Eredant
Member
Pretty pleased with the new nightbox that I've built. I wouldn't be surprised if it is better isolated than my own nighttime enclosure/house. The dimensions are roughly 120x60x60cm.
The sides made from: 18mm cedar boards, 6mm plywood, 4 cm PUR, 6mm plywood, reflective bubblewrap. A PVC curtain at the entrance to keep the heat in.
The top: 18mm plywood, 4cm PUR
The bottom: 18mm plywood, 4cm PUR, 6mm plywood, reflective bubblewrap, 80W trace heating cable, rubber flooring. I intend to add some potting soil so the tortoises can dig in a little, and to distribute the heat evenly.
The heater is ofcourse controlled by a thermostat. I intend to add a wireless temperature/humidity sensor, so I can get an alert in case the heater fails.
All the wood has made it pretty heavy (>50 kg) so I've put it on casters. That made the entrance a little too high, so I added a detachable ramp. I don't want to give the tortoises the option to hide underneath the box. I'm aware that the ramp could be a hazard for falling over. Once the box is in its final location I'll probably add plants/rocks/soils on either side of the ramp to fill in the gaps.
The nightbox is a temporary solution to house my two Aldabras. I'll eventually need to build a heated shed, but placing this nightbox in my greenhouse or in our 'glass porch' (where the picture was taken) should allow me to finish some other projects first.
The sides made from: 18mm cedar boards, 6mm plywood, 4 cm PUR, 6mm plywood, reflective bubblewrap. A PVC curtain at the entrance to keep the heat in.
The top: 18mm plywood, 4cm PUR
The bottom: 18mm plywood, 4cm PUR, 6mm plywood, reflective bubblewrap, 80W trace heating cable, rubber flooring. I intend to add some potting soil so the tortoises can dig in a little, and to distribute the heat evenly.
The heater is ofcourse controlled by a thermostat. I intend to add a wireless temperature/humidity sensor, so I can get an alert in case the heater fails.
All the wood has made it pretty heavy (>50 kg) so I've put it on casters. That made the entrance a little too high, so I added a detachable ramp. I don't want to give the tortoises the option to hide underneath the box. I'm aware that the ramp could be a hazard for falling over. Once the box is in its final location I'll probably add plants/rocks/soils on either side of the ramp to fill in the gaps.
The nightbox is a temporary solution to house my two Aldabras. I'll eventually need to build a heated shed, but placing this nightbox in my greenhouse or in our 'glass porch' (where the picture was taken) should allow me to finish some other projects first.
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