 4800 lumens. Here's the room without the light on:



Here's the light on, which will add significantly more light to the room for Steve. For heat, I have one heat lamp and the 100-Watt Zoo Med PowerSun UV mercury vapor lamp.

 

[Oxalis]

We are just about finished!!!

I have been super excited to finish up our project (OK, mostly my husband's awesome project) so Steve can explore his new home. We recently had a wedding to attend and had to put off the table for a few days and neither one of us enjoyed that. Steve has much more space in his new home, and we will be better utilizing the space in this extra bedroom. Now that the table is under the window ledge, his enclosure will catch more sunlight, although he pretty much has a sun shining above him with his new LED light! The corners have wide caps, which he has already taken a liking to because it provides him with another hiding spot. And best of all, he has plants growing inside his enclosure now. There are currently 3 spineless Opuntia (courtesy of @Turtulas-Len) and a Campanula from Steve's outdoor garden/enclosure (the first flower on it this season just bloomed today). The two wider pots have Testudo Mix seed and the other pot some Calendula seeds I thought I'd try. The Campanula is already growing over the edge of the pot where Steve can reach up and eat it himself. Even if he can't reach a plant, this will still make feeding him quicker since I won't have to go outside to his garden (or the supermarket in the winter). The white on the inside walls is the Pond Armor. We bought bricks of the Eco Earth Coconut Fiber Substrate, which soaked inside the enclosure, so everything's definitely waterproof!



Here is the longer edge of the table, the warm side with a heat lamp and a 100W PowerSun UV bulb:



Here's the shorter edge, the cooler side with a water dish:



After his Mazuri treat, Steve sets off to explore his new territory!



I love that we could make the enclosure L-shaped, so Steve could not view the entire enclosure from one end. We're hoping this (and his new LED light) keep him more active while inside. Of course, we can always move around the pots and start growing other plants for him to add enrichment.

 

[Len B]

That setup should keep Steve from getting bored while inside.

 

[daniellenc]

Definitely amazing!! I can't wait for Skurt to get big enough for a large space like that.

 

[Oxalis]

That setup should keep Steve from getting bored while inside.

He visited each rock (in the corners) and sat on it for a second, looking around. Then he walked back to the heat lamp, his safe place. I think he'll grow to like it better than the old house in the next few days!

Here's hubby having fun destroying the old tort table. We'll probably use the wood for another project.

 

[Oxalis]

In case anyone is interested in building their own table, here are the measurements for our tortie table (and yes, I know my math isn't perfect).

 

[Oxalis]

The burrow king is inside for the winter and no longer taking calls. I soaked another brick of substrate for Steve for greater burrow depth.