New Outdoor Pen

[goReptiles]

I had this whole long post typed out on my phone and was uploading the pictures, and the app shut down. So, I'll make this short and sweet.

My boyfriend was going to make a nice wooden perimeter pen for my torts with a gate and built-in bench, but I've decided that will take him years.

We're going to use concrete bricks to build the enclosure. We have two wood panels from Home Depot that don't match up with the panels from Lowes, so we'll cut those to size for dividers.

We'll bury cinder blocks about 6" in the ground and use hardware cloth create a barrier to prevent the Russians from digging out. There will be three rows of perimeter wall bricks.

I will post pictures as we go. I hope to have the cinder blocks all buried this weekend. We're going to build out so the gas man will have a trail to walk to the meter.

The enclosure will go from the fence all the way over about 24+ feet.

 

[Jacqui]

I just love building outdoor enclosure threads where you get to see all the steps. Almost like being there! I see you have a supervisor in your second photo.

 

[wellington]

I love these on going update enclosure build threads. Can't wait to see all the updates and final result

 

[Blakem]

I too am thinkin of this over at my grandmas house. I may steal some of your ideas.

 

[goReptiles]

Jacqui, at my house there's a supervisor everywhere. Ha. That is Laila in the second picture; she's our boxer pit. Sweetest dog. Throughout this thread, I'm sure Ali will pop up; she was running around somewhere. They both followed me outside. Ha.

I can't wait to get this started tomorrow. I wanted to have all the cinder blocks buried this weekend, but I'm not sure if that'll happen.

We will use the privacy fence (when it's completed up that way) and house as walls, but the hardware cloth will still get buried.

 

[edwardbo]

i need a husband

 

[goReptiles]

Design layout.

Square. I hadn't finished putting down the blocks.


rounded. I ran out. I need 1-2 more.


We will probably go with the more curved look.

 

[Jacqui]

i need a husband

I need a full time at home husband.

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I always have helpers too. I make the dogs stay in the house, but all the cats come out to supervise and help as needed. Last fall, I had a kitten who was just so helpful as I was digging holes and planting things, that I told it I was thinking I could use a new PUSSYwillow bush.

I have found that building cages always takes much longer then I think they will.

 

[Blakem]

Do your dogs bother your tortoise at all? I'm curious because I was thinking about this idea. I don't know f my Pitt will bother Dexter when he's much larger, but I was just curious! I wish I didn't have to think about that as it would make my future with my animals much easier.

 

[goReptiles]

Jacqui, we don't let our cats out unless we can watch them. One is terrified of being outside, and the other is too adventurous. I'm just not comfortable letting them out if I'm working bc I can't watch them.

Blake, they sniff the torts but don't bother them too much. This past summer, i would bring the tortoises out and after the dogs checked them out, they went along their way. Both know 'leave it' and one is great at 'drop it', but we've never had to use 'drop it' bc of the torts. The dogs are inside during the day when we work, so they won't have all day to bother the torts outside. Now, if I had squirrels or something small and fuzzy, I'd be telling you another story.

 

[Yvonne G]

i need a husband

With a name like "edwardbo" I thought you WERE the husband! Heck wives can build stuff too. You've got to start someplace. Just dig in.

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Just wondering why you're laying the blocks on their sides instead of with the holes pointing up?

 

[wellington]

I thought the same as Yvonne. I thought edwardbo was also a guy. Same as some think I am a guy, because of the Wellington. Even though my female name is at the bottom. Actually the reason I had finally put it there
Heck, women can usually build better then guys . We think of more details.

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I too wonder why you are putting the blocks like that? Unless you block the holes in, it may make your torts want out all that much more.

 

[goReptiles]

I knew someone would catch the blocks. That's just how i was laying them out to get the design; it was also easier for me to move them with my arms through the holes and place them down.They will be turned when they get buried. I will also put hardware cloth in the ground.

My dad just texted me about the blocks. Dang. I taught him well. Ha

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Will this work for a pond? I want to add a shallow pond to the red foot section. Or does anyone have any other suggestion? I tried to search the forum, but the app isn't working on search for me.

 

[lynnedit]

i need a husband

Ha, ha, they are handy, yes, but I'm the one who builds the enclosures. Not square, mind you, but the tortoises don't care.

Will this work for a pond? I want to add a shallow pond to the red foot section. Or does anyone have any other suggestion? I tried to search the forum, but the app isn't working on search for me.

That is the underlayment for pond liner: you put it down first, sometimes over sand, to protect the pond liner from sharp things. So the pond liner goes over the underlayment.
Pond liner is great for making a RF or box turtle pond. You can make it shallow, and shaped like a stream, perhaps even with a little pump.
Not sure if you've seen this link, just one idea:
http://www.turtletimes.com/forums/topic/69137-soaking-pond-instructions-with-photos/

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And if you go to a pond supply store, you can buy it in certain widths by the foot.

 

[Jacqui]

Depends how fancy you want to go. If you want to go simple and round is okay, just sink in a extra large/deep plant saucer or a plastic garbage can lid works well too. Then you can add old logs and rocks to break up the round edges and make it more natural.

This is for a hingeback, so would need bigger of course for your redfoots. I left it without trying to break up the circle look.

This is made from an old preformed pool that I needed to make more shallow for hingebacks. If I were making it for redfooted tortoises, I would use large river rock sizes.

This is kinda what Lynn was telling you could be done.

Now if your interested in a more rectangular pond, you might think a extra large cat litter pan or one of the cement mixing tubs. I have used old bathtubs, too.

The sky is the limit with anything that can hold water or using the pond material.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

I am just loving all these ideas for my turtle garden.

 

[goReptiles]

Thanks! I'm definitely taking it all in. I'm a ways from that right now, but I'm planning. I'm thinking the pond liner and some large stones. I don't want too fancy but not to plan either. I like that last picture. Would I need a filter? How deep should it be? I was thinking kind of shallow- maybe 4 inches.

 

[goReptiles]

When stacking the landscaping tiles, should I use mortar inbetween the layers.

 

[lynnedit]

I don't believe you need to mortar the landscape blocks if you stagger each row (offset them).

In the link I posted, the owner had a little depression in the middle of her shallow pool for a pump. This circulated water up to the little waterfall. Eventually in the thread, she put a rectangle of course filter material over the pump, with rocks on top of that.
It acted as an informal filter for debri, which she could hose out as needed.
I don't think those little shallow ponds/waterfalls are hard to keep clean if you keep them clean by flooding them once per week or so to replace the water.

 

[goReptiles]

We had a few snow days that have slowed us down, as well as a jumbo piece of buried wood.