question about setup

[jweiner]

Does anyone have experience with this Zoomed enclosure:

http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=245&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=3

We are going to purchase a baby Greek and want to get a good enclosure. I have also looked at the complete tortoise setup at the reptmart website.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Laura]

you can build you own for much cheaper and bigger..
look at the Enclosure sections
Bookcases work great, can be bought cheap or found for free.. lay them on there backs and take out the shelves. line is with a plastic shower curtain, add substrate, etc... done.

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oh and probably best to lay it on a piece of plywood.. for extra stength. set on table or add legs or rollers.

 

[jweiner]

Thanks for the reply and I fully agree with what you said. However, I am just wondering what enclosure would be the best (assuming I prefer not to hand-make one). Thanks again. Joel

 

[jwhite]

Joel, just wanna throw this out there. If you are interested you are more than welcome to come and check out my enclosures to kind of get an idea of what you might need.

Jon

 

[jweiner]

If you are offering, my son and I would love to. We live in New Berlin.

 

[jackrat]

Tyler Stewart at Tortoise Supply carries a very nice one of that type.

 

[Jacob]

Its A Great Box, But Like Laura said Said, You Can Build A Great Bigger One That Fits The Need Of Your Tortoise, Or How You Want It Alot Cheaper! Also If You Make One, It Will Be Easier To Plant Live Plants In It

 

[tortoisenerd]

If you totally want to avoid building one or having one built, I'd get a plastic Medium sized Vision tub (18 sq ft, about 6 by 3) and block off a lot of it to increase as the tort grows. I like this because its very sturdy and looks nice. No work required. Very expensive though as it has to be shipped freight. I like the ability to wipe it out and have one solid surface vs. the not as firmly attached liner on a wood enclosure. It is also the exactly right height, not too short or too tall as most plastic tubs are. I wanted plastic instead of metal to help with heating, vs. most of the stock tanks. I think its most cost effective to get one giant enclosure and block off most of it at first, rather than buying/building multiple enclosures as the tort grows. It is however very important to increase the enclosure size as the tort grows.

That ZooMed one is smaller than I'd use even for a hatchling, overprices, and a bad design with the low height, lid, and the large sleeping box (waste of space....I'd use multiple hides in different temp zones).

As far as other enclosures which don't require building, for a hatchling, the largest size Rubbermaid plastic tub is fine (45 gallon, 42.3" x 21.3" x 20.6), but that won't last long too long. You can connect two tubs by cutting out the sides or making a tunnel, stock tank (for livestock, come sin metal or plastic at a feed store), etc. Or, get a bookcase with a solid back and line it with thick plastic. Waterland and Vision are the two companies I've heard of that sell reptile plastic tubs. I don't like the Waterland land tub design though, the preferred the clear color of the Vision tub.

Those "complete setups" advertised come with some bad stuff as far as substrate and lighting. Stay far far away. You want a good MVB like a 100 Watt Powersun, ceramic socket deep dome hood fixture, vertically adjustable lamp stand, temp gun, pure calcium supplement, slate tile for food, easy to use water dish (for a tiny hatchling I'd like the Groovy Jacuzzi as it has steps...even the ramp bowls can be tough for them), at least 3 hides so you have one in each temp zone (avoid half logs as hatchlings love to climb & fall from them...I like fake plants, plastic containers, substrate piles, etc), etc. Make sure you take at least a few months to research and get stuff set up so you are as prepared as you can be (you will still need to make changes though). Congrats on the decision!

Any way you can be convinced to try and get a less fragile slightly older tort? I know hatchlings are so cute, but they can also break your heart. I would try for a captive bred yearling, although probably very tough to find. If anything, go for the oldest hatchling you can find. It may be best to get in contact with a breeder and if necessary pay a bit extra for them to hold it for you until its at least 6 months or whatever (assuming they are a good breeder and keeping it well, not just the keep it dry, tube UVB, and feed it romaine routine).