Electrical Tape to fix lining

[theodorethetort]

Hi everyone!

I just recently made a purchase of a new tortoise enclosure to upgrade my Russians space.
There is a small hole in the lining (damn you, craigslist purchases) which is big enough for me to fit my hand through.

Would it be safe for me to tape it up with electrical tape and place a rock over it, or should I move towards replacing the entire liner itself. It is in a corner and is perfectly covered by a rock.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I'm having trouble understanding a lining for a Russian tortoise??? If it's the tortoise in the picture, I would be more concerned with building him a safe outdoor habitat. He's too big to keep indoors. And Russians hibernate, so when the weather turns cold instead of setting him up indoors, you can allow him to hibernate.

 

[theodorethetort]

Hi Yvonne,

I'll attach some photos to this post. The enclosure is 6 feet by 2.5 feet (which isn't quite big enough, still, I understand) but currently as I live in metro Boston I don't have the space to build an outdoor enclosure (nor would I be comfortable leaving Theodore outside in the city). It is a sturdy wooden enclosure that was lined with a pond liner, the same type that you'd use in creating a back yard pond of sorts. To avoid needing to replace the liner, I was hoping that I could seal the 3 inch tear that is in the corner with electrical tape and then cover it with a large rock (the one seen in the back left corner of the picture I uploaded.

Thanks for your help!

 

[theodorethetort]

Also! I have yet to fill the enclosure with substrate. I will be using a mixture of fir bark and coco coir. Don't want to scare you with the enclosure that has no substrate!

 

[dmmj]

how well does electrical tape hold up with moisture? I would probably try to replace the entire lining if it was me

 

[theodorethetort]

Hi dmmj. It seems like the's been a few small patches that have been fixed with electrical tape. I presume it holds up well if it's not entirely submerged in water.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Lancecham]

An alternative would be to use the patch repair kit for blow-up air mattresses like the kind used for camping.

 

[Yvonne G]

I use a product called Gorilla Tape. It's a very, very sturdy and sticky duct tape. I think Gorilla tape would work better than electrical tape.

 

[CathyNed]

Ya Gorilla Tape or Duct Tape (the silver one)that stuff is pretty impossible to remove so it should stay put!

 

[dmmj]

I use a product called Gorilla Tape. It's a very, very sturdy and sticky duct tape. I think Gorilla tape would work better than electrical tape.

how many Gorillas had to die so you could have your precious tape?

 

[theodorethetort]

Hi guys! Thanks for all the input, really!

Do you think that Gorilla tape would be safe (chemically) for my tort? That's ultimately what I used to patch it up, but a small piece of me still worries about his overall health.

Thanks again!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Gorilla tape is great.
There's also a pond liner seam tape sold at Lowe's and the Home Depot.

 

[naturalman91]

i've alway's just stapled my lining in.

ah never mind just saw you meant patching a tear. gorilla tape is awesome stuff but make sure you get it right the first time pulling it off would probably rip it more

 

[ethan508]

Both vinyl and rubber liners can be repaired much like you repair a flat bike tire (a material specific patch plus material specific glue, often sold as pond repair kits). If you are worried about chemicals use a glue that is safe for underwater/pond applications, but a glue that is properly cured (just follow the instructions exactly) won't outgas chemicals any more than any other plastic product.

Where the liner is a general moisture barrier rather than a water tight pressure barrier, a staple down patch might work well too.