Moving On Up - To a Larger Enclosure

Maro2Bear

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Minor details today. Added a nice solid wooden cabinet knob to assist while opening up the lid; also added a hasp on one side of the lid to prop it open during morning and afternoon feeding sessions.

Here are two quick pix of these additions.
 

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Maro2Bear

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Cardboard didn't mold at all with the moisture?

I constantly watch for your updates. I can't wait till it's finished...hurry up! Lol jk.. ;)

  • No, it didn't. Not sure it was from the high heat, but no mold. In fact, i have a small hole in the top of the current/old hide where i have the mister/fogger tube entering. The mist first goes into the hide via the roof and then to rest of the enclosure. Wet, and bottom edges get soggy after time, but no mold.
 

Maro2Bear

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An hour later, I have a full, nice fresh smelling bucket of husk for the new enclosure. You can see the nice texture. Hope our Sully likes this too :)
 

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Maro2Bear

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Today was close to the big day. Relocated the enclosure to its final spot, put the 150 watt CHE in along woth two incandescent bulbs, one 150 and 100w respectively. Put down a small black plastic liner and dumped in the cypress substrate, added the hide, the coco husk substrate and clumps of sphagnum moss. Centered a nice larger but shallow terracotta watering hole, added some flat Maryland sedimentary rocks along with some small clean stones from the Potomac River that I gathered earlier this summer. Filled the water bowl, gave everything a nice spritz of water and viola, almost ready for Sully.

I wanted the enclosure to warm up before I put the lights on timers, and I plan to add a few clumps of grass, and maybe add another hide. Ive just put in one small spider plant.

Right now, I'm thinking the lights are too bright, so I might bump those down to smaller wattage bulbs.

So, letting the entire thing stabilize for 24 hours before I put Sully into his new home.

  • PS - even though I did not yet add in the ReptiSun mister, the enclosure has really heated up, and it is very humid and moist inside. Must be the large volume of moist organic material that created this!

Here are a few pictures of today's events.
1. Adding in the shredded cypress mulch substrate
2. Mulch down, lid closed
3. A view inside
4. A room with a view, different angle
5. A pix of our Sully, outside soaking in some sun here in late December in Maryland
 

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Maro2Bear

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Update/New Enclosure: enclosure cooked all afternoon and overnight, things have heated up nicely. Now it's time to stabilize. This morning ive gone ahead and moved my CHE thermostat from current enclosure over to this new one. Temperature probe pretty much centered beneath the CHE, this will be the warmest area, with cooler areas radiating out from this center. I swapped out the large 150 incandescent bulb with a much smaller one. This smaller bulb will be used as an early morning and late evening signal to Sully that it's either time to rise and shine or to crawl back to bed.

I'll monitor temps all day today, and put Sully in his new digs after his noon soak.

The last minor detail is to drill out a small hole for the mister hoze to enter inside. Plan is to have the fogger on a timer early in the morning when internal temps are at their hottest/dryest levels.

Added one small potted spider plant yesterday as well. Need some additional greens to enhance the overall appearance.

So far, I'm pleased with this build.
 

Maro2Bear

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Added a few additional small plants, various jade species, to the center cluster. Mister is in and operational, just need to set a separate timer for the mister. Given the water droplet atmosphere, will only run this intermittently in the mornings.

Here are a few quick pix with plantings.

Sully is enjoying his longer Sunday soak, then weigh in, THEN moves to his new house!

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Maro2Bear

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Can't wait to hear how he likes it! Really great job!
He's now in! First thing was to kick a stone and pick up the cuttlebone and carry it about as he chomped on it! I don't think he realizes, yet, that he has so much more room. After more chomps on the cuttlebone, he went right over to his new hide, gave it a once over, and went down inside. Inside i have moist sphagnum moss overtop a bed of moist, but warm coco husk.

Sully likes what he sees - at least we think so!
 

Anyfoot

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Well Maro, that looks excellent.
How is your tort going on. Is he/she moving about a lot or is he/she prefer a certain area.

Craig
 

Maro2Bear

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Well Maro, that looks excellent.
How is your tort going on. Is he/she moving about a lot or is he/she prefer a certain area.

Craig

Hey Craig. Our Sully moved around a bit and gingerly explored some of the much larger enclosure. He then found his new hide and decided it was a good place to crawl in for the evening. I'm sure he'll enjoy the space.
 

Maro2Bear

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Our Sully continues to really enjoy his much larger enclosure. With this new large space, ive managed to keep tufts of grass and weeds growing in small outcroppings. Once they are discovered and devoured, i add and replace more. Ive also added in a smaller terra cotta watering dish which compliments the larger Dish where sully self soaks. I now often see him bypassing his fresh greens to see if new weeds or grass have been added. Humidity level is really holding well withe the Reptifogger/mister still producing a nice flood of mist multiple times / day.

Only real problem that ive had with this new build is that in some areas, even though my Kilz primer and other paint was thoroughly dry, the paint has peeled back a bit. Nothing to detract from the enclosure's use, just an issue i did not foresee.

I'll have to get some pix of the grassy outcrops uploaded. Ive aleo been sprinkling the Carolina seed mix in various areas and it is sprouting and growing nicely. So, looking more and more natural!
 

Maro2Bear

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Thought I would add a pix or two of our Sully's enclosure now that it's been in use for a few months now. The enclosure has worked to a T, maybe better than planned. Stays nice and humid, lghting and all electrical/lighting working perfectly, CHE on a thermostat keeps it a good temp.

Every other week or so, I add a whole bunch of new crabgrass plugs which will both grow, and provide nibbles for Sully. He still gets other fresh greens, flowers, grape leaves, etc along with a healthy portion of Mazuri tort chow.

Soon it will be time to start thinking on a larger scale, especially with the way Sully is growing.

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