Dankneepowpow

Active Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
Lil’ Chevy has Almost doubled her size in the 5 months I’ve had her and I knew it was time for a new enclosure. I spent the last few weekends building and I’m super happy with the way it came out.

I had a perfect spot on the side of my house that sits below a canopy of passion fruit. This way she gets a little bit of natural light that comes through but she basically sits in the shade all day. I went with the closed chamber method on a outdoor tortoise table so having ample shade was very important to make sure heat wouldn’t be an issue.

I painted the bottom of the enclosure with flex seal to stop the wood from absorbing water and rotting out. This stuff works great, love it.
F65E297D-1F5B-46A0-AD49-CC42285FBFC1.jpegi I added organic, locally sourced top soil on the bottom and topped that off with fine grade orchid bark. I also added some rocks to make a “dry river bed”. I think the change In textures and elevations is something my tort will enjoy. I got some edible plants, drift wood, and some rocks to spruce up the place.EE18BBE9-077D-433B-8A89-FE2DF546284F.jpeg
Finally, I got a vicks indoor humidifier and turned it into a nice fogger system for the enclosure! This works 100x better then the zoomed reptifogger from what I’ve seen. It hold more water, lasts longer, and is half the price! We’re stocked on how well it adds humidity to the enclosure and a cool mist during the heat of the day. C5BFE0B6-EF50-4374-9B48-6551F624FFCE.jpeg
now with everything in place it’s finally time to move Chevy into her new home, which I assume will last her about 2 years before she out grows it. Once she out grows this enclosure I think she’ll be big enough to live in a permanent outdoor enclosure. We live in Hawai’i so the climate is basically perfect for Redfoots.B7058A14-3F57-43DB-A3A5-96303FDB2B04.jpeg896F5DD8-8BEC-4A91-8F18-AE545FFD3A8B.jpeg
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thanks for reading and let me know if you have comments, suggestions, or questions!
 

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Dankneepowpow

Active Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
It looks like you've made a very nice enclosure there.
I had always assumed that humidity was always quite high in Hawaii.
Thank you!
Hawai’i is a very interesting place, each island is home to multiple microclimates, from rain forests to deserts and everything in between. I live on a part of the island that tends to be drier. The humidity in my area of the island ranges anywhere from 75%-62%. Just shy of that +80% were looking for young Redfoots! If I drive 20 minutes west I’m in full tropical rainforests. It’s a blessing and a curse.
 

Dankneepowpow

Active Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Honolulu
Wow! This is inspirational! I would love additional information to convert the humidifier. I have that same humidifier!
Thank you!

The humidifier part was so easy I was shocked! The only parts I needed were the humidifier itself and then I got a extra hose to a small shop vac. The hose is roughly 1 3/8” in diameter and it fit inside the humidifier easily. I then cut a 1 3/8” hole in the side of the enclosure and fed the hose from the humidifier into the enclosure.

I thought I was going to need duct tape or foam or something to make the seal perfect but honestly it works just fine as is.

If you already have the humidifier thats the most expensive part! The hose was only about $10. Try buy one and see how well it fits in your humidifier, I think you’ll be surprised as to how well it works. Cutting the hole in the enclosure is the most critical part, you want to make sure the hole’s diameter is as close to the size of the hose as possible. For me the 1 3/8th hole saw did the trick for me. I then just cut the hose to the length I needed.

you should go for it, it’s an easy diy hack to send your enclosure to the next level!
 

jeannettep

Active Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2019
Messages
124
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Thank you!

The humidifier part was so easy I was shocked! The only parts I needed were the humidifier itself and then I got a extra hose to a small shop vac. The hose is roughly 1 3/8” in diameter and it fit inside the humidifier easily. I then cut a 1 3/8” hole in the side of the enclosure and fed the hose from the humidifier into the enclosure.

I thought I was going to need duct tape or foam or something to make the seal perfect but honestly it works just fine as is.

If you already have the humidifier thats the most expensive part! The hose was only about $10. Try buy one and see how well it fits in your humidifier, I think you’ll be surprised as to how well it works. Cutting the hole in the enclosure is the most critical part, you want to make sure the hole’s diameter is as close to the size of the hose as possible. For me the 1 3/8th hole saw did the trick for me. I then just cut the hose to the length I needed.

you should go for it, it’s an easy diy hack to send your enclosure to the next level!
Thanks! I have a reptile humidifier on its last leg so I think this would be great!
 
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