Enclosure project.

[anthony14]

I am planning on building a tortoise table for my greek tortoise(testudo graeca) and wanted a rundown of the supplies I should need.

I plan to build it out of plywood and am wondering what sealents I could use, what paints(if any), what substrate I should put on it. Just basically I want to know pretty much everything I am going to need to have for this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[envenomedcky]

If you use some sort of liner on the inside of your table, you won't have to worry about sealing the bottom of the tortoise table, as moisture wouldn't be seeping through. I personally wouldn't paint it, in case the paints could have any adverse effects on your tortoise, better safe than sorry. As far as substrates, I'm more familiar with red foots, so I don't want to give you the wrong information on what would best suite your Greek.

 

[tortoises101]

I prefer to use self-adhensive tape. It's waterproof, doesn't come off, and is also insulating so you can heat your enclosure for less $$$. I also recommend a screen top. Not to prevent the tortoise from escaping (since I'm assuming your enclosure is high enough) but so that you can keep other pets out.

 

[Yvonne G]

One of our members uses paint. I think it was GBTortoises. I'll look for that thread for you.

---

This is the thread I was thinking of:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Moisture-proofing?pid=134681#pid134681

 

[MaggieL]

I was told you can use shellac on the wood. My mom uses it on pine needle baskets. But I would still use a liner.

 

[GBtortoises]

I've used 3/4" CDX plywood, glued and screwed at all joints and painted with a good quality light colored (white), semi-gloss latex alkyd enamel paint. The finish lasts for many years before needing refinishing. Easily holds up to regular cleaning and is non-toxic. This is also uneffected by any natural substrates that I've ever used and is also uneffected by reasonable moisture levels.

 

[Yvonne G]

Not one to toot his own horn, here is where you can see GBTortoises' enclosures:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-My-indoor-enclosures

 

[coreyc]

I used Polyurethane and a liner just to be safe you can paint it just make sure you give a few days to dry an air out

 

[greeks]

I work on projects involving ecotoxic effects (harmful to living things) of volatile compounds like those found in nearly all resins, sealants and shellacs. I very strongly recommend that you don't use them for tort enclosures! If you want a chemical finish for waterproofing you could try food grade epoxy resin. It doesn't leach harmful chemicals once it cures fully but you have to get it just right. I used it on my original wooden tort table. I used paint on the outside only, and it was the lowest VOC content paint I could find. However, I found with maintenance, waterproofness, and low cost, large plastic bins work fantastic for my enclosures and ditched the wood.

A few good substrates for Greeks that most Greek keepers here use and will recommend include cypress mulch, coconut coir, aspen, and when they're older, a mixture of organic topsoil and play sand. It comes down to you and your tort's preferences but these are safer for your tort. Cypress, coir and soil hold moisture well without molding which your young tort needs for high humidity levels (but keep it warm! wet and cold is a bad combo).

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Another vote for cypress mulch.