Pictures of your indoor enclosures!

[Buddytheboxie]

hi everyone I found someone who would be willing to build an indoor enclosure for my box turtle, Buddy!! (Only if I pay )

However I need ideas. The enclosure will be in my bedroom and I don't have a ton of ground space. The space I personally have is about 2ft by 2ft of ground space. I do want to make him an enclosure that is a double decker. (I included 2 pictures of what I am roughly thinking). Buddy is currently in a 55gallon tank so he is in need of an upgrade.

My second question would be is it better to have him in an open top or should it be closed off?

Third and final question, what is the best type of wood to use and how I line the bottom so the wood doesn't rot from the water and dirt?

Thank you everyone! Also post pictures of your indoor set ups!

 

[Yvonne G]

2'x2' isn't very big even with an upper deck.

 

[lisa127]

I would not put a box turtle in anything smaller than 2 x 4 personally. I'm not a fan of second levels, but that's just me.

 

[thefalconwizard]

The tortoise could easily fall of the second story/the stairs

 

[Buddytheboxie]

Okay so I will try and measure everything again but I know for sure the enclosure will be just a little smaller than 2ft by 4ft (my room is not that big).

Also for the stairs/ramp I will have, there will be a "rail" that will be taller than him stretched out so he does not climb over.

Again I am still looking for ideas since I do want to give him a bigger better home then what he currently has.

Also I am better visually and would still like to see some enclosures or if a closed or open chamber is better for an adult box turtle.

 

[lisa127]

Okay so I will try and measure everything again but I know for sure the enclosure will be just a little smaller than 2ft by 4ft (my room is not that big).

Also for the stairs/ramp I will have, there will be a "rail" that will be taller than him stretched out so he does not climb over.

Again I am still looking for ideas since I do want to give him a bigger better home then what he currently has.

Also I am better visually and would still like to see some enclosures or if a closed or open chamber is better for an adult box turtle.

I prefer something closed for box turtles since they like humidity. You just need to make sure you use less wattage bulbs since they are a temperate species and you don't want to overheat them. I do not use a built enclosure so I can't show you a photo of that. I use stock tanks.

 

[Buddytheboxie]

I prefer something closed for box turtles since they like humidity. You just need to make sure you use less wattage bulbs since they are a temperate species and you don't want to overheat them. I do not use a built enclosure so I can't show you a photo of that. I use stock tanks.

So far I am thinking about buying a long big dresser/desk and fixing the inside so it is turtle safe and changing from doors to glass so it is easier to see him and get in. My trouble is how to put the lights in the inside.

 

[thefalconwizard]

 

[BILBO-03]

View attachment 201408

Nice enclosure! But that cool bulb can blind your tort. You either need a mercury vapor bulb or a linear uvb

 

[thefalconwizard]

Nice enclosure! But that cool bulb can blind your tort. You either need a mercury vapor bulb or a linear uvb

The uvb?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The coiled compact florescent bulb.
No good

 

[MsTippy]

Just a few of my tortoise tables i built Ones for a baby Hermanns, the corner one is for a baby Sulcata, and the biggest one is for a 1 yr old sulcata.

 

[cmacusa3]

Just a few of my tortoise tables i built Ones for a baby Hermanns, the corner one is for a baby Sulcata, and the biggest one is for a 1 yr old sulcata.

What do you use for night heat and how do you maintain proper heat and humidity for the Sulcatas?

 

[MsTippy]

My reptile room stays between 70 and 75 at night so i havent needed any night time heat. I do have heat mats that are on thermostats that i would add to the top of their wooded box hides if i ever needed. For humidity, i used plastic tuperware containers and cut a hole big enough in one side and added a mix of, coco coir, cypress mulch and moss in the hide and covered it with substrate to make it seem like a natural burrow. I mist the hide once in the morning and i lightly mist around the basking spot leaving the cool end dry for mult climates

 

[MsTippy]

For heat i use a 100 w zoo med mercury vapor bulb for the basking spot. In my 2 smaller tables, it alone maintains the basking spot around 100-103, and different ranges through out the enclosure range from 88 to 82 to 70's . It the larger sulcata table, i have one 100w zoo med mercury vapor bulb over the basking spot with temps around 100-103, and i have a normal 30w flood light in the middle which keeps the temps in the 80s and the far cooler side stays in the 70s w out any supplemented heat. I have all of my lamps held on with clamps so i can adjust the temps by raising or lowering the lamps to add or decrease heat

 

[cmacusa3]

For heat i use a 100 w zoo med mercury vapor bulb for the basking spot. In my 2 smaller tables, it alone maintains the basking spot around 100-103, and different ranges through out the enclosure range from 88 to 82 to 70's . It the larger sulcata table, i have one 100w zoo med mercury vapor bulb over the basking spot with temps around 100-103, and i have a normal 30w flood light in the middle which keeps the temps in the 80s and the far cooler side stays in the 70s w out any supplemented heat. I have all of my lamps held on with clamps so i can adjust the temps by raising or lowering the lamps to add or decrease heat

Interesting and Sounds good, my only concerns would be not maintaining high enough humidity levels to keep them from pyramiding and then the night temps dropping below 80, which would increase the chances of catching RI's

 

[MsTippy]

Thank you for your advice I am a newbie with tortoises and constantly googling, youtubing and now talking with experienced keepers on this forum I can increase the overall room temp at night to 80 + my humidity levels stay around 75% in the humid box, and between 55-80 depending on how much i mist the tank. I do remist if needed and have digital hydrometers in there. Im so worried about pyramiding lol. So any advice would be great My baby had slight pyramiding when i got him 3 months ago, and since his shell has smoothed out some and its not very noticeable anymore. I soak them 3 times a week for 30 mins and i jave a water bowl in each tank for a little added humidity.

 

[cmacusa3]

Thank you for your advice I am a newbie with tortoises and constantly googling, youtubing and now talking with experienced keepers on this forum I can increase the overall room temp at night to 80 + my humidity levels stay around 75% in the humid box, and between 55-80 depending on how much i mist the tank. I do remist if needed and have digital hydrometers in there. Im so worried about pyramiding lol. So any advice would be great My baby had slight pyramiding when i got him 3 months ago, and since his shell has smoothed out some and its not very noticeable anymore. I soak them 3 times a week for 30 mins and i jave a water bowl in each tank for a little added humidity.

There's a lot of great information in the Sulcata section and it's all the best information you will find. I will attach links for you to read everything that will help you
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/sulcata-tortoises.88/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/page-13#post-1461787

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Thank you for your advice I am a newbie with tortoises and constantly googling, youtubing and now talking with experienced keepers on this forum I can increase the overall room temp at night to 80 +

Your sulcata will do better if your overnight low doesn't go below 80F, but I wouldn't raise the entire room temperature, as your Hermann's appreciates the night drop. I'd add two CHEs on thermostats to your sulcata habitats so you can control the temperature for those who need it.

 

[MsTippy]

Awesome thanks again for ur advice Ill go grab some ceramic heat emitters tomorrow when i get off work, im on a 24 hr shift until 7am tomorrow lol. Do u have any opinions on using a fogger type system with a tube thats inserted into the humid hide and on a timer? I made my own system for my crested geckos with a 5 gal bucket, medical tubing, a nebulizer mask and an underwater air pump and it works amazingly. I was thinking about trying that in my humid hides. Id place the tube under the moss so it doesnt spray the torties but moistens the hide on and off all day.