Dezzi's New Enclosure

[Amajoy]

Well we finally finished Dezzi's tortoise table. I took everyone's advise and got him out of his 20 gallon long terrarium as soon as I could (less than 3 weeks of getting him). The table is 2'x5', with a green house enclosure contained within the 2'x4' area. He has a build in hide box that extends another foot off the greenhouse area. Also within this door is a 6" split for storage of a fogger, temperature thermometer controller, and the other cords. I am using a 100 watt CHE on the left that's hooked up to the temp controller set at 80 degrees for night time. Also have a 100 watt MVB on the right that will be on 12 hours a day and currently maintaining 94 directly under it. Temps and humidity are perfect, checking regularly with the infrared temp gun, temp controller, another point and shoot checker and my digital temp/humidity checker. As for foliage I have aloe plants and oregano as that's all I could find organic and safe, I also have a small tray of tortoise seed mix, we'll see how they do in the environment.






View inside the hide/storage box

 

[lismar79]

Great job!!!!!!

 

[Amanda81]

Oh I bet he is thinking this is way better then the other place I had. How does he act when he's in it?

 

[Amajoy]

Well he put himself to bed right away in the hide box. Lol. I was watching the temps for a few hours before I introduced him (still am) but by then it was a little after 5pm, he tends to go to bed early but I am hoping that will change now that I have an MVB bulb and CHE. He loves to explore so I thought he would check it out for at least a little bit but guess not, there is always tomorrow!

 

[Amanda81]

It maybe just the way it looks in the pics but your Eco earth looks "fluffy". I would use your hand and kinda pack it down, if it's fluffy and loose he might not be exploring cause he can't get traction and he's probably sinking up in the soil, packing it will create a firmer ground for him to walk on.

 

[Amajoy]

It maybe just the way it looks in the pics but your Eco earth looks "fluffy". I would use your hand and kinda pack it down, if it's fluffy and loose he might not be exploring cause he can't get traction and he's probably sinking up in the soil, packing it will create a firmer ground for him to walk on.

Thank you. He really does put himself to bed early though. While I wasn't around yesterday (his first full day in his new enclosure) I came home to a mess. Lol food devoured, what dish full of Eco earth (I need to find a source for smooth river rocks) and little trails throughout the enclosure. He was all over it yesterday. And promptly asleep in his hide box by the time I got home. Lol

 

[Amanda81]

Thank you. He really does put himself to bed early though. While I wasn't around yesterday (his first full day in his new enclosure) I came home to a mess. Lol food devoured, what dish full of Eco earth (I need to find a source for smooth river rocks) and little trails throughout the enclosure. He was all over it yesterday. And promptly asleep in his hide box by the time I got home. Lol

Ya I attempted the rocks around the food and water dish when I first started out. Helped a little. What I now do is use a ceramic tile. I choose one with a "gritty" finish so they have traction and I place their bowls in the center of the tile, or if it's against a wall I place it there, this seems to help more. I love the Eco earth cause it holds the moisture so well and keeps humidity high with little effort but I could stand the mess so I layer mine. I do like 3" of wet eco earth packed down and then 3-5" of orchard bark on top of the Eco earth, I will mist the bark real good on the warm end of the enclosure each morning, it's not needed but I do it anyways. I will have to admit this has been the cleanest thing in the world for my Aldabra and leopard but the Sulcata, they have dug down to the Eco earth and got everything mixed w everything, the basically terrorize their enclosure all day and then go to bed so the next enclosure change (if I have one) for them will include doing away w Eco earth all together and just having straight bark. Even though my lights don't shut off till 8p mine are usually in their sleep spots right after dinner/coming in from outside around 5-6. Even my big ones would be in their night box outside by 6, sun didn't set til like 9, perhaps they all do this.

 

[Jodie]

Great enclosure. I love seeing such brilliant creativity.

 

[Amajoy]

Great enclosure. I love seeing such brilliant creativity.

Thank you!

 

[Amajoy]

Ya I attempted the rocks around the food and water dish when I first started out. Helped a little. What I now do is use a ceramic tile. I choose one with a "gritty" finish so they have traction and I place their bowls in the center of the tile, or if it's against a wall I place it there, this seems to help more. I love the Eco earth cause it holds the moisture so well and keeps humidity high with little effort but I could stand the mess so I layer mine. I do like 3" of wet eco earth packed down and then 3-5" of orchard bark on top of the Eco earth, I will mist the bark real good on the warm end of the enclosure each morning, it's not needed but I do it anyways. I will have to admit this has been the cleanest thing in the world for my Aldabra and leopard but the Sulcata, they have dug down to the Eco earth and got everything mixed w everything, the basically terrorize their enclosure all day and then go to bed so the next enclosure change (if I have one) for them will include doing away w Eco earth all together and just having straight bark. Even though my lights don't shut off till 8p mine are usually in their sleep spots right after dinner/coming in from outside around 5-6. Even my big ones would be in their night box outside by 6, sun didn't set til like 9, perhaps they all do this.

He manages to keep his food bowl fairly clean but tends to dirty up the water bowl with one walk through. Lol. I wonder if cutting a circle out of a tile and nestling the terra-cotta dish in there would be worth it or not? Hmmm... Might be worth a try.

 

[Amanda81]

He manages to keep his food bowl fairly clean but tends to dirty up the water bowl with one walk through. Lol. I wonder if cutting a circle out of a tile and nestling the terra-cotta dish in there would be worth it or not? Hmmm... Might be worth a try.

If ya wanted it flush w the tile you could do that but I have found that if mine have to kinda go up over the lip on the terra cotta saucer that helps catch and drag anything stuck to their belly off before getting in the bowl. Mine is always got something stuck to em, dirt, food, I can promise if it's mazuri day half the mazuri is on their undercarriage. I don't know y they insist on laying in it but they do. They'll eat some and then flop, right on top the pile, like a cake topper. The Sulcata are the worse for the mess, even outside, my boldest Sulcata, Arizona, she goes nonstop, she is constantly motoring around nibbling on things and I'll go to pick her up and her whole face is covered
In little grass blades, like she been mowing or something. I honestly wouldn't worry about making it flush, when mine was still to small to make
The climb I just took 3 little rocks and put around the edges so they had something to get a foot up with, worked perfectly. Now their big enough to just run through it. They move it around, use it as a pond, whatever they feel like doing that day. Lol.

 

[Jodie]

My male leopard, nicknamed pig pen, is so active and unhappy in winter that he was literally filling his water with dirt. I put the water on a raised platform and made bark, large pieces from our fire wood, ramps. The rough bark caught most of the dirt. Then every couple of days I just cleaned the bark.

 

[Oxalis]

Very cute! My Russian is great at putting himself to bed on time too. ;D