D.I.Y indoor table build... gonna be a lot of questions!

[johnandjade]

we got off to a pet store start, i'll say no more on the subject! so thanks to help and advice from you wonderfull people here, its build time.

i cant draw but will try sketch/explain best i can as we go lol. first hurdle is moisture retention.

im thinkin of an exterior ply frame as such, with silconed seals and lined wtih a tarp. then a cavity for heat mats and then the actuall inclosure.

will this be safe enough? is there a watertight paint on coat or treatment for interior base and wall thats same for torts?

 

[weldorNate]

A shower curtain or tarp would be cheaper they do have a paint type stuff they use in making ponds its an epoxy type but its really spendy

 

[johnandjade]

tarp it is then! shop bought table started to cause damp on the table its sitting on, heance the overkill lol. here's a pic of our 'make do and mend' , the table its sat on will be the foundations of the new base... was thinking of perhapse using current housing as a second floor? ....

 

[johnandjade]

 

[mikeylazer]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/NEW-INDOOR-ENCLOSURE.120047/

Check out the indoor enclosure I built for cheap! I suggest building something similar it works amazing!

 

[johnandjade]

thats a cool idea! i'm luck to have a brother who is a joiner to trade and a glazier shop 5mins from our house so materials and expence isnt too much of an issue... but great idea using a frame and covering

 

[johnandjade]

errmm, most embarrassing drawing ever! lol, i hope you guys can work out what im tryin to explain here...

 

[johnandjade]

essentially im thinking an extrior box made with ply. then line it with a tarp an have 4 'posts' at the corners. an itnerior sheet of wood attched on each side to create 'walls' and a cavity with heat source on each side.
plexi glass sheet on back wall to allow a picture backdrop, and a glass front.

a semi underground hide box in a corner with a couple of tunles comming out. basking spot and che bulbs overhang at opposite ends.

thinking of tenting off enclosure rather than a plexi top.

hope i have convade my idea ok!

any input much appreciated as wanna make sure all is safe for our wee dude

 

[johnandjade]

wee fellas the main feature of our house, pride of place so want new enclosure to be as good as its poss and look the part as well

 

[johnandjade]

hes thrived so much since we adjusted care from pet shop advice thanks to you guys but he's getting bigger so wanna do it right from start this time

 

[johnandjade]

i know glass front is debatable, we do have a wooden insert for the front of curent table as fido did pace and stress at times so coved it over for a time. he only comes over to it now when he sees food coming! still plan a removable cover for new encloser but the glass doesn't seem to cause him any stress now.

we did come home from work to find substrate at glass like a trench from him pacing but barly any tracks at all now. we also set up webcam to babysit from work

 

[johnandjade]

so we have gnats now lol. im know they are harmless but wondering if there is way we can try control them?

thinking of using a jar trap like one showen in link.. http://m.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Gnats

it would ob be housed in enclosure an secured so no risk to tort. we change coir every 4- 6 month is this ok?

 

[Odin's Gma]

I use sticky traps above our enclosure and my indoor tort gardens, they just need to be high enough that the tort can't reach them and they help keep the gnats in check.
On another note, they are likely fungus gnats Here is some info on identifying and getting rid of them (skip the insecticide route of course)
http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-kill-fungus-gnats.htm

 

[johnandjade]

will try that with potato once fido goes to bed tonight. im a bit ocd with cleaning so i'd like to avoid them if poss lol. only seen a couple so hopefully its not too bad in there

 

[DawnH]

*whispering*

"Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Just sprinkle it on top of your substrate."

*disappearing into the shadows*

 

[johnandjade]

had a wee google there, yeah i guess that would be safe enough to use? should we change out the coir more often as well or 3 times a year ok?

old food and poos are removed ( as much as can be ) daily .

 

[DawnH]

Yes. Totally safe. YOU can eat it. You MUST get "Food Grade" DE, the other type is a toxic pool chemical. You can find food grade DE at most feed stores. Just clean up the old poop/food as often as you see it, sprinkle the DE on top of your substrate (if your tort eats it, it is fine. I actually like to make sure it gets on my torts food as well to ensure no worms, etc.) Once it is wet though, it becomes inactive. So do it at a time when your substrate is pretty dry (I find that when my substrate is moist, it is fine. You just want it to look like powder when it is down.) For instance, my guy is outdoors in good weather and comes in at night. In the morning I will put him out, clean his indoor oasis, sprinkle the DE and let it sit all day before he goes back in and I need to add water/moisture before he goes to bed. I treat my entire yard with it every three months and have for years.

http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

 

[johnandjade]

thanks dawn, yeah it all seams kosher

 

[johnandjade]

marine plywood? has anyone used this for an indoor table build? sounds like it could be good.. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/?title=Plywood

 

[johnandjade]

yet another idea, i'll try explain best i can lol...

have had the idea of a printed backdrop to cover the 3 interor walls of table.(glass front) my thoughts are putting an acrilic front on these walls to protect the prints and fido?

have also thought of adding a sheet af acrilic on the base to make moisture retention and cleaning easier?

would this be safe enough or will this create a negative 'greenhouse' environment?