Cement Mixing Tub (Enclosure Ideas)

spjr6

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Hi.

I have my Leopard hatching in a large cement mixing tub that I purchased from Home Depot. I’m wanting to enclose the habitat to better maintain heat & humidity.

If anyone is familiar with this type of setup, I’m asking for ideas as to better enclose the tub without having to do extensive /or expensive craftsmanship. lol

Thanks.
 

motero

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I found a display case on Craigslist that lights and mixing tubs fit right inside.
 

Little Leopard

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Hey there! I actually am using a cement mixing tub right now and it’s working great for me! I’m assuming you want a cost efficient way of doing this all so what I found worked best for me was to create a box out of pvc pipe and wrapping the entire thing (top and bottom) with plastic. I met the plastic at the top and generously applied tape. I taped the back shut and then tapped only the top do the front side and put velcro on the side so that I can easily open and close it. I’ll take more pictures for you when I make it back home but this is what I have right now of the inside. If you want to get fancy you can add some light racks (not that hard to make). The pvc and plastic probably cost me no more than 20 dollars.

IMG_1519847851.696679.jpg

IMG_1519847861.766271.jpg
 

spjr6

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Hey there! I actually am using a cement mixing tub right now and it’s working great for me! I’m assuming you want a cost efficient way of doing this all so what I found worked best for me was to create a box out of pvc pipe and wrapping the entire thing (top and bottom) with plastic. I met the plastic at the top and generously applied tape. I taped the back shut and then tapped only the top do the front side and put velcro on the side so that I can easily open and close it. I’ll take more pictures for you when I make it back home but this is what I have right now of the inside. If you want to get fancy you can add some light racks (not that hard to make). The pvc and plastic probably cost me no more than 20 dollars.

View attachment 231753

View attachment 231754

Yes, something cost efficient! Lol

Do you have pictures of the entire enclosure?
 

Little Leopard

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Not sure the name but any old plastic will work. This I found at a local store but I’ve seen some rolls of it at the craft sections of stores like Walmart and Michaels. Usually around a dollar a 1 ‘ by 3’ so you wouldn’t meed more than like 15 feet depending on the tub you got. If you want a good bang for your buck you can do the same thing with painters plastic which isn’t as transparent or strong, but it cost like 5 dollars and gives you more than enough to cover the whole enclosure (found at Home Depot paint section). Only thing is you might want to air it out because they usually have strong smells when you first buy it.
 

motero

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Sixish months hot and dry, sixish months hot and humid. The first two babies were bit unsmooth before I got them.

Reese was Two years old before I got her, she is six inches.IMG_20180228_130837094.jpgIMG_20180228_130903290.jpg Pink was over a year before I got her, six inches.IMG_20180228_131053195.jpg IMG_20180228_131102782.jpg


Junior was two or three months, 5.5 inches.
IMG_20180228_131139633.jpg IMG_20180228_131153112.jpg
 

spjr6

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Not sure the name but any old plastic will work. This I found at a local store but I’ve seen some rolls of it at the craft sections of stores like Walmart and Michaels. Usually around a dollar a 1 ‘ by 3’ so you wouldn’t meed more than like 15 feet depending on the tub you got. If you want a good bang for your buck you can do the same thing with painters plastic which isn’t as transparent or strong, but it cost like 5 dollars and gives you more than enough to cover the whole enclosure (found at Home Depot paint section). Only thing is you might want to air it out because they usually have strong smells when you first buy it.

Ok.. I’ll check Walmart or Michaels. I’ll put up pictures once I start the process.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Tom

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Taking a little different tangent here…

Many people get bad advice when they start out and buy the wrong type of enclosure. Its very frustrating. Most of them then try to figure out how to modify, tweak, or somehow change what they've got to make it work better. This is better than nothing, but I can honestly say, having tried to modify the wrong type of enclosure many times, that the tortoise and the tortoise keeper will be much better off and both will have a better life if the old enclosure is scrapped or returned and the correct type of enclosure purchased or built. It just doesn't work well trying to cover the open top of an enclosure with the lights outside. The greenhouse things seem like it would work, but those stll lose a lot of heat due to the thin material which requires the desiccating heating elements to burn more electricity and it requires higher wattage bulbs to maintain the correct temps. More electric heat = more carapace desiccation = more pyramiding.

I recommend people bite the bullet and get a proper closed chamber. It works better than anything else by a wide margin.
 

spjr6

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Taking a little different tangent here…

Many people get bad advice when they start out and buy the wrong type of enclosure. Its very frustrating. Most of them then try to figure out how to modify, tweak, or somehow change what they've got to make it work better. This is better than nothing, but I can honestly say, having tried to modify the wrong type of enclosure many times, that the tortoise and the tortoise keeper will be much better off and both will have a better life if the old enclosure is scrapped or returned and the correct type of enclosure purchased or built. It just doesn't work well trying to cover the open top of an enclosure with the lights outside. The greenhouse things seem like it would work, but those stll lose a lot of heat due to the thin material which requires the desiccating heating elements to burn more electricity and it requires higher wattage bulbs to maintain the correct temps. More electric heat = more carapace desiccation = more pyramiding.

I recommend people bite the bullet and get a proper closed chamber. It works better than anything else by a wide margin.

What would be a proper closed chamber?
 
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