New enclosure advice

[George red foot]

Hi I've recently been looking at building a new viv for my redfoot. I'm looking at varnishing the wood with yacht varnish to ensure it's fully waterproofed! How big would you recommend for the viv, I know he bigger the better but unfortunately we can't go huge! Is there any ways of maximising space? I've seen vivs with second floors but I'm concerned about him falling off or how to make the ramp wide enough and not too steep! Any advice on how to make his viv as perfect as possible would be fab! He climbs a lot at the minute and I put that down to the lack of space he has! He is very active.
All help and support is massively appreciated thank you!

 

[HLogic]

What is the tort's SCL now?

 

[George red foot]

9inches

 

[G-stars]

Make the indoor enclosure as big as you can and give him a huge outdoor enclosure to explore.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A nine inch Redfoot tortoise would need at least four square feet in my opinion. This space does not include a sleeping quarters.
I would not use a ramp.

 

[George red foot]

Thank you for the advice have you got redfoots?

 

[Anyfoot]

Hi I've recently been looking at building a new viv for my redfoot. I'm looking at varnishing the wood with yacht varnish to ensure it's fully waterproofed! How big would you recommend for the viv, I know he bigger the better but unfortunately we can't go huge! Is there any ways of maximising space? I've seen vivs with second floors but I'm concerned about him falling off or how to make the ramp wide enough and not too steep! Any advice on how to make his viv as perfect as possible would be fab! He climbs a lot at the minute and I put that down to the lack of space he has! He is very active.
All help and support is massively appreciated thank you!

Where in the world do you live, what is your climate like?

 

[George red foot]

The uk so the climate is rubbish!

 

[Anyfoot]

The uk so the climate is rubbish!

Me too. Where abouts in the UK

 

[George red foot]

England- the midlands, you?

 

[Anyfoot]

England- the midlands, you?

Chapeltown in Sheffield. Your very close to me, what city/Town.

 

[George red foot]

Coventry. Do you have redfoots? If so how many and do you have a pic of their enclosure! I want to make mine as exciting as possible

 

[Anyfoot]

Coventry. Do you have redfoots? If so how many and do you have a pic of their enclosure! I want to make mine as exciting as possible

Was tempted to be quiet then and send you to Coventry. lol
I have 7 adult reds and 3 juveniles. For now I have dedicated a full room to them. Working on something else more permanent. This enclosure sits in the corner of my room, 4x6ft and they come and go as they please. I also have hides and places for alone time scattered around the room. My room is at 24 deg constantly with the central heating system.
Make sure you have a closed unit system so you can keep humidity up. I have heat from 24 to 30deg for them and humidity never drops below 85% is usually up at 99% I have pieces of perspex on the 3 openings as lids that I can simply remove to feed and clean. There are no wires anywhere in this room that they can bite, the floor is not too cold and they can not be crushed when I open the door to the room. Think safety for your tort. What sort of size is your garden.

 

[Anyfoot]

Coventry. Do you have redfoots? If so how many and do you have a pic of their enclosure! I want to make mine as exciting as possible

Have a look at my old thread. "New enclosure for my hingebacks" This one was for my hingeback torts but the principle is the same. I just used my entire room as the outdoor garden area for redfoots.

 

[George red foot]

My garden is pretty big. I only have one red foot and I get him out quite often in the house but I constantly watch because of the wires. I want to do everything I can to make the vivarium as big as poss. I would love to make a whole room available for him, but it's not possible at the moment. Me and my partner are saving for a deposit on a house then we will make a whole room for him when we get our house!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Thank you for the advice have you got redfoots?

Yes. Currently five of them.
Luckily another UK member is here to help!

 

[George red foot]

Wow I'd love to have more but unfortunately I haven't got the space!

 

[George red foot]

I've tried to put plants in my enclosure but my tortoise keeps pulling them out there pots or knocking them over and walking all over them.
How do you keep your plants in your tortoises enclosure?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

By replacing them regularly.
I've also had some success with raised mounds with plants in the center of the enclosures, since 90% of the traffic is around the perimeter.

 

[George red foot]

Thank you