Melamine enclosure for greek...?

[britsip]

Ok, so I've decided to go with a Golden Greek. Now, I need opinions on the enclosure. I have a contact that makes bearded dragon cages out of melamine with locking sliding glass doors. I love the aesthetics of the cages with the clean lines and inside mounted lighting. He seals everything to prevent rot and says they retain heat very well while keeping humidity low (which from what I've read, goldens need high heat low humidity...?) He can also custom build according to what size I desire. I'm thinking of starting off with a 4'long x 2' wide x 18" tall or 4 x 3 x 18. Will this last a golden greek hatchling for at least a year? Is this appropriate housing? Would a PVC cage like a vision cage be better suited?
I'm not concerned with the cost, it's of no consequence. I just want to make sure my tortoise is getting the best start to life.

My main concern with using a tortoise table is my cats breaking in or whatnot. I'm also concerned with being able to control heat and humidity in an open top. And just for clarification, I do have a large outdoor enclosure established so when weather is permitting, my tortoise will be outside.

 

[Yvonne G]

Sounds good to me, however, I don't keep Greek tortoises and know next to nothing about them. Have you read our Greek care sheet?

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/

 

[Gillian M]

A warm welcome to the forum!

Please post pics of your tort. (By the way, I too have had a Greek tort I LOVE, for the past five year).

 

[britsip]

Sorry for the delay! I do not have the tortoise yet. I wan to make sure I have everything properly established. Plus, the breeders I've contacted do not have any goldens available yet. I've done a TON of research, but I haven't found much regarding the use of a melamine reptile enclosure for a tortoise. I'll be at the Lodi breeder show tomorrow and am hoping to pick some breeders brains.

 

[Rue]

I could be wrong...because stuff has evolved over the years...

But isn't melamine prone to crumbling when wet? And if you have to keep your tortoise table quite moist, won't it all just fall apart in short order?

I've seen my fair share of water-damaged melamine furniture...(bookshelves, end tables, etc.), So, yes, you can wipe it down with a moist cloth...but anything more might be an issue?

 

[JoesMum]

If it's melamine coated chipboard there may be a problem as the damp does get through the edges. Pure melamine should be OK with damp, but I'd be concerned about it melting under the basking lamp