New enclosure

[lou.and.noodles]

Hey everyone!

Noodles is growing (he's nearly 6 months old and now weighs 13g!), and I've been looking for a large plastic bin to keep him in, but I'm having a hard time finding one that's big enough. I would try to make my own, but I have very limited resources to do so. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!
Gracey and Noodles

 

[Blackdog1714]

Hey everyone!

Noodles is growing (he's nearly 6 months old and now weighs 13g!), and I've been looking for a large plastic bin to keep him in, but I'm having a hard time finding one that's big enough. I would try to make my own, but I have very limited resources to do so. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!
Gracey and Noodles

What kind of turtle or tortoise do you have?

 

[lou.and.noodles]

What kind of turtle or tortoise do you have?

Noodles is a Russian Tortoise

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hi!

Um, I think you meant something other than 13 gms...maybe 130 gms?

Anyway, is Noodles still in a closed chamber? With a lid to keep in heat and humidity? I think he's still young enough he should stay in an enclosed habitat. He still has growing to do.

Some members have been using 2 big plastic bins of the same size. You would cut off one end of each of them. Then you can slide one inside the other. Just overlap them a few inches, and duct tape them together the whole way around at the seam. Then cut the holes in the lids and put them on. I'm not sure how to make the lids fit together, but I'll bet you could figure something out! Maybe cut the end off one of them?

 

[lou.and.noodles]

Hi!

Um, I think you meant something other than 13 gms...maybe 130 gms?

Anyway, is Noodles still in a closed chamber? With a lid to keep in heat and humidity? I think he's still young enough he should stay in an enclosed habitat. He still has growing to do.

Some members have been using 2 big plastic bins of the same size. You would cut off one end of each of them. Then you can slide one inside the other. Just overlap them a few inches, and duct tape them together the whole way around at the seam. Then cut the holes in the lids and put them on. I'm not sure how to make the lids fit together, but I'll bet you could figure something out! Maybe cut the end off one of them?

Oh yeah that was a total typo on the weight haha! Right now he's housed in a tortoise house that only has half a lid, but keeps in moisture pretty well. However, it's 2ftx3ft, and since he's growing he'll need a bigger one soon.
How would the lid work? Do you mean something like drilling holes into the top or keeping it half open and half closed? I just want to make sure Noodles is getting enough air.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Don't worry about air...he'll get plenty. You will be lifting the lid probably a few times a day, so air exchange will take place then. And the holes described below are not airtight.

With the plastic lids on the bins, you need a way to get heat and lights into the enclosure. If you have a tube type UVB, the fixture can be mounted on the underside of the lid.

For the basking light and nighttime heat...you cut holes in the lid that are slightly smaller than the dome hood the bulbs are in. Then you line the edges of the holes with a few layers of aluminum foil. This protects the plastic lid from melting. Then you set the domes over the holes, so the light shines down into the bin.