Need Container Tips/ideas for my Sulcata

[Ezarate]

Tortellini has outgrown his home so I want to make him a bigger one. because it needs to be humid, I was thinking of getting a large 65Gal Christmas Tree plastic container and make cutouts for the fogger, lights, heat lamp, ect. the problem we have is that these containers are not completely clear so we won't be able to see his face staring at us and such. could I maybe cut off one side of the container and replace it with a clear plexiglass?

ever since we switched his diet to greens he has been eating and growing like crazy. (we don't feed him grass due to the shortage during winter so he's being fed grocery until he's big enough to eat dry grass then he'll be slowly switched to dry grass)

 

[daniellenc]

No size tote is going to provide adequate room for him. You'll need to either build or purchase a custom cage. Mark on this forum builds cages and there's a ton of tutorials if you're crafty yourself. Animal plastics makes a great cage that will work for now, but it's pricey and probably would only last you another year. Most with Sulcata's build outdoor heated enclosures due to their size, or provide the tortoise with their own room indoors when the weather gets chilly.

 

[Ezarate]

No size tote is going to provide adequate room for him. You'll need to either build or purchase a custom cage. Mark on this forum builds cages and there's a ton of tutorials if you're crafty yourself. Animal plastics makes a great cage that will work for now, but it's pricey and probably would only last you another year. Most with Sulcata's build outdoor heated enclosures due to their size, or provide the tortoise with their own room indoors when the weather gets chilly.

I was thinking about that too but it gets really cold outside and building that might get pricey. What about sectioning off an area of the room like this? my question about this is, how could I keep this open area humid for him without causing mold in the room. maybe add a container he can go into that had the humidity in it along with a heater? also about the betting, for something this big what would be a cheap alternative? the orchid bark I normally get would get expensive to constantly clean out and fill that big of a space.

 

[daniellenc]

You can use plain soil for bedding and burrowing just make sure it isn't treated with fertilizer or anything else. Most garden centers sell it super cheap. If you built something like the picture above you could always build a top to enclose it. There are literally hundreds of threads on here with pictures for ideas. Most use a pond liner or tarp for the bottom to prevent the wood from molding and rotting. Currently though he already looks too big for an area that small and definitely will require a permanent winterized home by next year. @Tom @Turtulas-Len @Maro2Bear can definitely provide you with an idea of how much an outdoor shed will run you but I think if built yourself we're talking a few hundred dollars. Heating it all winter is pricey though.

 

[Ezarate]

You can use plain soil for bedding and burrowing just make sure it isn't treated with fertilizer or anything else. Most garden centers sell it super cheap. If you built something like the picture above you could always build a top to enclose it. There are literally hundreds of threads on here with pictures for ideas. Most use a pond liner or tarp for the bottom to prevent the wood from molding and rotting. Currently though he already looks too big for an area that small and definitely will require a permanent winterized home by next year. @Tom @Turtulas-Len @Maro2Bear can definitely provide you with an idea of how much an outdoor shed will run you but I think if built yourself we're talking a few hundred dollars. Heating it all winter is pricey though.

ok sounds great and yeah I'm taking that idea but making it 7'x7' large. I'll just cover the plywood walls with plastic and make the top just a clear plastic with an opening attached to the walls with just clips so I can easily remove everything for cleanup as well as see everything. thank you!!

 

[Yvonne G]

I think your tortoise is large enough to get by with a humid hide instead of the whole enclosure being humid.

 

[Ezarate]

I think your tortoise is large enough to get by with a humid hide instead of the whole enclosure being humid.

think so? that's would save me huge trouble. its could enough in the house that he seeks the heat so If i put the heat lamp inside with the humidifier he'll go in there.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I’m just today finishing up my newest indoor nightbox for our Sully. It gets just too cold, snowy and nasty here in Maryland during Winter to leave her outside.

The box is 6 feet long by 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall. Kane heat pad & 120 watt RHP overhead makes a nice cozy box to sleep in.

Not quite done...

 

[Tom]

He needs something 4x8' minimum right now. They need a lot of room to roam. I think they should be kept with high ambient humidity for as long as possible. This means you buy or build some sort of closed chamber.

Your tortoise is going to outgrow even a 4x8' enclosure really soon. You might get 6 months to a year. Now is the time to figure out what you are going to do with a giant tropical reptile that need warm temperatures and a lot of space to move around.

 

[Amelia.Walton]

We are finishing our two heated night boxes for our two sulcatas. The electricians are coming next week. I’m thinking I should put a UVB light bar for those days it’s too cold to open their outside doors for them to roam. Plus they won’t have to stay in dark on those days. The hoods with the light bars don’t have any way to affix to the sides or the top.
What would you suggest and where to get right away so I can have the electricians install?