*Fixed Turtle Table*

[karlyholmes]

Okay I posted this in the turtle enclosures thread as well. But since Ive been having some issues with my turtles due to problems in the table, I wanted to post it here as well.

This is the table when I first put them in it:

Now even I can see why I had so many problems! All of your advice was spot on. Water tray was too small, cold and cumbersome to access.

Heat was not sufficient. Substrate was horribly lacking and DRY.

So... Ive made some improvements!

Here is the table as of today:

I mixed cypress mulch in with the existing Coco Coir and it soaked up about 7 GALLONS of water! It was that dry

The substrate is now 3-6" deep, a nice new 14" terracotta plant tray has replaced the cold cake pan, and they are are in it often vs avoiding it like they were. Second heat lamp added has improved the temp of the water and the table as a whole.

I still need to find a way to put a better cover on top (currently baby gates) I want something that wont melt from the heating lamps but will keep the humidity it. Ideas?

 

[Laurie]

Looks good!

 

[karlyholmes]

Looks good!

Yay! So happy Thank you

 

[terryo]

Fantastic! Get some tropical plants at home depot...like those little palm trees, and stick them in the substrate right in their pots. Some pothos would work. They love sitting under a plant. Plants will hold in the humidity too. I think it looks great now. If you put some flat stones, or frog moss around the water dish they won't drag so much substrate in.

 

[Saloli]

You could cover part of the table with lexan but not where the heat lamps are or UVB lamp. As for plants you will have to add more substrate like coco peat or wood humus maybe some sand. The cypress mulch though can inhibit some plant growth because it is toxic to some mycorrhiza which most plants need. Though the irony in that is the artificial fertilizers that are use in most commercial nurseries kill them and thus the plants need to be feed more and more often. If you use plants from lowes or home depot you should decontaminate them as best you can.

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If they are all ttbt you could use an assortment of native grasses and shrubs for your pen.

 

[karlyholmes]

Thank you!

 

[Hunahpu]

That looks great! For the top, I'd recommend hardware cloth. You can make a lid fairly easily by stapling/nailing the cloth to a frame made of scrap lumber. (Looks like a picture frame but with the cloth instead of glass.) You could attach it with hinges if you want, or just set it on top.

 

[turtlemann2]

OMG it looks wonderful! not only to us the human but it is funtional for the turts!!! a lid to help hold humidity might be to cover half with plexi or glass depending on what you can find

Congrats though it looks good!

 

[karlyholmes]

Again, thank you! Theyve been basking and hiding and eating a LOT! I love being able to interact with them several times a day, misting and talking I want to look into the hardware cloth! That sounds very simple. Is it just called "hardware cloth"? Can it be bought at like lowes or whatever? My only downfall with the table right now is the humidity from open air. I am diligent with the misting of the substrate though so they keep quite moist by burrowing.

 

[turtlemann2]

Yes hardware cloth can be found at lowes or home depot etc. itll a small hard metal screen that comes in pretty large rectangles, good luck!