New outdoor Redfoot enclosure

[ZEROPILOT]

Because of health issues, I've been 100% without any tortoises for a few months. In that time I've taken down all of my pens and even my above ground fish ponds.
I am slowly going to build a new REDFOOT WORLD. Something that will be well engineered and easy to maintain. But I do want to incorporate a stream with large pebbles (buried pipes, pond liner and a bio filter with removable media)and water feature running through it. With a pool. A jungle area with water sprinklers. And a hilly area with at least one open ended cave.
The build itself will be my most elaborate so far. And will begin as soon as the weather gets cooler.
I want cave ideas. I'm considering chicken wire mesh with cement and then placing grass on top.
I'll also be looking for a new long term resident to live there.
I'll probably see if Ryan @Southernreptiles has any older, Cherry males for sale.
I miss my old Julio. Whom I had for 11 years. But he's with a new family that loves him and has time to spend with him
(I didnt)
Ideas please!
Show me what you've done.
This will be roughly 25 feet by 40 feet.
Probably with a cement slab for a chair as a viewing platform.
Simple rectangular shape with 2x4 posts and 24" metal sheeting as exterior walls. Two of the walls being the existing cement walls of my house.
A heated night house will be attached to the exterior with an interior entrance/exit and the simple, gravity bio/mechanical filter for the water feature will also be mounted externally. Hidden inside another box that may be identical to the night box for esthetic reasons. Probably made of treated, exterior lumber. Unless I find something more suitable.
I LOVE repurposing stuff.

 

[TammyJ]

Wow, this sounds great! I look forward to seeing the progress. Starting with the empty space that you are planning to work.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Sounds a very exciting project! Look forward to watching it unfold!!

 

[wellington]

I like the chicken wire and cement.
I also like the caves made from drainage? pipe.
You could also get some of those fake rocks/boulders and cut openings in them, even connect a couple together to make it even a longer cave.
Be sure to update often. Sounds really cool and fun.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I like the chicken wire and cement.
I also like the caves made from drainage? pipe.
You could also get some of those fake rocks/boulders and cut openings in them, even connect a couple together to make it even a longer cave.
Be sure to update often. Sounds really cool and fun.

I wish I could get about 5 or 6 feet of that culvert pipe my brother used to be able to get me as scrap peices when he worked for the city water district.
I'm not sure if I can just purchase less than 10 feet of it. Or from where.

 

[wellington]

I wish I could get about 5 or 6 feet of that culvert pipe my brother used to be able to get me as scrap peices when he worked for the city water district.
I'm not sure if I can just purchase less than 10 feet of it. Or from where.

Yeah that's probably the stuff I'm thinking of. I know it's a good size. It wouldn't hurt to call the water dept and ask if they ever have scraps they throw out. They may let you have it or buy it for a small amount.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I found this today at work.
It was requested to be thrown away.
It's over 5 feet long and would probably work as a night house/ pump house after I attach a double hinged lid and make a wall to separate the two sides.
Probably 2/3 night house and 1/3 pump house.
It's a nice, heavy plastic

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm in negotiations with my wife about this enclosure.
My proposal is 25' x 60'....
Her proposal is NO MORE TORTOISES

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I found this today at work.
It was requested to be thrown away.
It's over 5 feet long and would probably work as a night house/ pump house after I attach a double hinged lid and make a wall to separate the two sides.
Probably 2/3 night house and 1/3 pump house.
It's a nice, heavy plastic

Hear me out, would a large circular plastic dustbin, cut in half with cement on top work? I’m thinking you could even get some PVC piping to connect the two halves?idk it got me thinking after seeing this one.. forgive the crappy sketch

 

[wellington]

Hear me out, would a large circular plastic dustbin, cut in half with cement on top work? I’m thinking you could even get some PVC piping to connect the two halves?idk it got me thinking after seeing this one.. forgive the crappy sketch
View attachment 379858
View attachment 379859

That likely would collapse by the weight of the cement.. A metal one should work though.

 

[wellington]

I'm in negotiations with my wife about this enclosure.
My proposal is 25' x 60'....
Her proposal is NO MORE TORTOISES

Now you have to win this one.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

That likely would collapse by the weight of the cement.. A metal one should work though.

Ooo yeah good point! Perhaps even some sort of metal mesh basket? Seeing as he was thinking of chicken wire, if not he could try a metal bin, but I guess it could be one, tricky to cut, or two, a dangerously sharp edge

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Now you have to win this one.

Hopefully it'll end in a compromise.
Maybe I'll end up with the same area I started out with. That's just 11" x 22"

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Here's the compromise.
A little over 8' x 23' more or less. With night box mounted as part of the structure.
This is what I'm building now. This type of construction can easily be modified and enlarged at a later date. As I've done previously.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's made of steel fence pickets. Pounded into the rocky soil with a 3 pound hammer. 24" 2x4 attached to them. 1x6 attached to the 2x4 horizontally. Galvanized steel 24"x12' panels attached to them.
Mostly stuff left over from the old above ground fish pond projects. So, so far the expensive has been about 10 bucks for new exterior deck screws. And I could've re used them as well. They're nearly indestructible.
The night house, I found in a dumpster at my job. So it was also free. I cut the entrance with my circular saw. Ill probably use a DOLLAR STORE car floor mat for the entrance flap. I've got hinges for the lid. The lid is fiberglass. I'll need a hanger, pipe and CHE. But it'll be months before the weather even begins to cool down. And of course, I still have no tortoise.
Oh, also $29 for 10 bags of mulch.
I still have plants to buy/find and a watering system to plumb. With it recirculating or with a separate sprinkler system. Thankfully the electric and water are already out there from before.
I haven't settled on an idea yet. But it'll need to be low maintenance.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Looking good Ed! I see a very happy&lucky red foot in there soon

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I gotta say, I'm more than just a little disappointed with the current state of this project. Size wise. It's going to limit everything I wanted to do.
I bought plants and mulch yesterday and today.
Every day brings new ideas. Albeit less spectacular ones.
This weekend I'll finish the night house and the swing open door to the enclosure.

 

[wellington]

I think it's looking great, a nice size. Maybe as you get it going more she will come around with giving up a little more.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I think it's looking great, a nice size. Maybe as you get it going more she will come around with giving up a little more.

Hopefully