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Please let me know what you think. The width is 32", length 7'. Our new Cherryhead will be here in less than 48 hours -- yaaaay!!
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Our tortoise table is done!!
- Thread starter RedFootMom
- Start date
Wow, it's beautiful. Couple things. Larger food and water dishes. Even though they are small to begin with, they need to be able to get into the water dish and soak. While they are in the dish, if they want to drink, they need to be able to. Your dishes they won't be able to. Also, the food dish won't hold enough food. They should be fed enough to graze all day and possibly have some left over. Also, they need a high humidity. It will be easier to do that if you cover the enclosure. While giving high humidity, be sure to keep the top layer of substrate dry, as they are prone to shell rot.
Oops, almost forgot CONGRATS
. How exciting for you. Don't foret pics when s/he arrives.
Oops, almost forgot CONGRATS
. How exciting for you. Don't foret pics when s/he arrives.
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This is for a hatchling - 4 months old. I'm going to get a different larger bowl set but I was going to keep one of the small bowls for timothy hay.
I'll double check with the breeder but I'm sure she didn't say I needed a lid. We will dampen the spagnum (sp?) moss under the light and the heat from the PowerSun light is supposed to raise the humidity. Am I wrong on that?
I'll double check with the breeder but I'm sure she didn't say I needed a lid. We will dampen the spagnum (sp?) moss under the light and the heat from the PowerSun light is supposed to raise the humidity. Am I wrong on that?
I absolutely love it! It would be simple to cover.
If you test the humidity in various places you will be shocked at how low it can be.
The most important humidity issue is for the hatchlings.
I could live in that!! [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]
If you test the humidity in various places you will be shocked at how low it can be.
The most important humidity issue is for the hatchlings.
I could live in that!! [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]
That IS beautiful!!
Some clay terra cotta water dishes would make great replacements for your current dishes and still compliment your enclosure.
Why the bowl of timothy hay?
Some clay terra cotta water dishes would make great replacements for your current dishes and still compliment your enclosure.
Why the bowl of timothy hay?
Very nice! A cover will help with hunidity, it can be tough to keep it up especially in dry winter season. Spraying the moss will help, but you will soon find that keeping it up all day can be a mission. Close top again helps. Also I noticed a few inches of substrate and get it moist all the way down. This also helps.
Kyle
Kyle
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I just went to Lowe's and picked up two 8" Terra Cotta Saucers (very shallow) and will switch them out for the other teeny dishes. I just thought they were so cute when I saw them. I can return them to Petco tomorrow.
I live in hot, humid Florida and on warm days (most of the year) she will have access to a tort turnout of 36' X 36' to graze, bask, hide, etc. This house is for sleeping and cold days.
I will ask the breeder about the necessity of a top. This was built by her specs with no mention of a top.
Yikes - I'm quickly running out of time and feel like I still have so much to learn!!
I can return them to Petco tomorrow.I live in hot, humid Florida and on warm days (most of the year) she will have access to a tort turnout of 36' X 36' to graze, bask, hide, etc. This house is for sleeping and cold days.
I will ask the breeder about the necessity of a top. This was built by her specs with no mention of a top.
Yikes - I'm quickly running out of time and feel like I still have so much to learn!!
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You have a very beautiful enclosure! I only have 2 suggestions. I like to provide multiple hides in different temperature zones. This allows for your tort to Thermo regulate. I also suggest having a top for your enclosure.
We don't mean to confuse you about the whole top thing... many of us, especially those that have raised baby red foots, sulcatas, and leopards, have found that a closed chamber type enclosure produces very healthy smooth torts. Not saying it can't be done without a top, but it is so much easier to control with one.
We don't mean to confuse you about the whole top thing... many of us, especially those that have raised baby red foots, sulcatas, and leopards, have found that a closed chamber type enclosure produces very healthy smooth torts. Not saying it can't be done without a top, but it is so much easier to control with one.
