Escaping the 105 degree Texas heat!

[tortadise]

Sprinklers help a lot. Most of the day the big guys that have the huge outdoor pens stay tucked in most of the day. At around 6:15 A.M they're out grazing and go back into heat retreat around 8:30-9:00ish. Then around 4:30ish when the sun is blocked by the forest to the west I turn the sprinklers on. That's when they all come out again to graze and hang out. Well this is mostly only for the Burmese stars, leopards, Aldabras, and sulcatas. The California deserts come out whenever they want. They're anti heat machines and tend to be caught out grazing at all hours during the day.

Anyways. Here's the afternoon operation. They're quite use to it now and love it. Sucking water beads from the grass and inhaling the great food of weeds.



Then of course the chunky butts move around the half hides cut from a 150 gallon planter. They're like kids. Always moving there toys around in the wrong spot.

 

[Careym13]

I love the rock wall. Is it concrete that it is filled in with?

 

[tortadise]

I love the rock wall. Is it concrete that it is filled in with?

Yep. Did kinda the poor mans way of a stone wall. Framed the wall for concrete then placed the stone in the forms then poured the concrete and placed river rocks on the top portion. Most the wall had those bamboo inserts every 2 feet. But almost all have rotted out by now.

 

[Careym13]

Yep. Did kinda the poor mans way of a stone wall. Framed the wall for concrete then placed the stone in the forms then poured the concrete and placed river rocks on the top portion. Most the wall had those bamboo inserts every 2 feet. But almost all have rotted out by now.

Neat idea. I'll probably steal it one day

 

[tortadise]

Watermelon and heirloom zucchini help best the heat too. Summer treats they love but rarely get.

 

[tortadise]

Neat idea. I'll probably steal it one day

Have at it. It's a lot of work pouring concrete. Especially in the summer and having wheel barrel loads of it from the concrete truck. But it pays off when it looks cool. Obviously I ran out of the flagstone on the one portion of the wall. Oh well. I was 19 years old when I did it and ran out of money. Ha

 

[bouaboua]

Yep. Did kinda the poor mans way of a stone wall. Framed the wall for concrete then placed the stone in the forms then poured the concrete and placed river rocks on the top portion. Most the wall had those bamboo inserts every 2 feet. But almost all have rotted out by now.

I really like the rugged looks on those stone wall. of cause the dipping poor also.

 

[Neal]

Hmmm...I wish we would cool down to 105 every now and then . We've been 110+ the past few days.

I require details of the pond in your leopard enclosure. I assume it's cement? Do you have it filtered anyway or how do you clean it?

I've been wanting to do a large water feature, but I'm not too excited about the idea because I know the moment I fill it with water they're all going to run over there and poop in it. I don't exactly have the time or desire to clean out a big pond, but I guess there's no way around it.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Hmmm...I wish we would cool down to 105 every now and then . We've been 110+ the past few days.

I require details of the pond in your leopard enclosure. I assume it's cement? Do you have it filtered anyway or how do you clean it?

I've been wanting to do a large water feature, but I'm not too excited about the idea because I know the moment I fill it with water they're all going to run over there and poop in it. I don't exactly have the time or desire to clean out a big pond, but I guess there's no way around it.

Same question. how DO you clean it? I have to squeegy mine out every afternoon and replace the water because it is used as a latrine.

 

[bouaboua]

I mean dipping pool~~

 

[tortadise]

Hmmm...I wish we would cool down to 105 every now and then . We've been 110+ the past few days.

I require details of the pond in your leopard enclosure. I assume it's cement? Do you have it filtered anyway or how do you clean it?

I've been wanting to do a large water feature, but I'm not too excited about the idea because I know the moment I fill it with water they're all going to run over there and poop in it. I don't exactly have the time or desire to clean out a big pond, but I guess there's no way around it.

These are concrete. I poured them along with the walls. Yep I screwed that up too and didn't put a drain in them either. They're pretty big but quite shallow so evaporation occurs pretty quick. I'll change them twice a week or so. I just push broom the remaining water out into the grass the. Fill up again. Stays quite clean actually. The tortoises do not dedicate at all in them. It seems since being in a grazing environment they just go on the grass. The little Leo's though oh yeah ruin the water bowl all the time. It's worked quite nice. The Burmese star has a deep one he gets in. the deserts could care less. But they all often drink from them when the new water is changed out and sprinklers are going.

 

[tortadise]

The new pond method I use does have a drain in them. But I haven't made one quite as large as these. The one in the leopards is 12' 7' and gets about 7" deep. Drains are easy. Basically just add pvc pipe underground and use a plug from Home Depot that had a wing nut on it. I did a thread on the new pond models with drains somewhere. I'll find it an post it for yah.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

These are concrete. I poured them along with the walls. Yep I screwed that up too and didn't put a drain in them either. They're pretty big but quite shallow so evaporation occurs pretty quick. I'll change them twice a week or so. I just push broom the remaining water out into the grass the. Fill up again. Stays quite clean actually. The tortoises do not dedicate at all in them. It seems since being in a grazing environment they just go on the grass. The little Leo's though oh yeah ruin the water bowl all the time. It's worked quite nice. The Burmese star has a deep one he gets in. the deserts could care less. But they all often drink from them when the new water is changed out and sprinklers are going.

I guess Redfoot ARE more water dependent......The next one I make will have a drain too!

 

[tortadise]

I guess Redfoot ARE more water dependent......The next one I make will have a drain too!

Oh yeah, the Redfoot water dishes. I could change those 6 times a day and they will still never been clean. They love to destroy clean water. So do the Manouria.

 

[tortadise]

@Neal @ZEROPILOT
Here's the thread I did on the outdoor ponds with drains. Works very well. Can add pea gravel or river rocks to make it look nice, but I'd recommend against that, it gets tougher to clean. Even though it has a drain still have to scrub it with a deck deck brush, well I do, because I'm kinda OCD.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/ingredients-for-an-outdoor-tortoise-pond.111883/