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Very nice . Just fix the stuff that was said in the first post and you'll be doing good . Congratulations on your new tortoise. Red foots are awesome!!!
I was just instructed to keep my redfoots in an open tub or table type enclosure by the breeder. Two years later they are pyramided to a slight extent. I had no clue why until I found this forum when mentioned on another group I belong to.
I had often kept them partially covered to keep my cats from bothering them. That alone probably kept them humidified enough to prevent more severe pyramiding.
I guess I was lucky that I never dealt with any shell rot despite the fact they were kept on pretty moist sphagnum moss much of the time.
Yours is a gorgeous huge habitat! Good luck with your new family member. They are so much fun.
I had often kept them partially covered to keep my cats from bothering them. That alone probably kept them humidified enough to prevent more severe pyramiding.
I guess I was lucky that I never dealt with any shell rot despite the fact they were kept on pretty moist sphagnum moss much of the time.
Yours is a gorgeous huge habitat! Good luck with your new family member. They are so much fun.
Cherryheads are awesome!
but I am sure you have air conditioner (A/C) in hot, humid Florida, and an A/C system will mechanically suck all the moisture humidity out of the air around the top of your beautiful enclosure. Remember you are getting a jungle tortoise not a desert tortoise, amazons really need that warm moistly damp and humid environment at a constant. Temperatures here are very important to get right. Buy a good temperature gun, and check around the enclosure often. During the day no areas of the enclosure should drop below 80F, and at night 75F. The one side of the enclosure where you feed them you want a good quality light like the 125W SOLAR GLO (visual light and heat in one bulb). This light will increase your temps up to 94F in that area you feed them, after eating they will go back to the 80F area and sleep in the humid hide box, have a sponge hanging from the top of the inside of the humid hide to keep the moisture near the top of the carapace surface. It's hard to keep the humidity up in any enclosure, but unless you can close the top it will be a losing battle.
The first year or two is the most critical in avoiding pyramiding, actions now will assure his carapace will be smooth and nice.
but I am sure you have air conditioner (A/C) in hot, humid Florida, and an A/C system will mechanically suck all the moisture humidity out of the air around the top of your beautiful enclosure. Remember you are getting a jungle tortoise not a desert tortoise, amazons really need that warm moistly damp and humid environment at a constant. Temperatures here are very important to get right. Buy a good temperature gun, and check around the enclosure often. During the day no areas of the enclosure should drop below 80F, and at night 75F. The one side of the enclosure where you feed them you want a good quality light like the 125W SOLAR GLO (visual light and heat in one bulb). This light will increase your temps up to 94F in that area you feed them, after eating they will go back to the 80F area and sleep in the humid hide box, have a sponge hanging from the top of the inside of the humid hide to keep the moisture near the top of the carapace surface. It's hard to keep the humidity up in any enclosure, but unless you can close the top it will be a losing battle.
The first year or two is the most critical in avoiding pyramiding, actions now will assure his carapace will be smooth and nice.
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Re: RE: Our tortoise table is done!!
One of the best pieces of advice. They won't grow well otherwise. Tortoises are like small cows, they just need the microclimate to keep that GI tract going.
wellington said:
One of the best pieces of advice. They won't grow well otherwise. Tortoises are like small cows, they just need the microclimate to keep that GI tract going.
Congratulations on your new additions! Nice enclosure! Like Karen said, I could live there.
I have found maintaining the humidity in Lea's temporary enclosure a challenge. Luckily, I'm home most of the time so can spray the chamber every hour or so during the day. Finally broke down and bought a piece of plexi-glass; it only covers about half the top but helps tremendously.
Best of luck,
Kara (& Lea)
I have found maintaining the humidity in Lea's temporary enclosure a challenge. Luckily, I'm home most of the time so can spray the chamber every hour or so during the day. Finally broke down and bought a piece of plexi-glass; it only covers about half the top but helps tremendously.
Best of luck,
Kara (& Lea)
RedFootMom said:
