Setting up my enclosure

kmloughran

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I'll be picking up my tort on the 6th. Just making sure that I have everything in place before then. I'm working on my shopping list now, and this is my plan (everything listed has been ordered and set for delivery by sept 1, can easily be returned if something is wrong).

I have a 4x4 planter box with a domed cover for my enclosure. Will be using coco coir as my base substrate. Will also have some areas with repti-bark for variety. Since the area is so big I was thinking of having two basking areas. Spanning between the areas will be a 10.0 UVB high output 22" fluorescent bulb in a 24" hydrofarm fixture. At each end (overlapping parallel to the end of the bulb) I'll have an 8" lamp with a 60w incandescent lightbulb (do you think that the regular bulbs will be ok since I have the UVB fluorescent?). All lights will be on a digital timer. I'll also have a 100w and a 60w ceramic heat emitter in different areas of the enclosure hooked up to two automatic thermostats for regulating different sides of the enclosure.

I'll have two flowerpot bases as water dishes in separate areas of the pen. I'll have rocks, branches, fake grasses and other fake plants scattered around the enclosure to provide exploration areas for him, I'll also have some live plants in the basking area. Multiple hides including a humid hide with some moss in it to help elevate humidity levels inside. Planning on venting the enclosure to stabilize humidity at 80-90%. Should I monitor humidity levels in humid hide, or will Mo (my tort) just use it as he sees fit?

Is there anything you would change to the setup or any suggestions for me? Thanks for your input.
 

kmloughran

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Feel free to post ANYTHING you think I need to know about the setup, even if it's basic and you think I may already know it. It never hurts to have more input and/or confirmation of things I already know. Also I could be missing something that an experienced tort owner considers common sense. Thanks again! -Kev
 

kmloughran

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Also, would you recommend putting a divider in my enclosure for now, shrinking the space, and expanding it as he grows? Or just let him keep growing into it?

And yes, I will be bringing him outside for daily outdoor romps (weather permitting).
 

Maro2Bear

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Is your enclosure all set up? It would help if you get your enclosure set up as soon as you can before Mo aarives. Get your temps and lighting and humidity stabilized before hand. Snap a pix of your set up.
 

kmloughran

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Yeah, everything Should be here on the 1st of September. So I'll be setting it up then. Does it sound like I'm missing anything, or gone overkill? Will post a pic as soon as I get it set up
 

wellington

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I would not use the fake grass, he could try to eat it and keep an eye on him with the fake plants. If this is a hatchling, you could cut the size down to 2x4, that's what I did for my hatchling who will be a year in November. You should not have to monitor the humid hide humidity. If he gets out side daily you don't have to use the UVB, you could save its life by using it only during colder weather when he can't get outside. You probably won't need to vent it either. The twice daily or so opening it should be enough venting. Once you get it up and running you will know if you need more or less. Otherwise sounds good. And don't forget a food tile. A flat riff piece of time or rock works good and helps keep beak and nails trimmed.
 

kmloughran

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I would not use the fake grass, he could try to eat it and keep an eye on him with the fake plants. If this is a hatchling, you could cut the size down to 2x4, that's what I did for my hatchling who will be a year in November. You should not have to monitor the humid hide humidity. If he gets out side daily you don't have to use the UVB, you could save its life by using it only during colder weather when he can't get outside. You probably won't need to vent it either. The twice daily or so opening it should be enough venting. Once you get it up and running you will know if you need more or less. Otherwise sounds good. And don't forget a food tile. A flat riff piece of time or rock works good and helps keep beak and nails trimmed.

Thanks for the help. When I said fake grasses I was imagining tall decorative, not short turf-ish stuff. But I've opted out of fake plants altogether I think.

For the food tile, would you recommend a piece of flagstone?

Also, I had an idea for around each of his two water dishes, do a ring of stones (that would be level with his substrate), then a ring of moss, then another ring of stones, then the dish. This would serve to wipe excess substrate off him before accessing the water dish. Just a thought. We'll definitely be using flower pot saucers as water dishes.

For the lightbulbs, are regular (60w) round bulbs from the hardware store ok? Or should I go with (60w) flood lights?

Thanks
 

wellington

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I like the stone/moss around the water dishes, it will help keep them cleaner. You only need one dish if you want. The regular bulbs are fine. I use them along with many other members. I also use the tube flourescent UVB along with Che's for my hatchling. My Che's are on a thermostats and the rest just on timers.
Flagstone would be a good food tile.
 

Gillian M

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I'll be picking up my tort on the 6th. Just making sure that I have everything in place before then. I'm working on my shopping list now, and this is my plan (everything listed has been ordered and set for delivery by sept 1, can easily be returned if something is wrong).

I have a 4x4 planter box with a domed cover for my enclosure. Will be using coco coir as my base substrate. Will also have some areas with repti-bark for variety. Since the area is so big I was thinking of having two basking areas. Spanning between the areas will be a 10.0 UVB high output 22" fluorescent bulb in a 24" hydrofarm fixture. At each end (overlapping parallel to the end of the bulb) I'll have an 8" lamp with a 60w incandescent lightbulb (do you think that the regular bulbs will be ok since I have the UVB fluorescent?). All lights will be on a digital timer. I'll also have a 100w and a 60w ceramic heat emitter in different areas of the enclosure hooked up to two automatic thermostats for regulating different sides of the enclosure.

I'll have two flowerpot bases as water dishes in separate areas of the pen. I'll have rocks, branches, fake grasses and other fake plants scattered around the enclosure to provide exploration areas for him, I'll also have some live plants in the basking area. Multiple hides including a humid hide with some moss in it to help elevate humidity levels inside. Planning on venting the enclosure to stabilize humidity at 80-90%. Should I monitor humidity levels in humid hide, or will Mo (my tort) just use it as he sees fit?

Is there anything you would change to the setup or any suggestions for me? Thanks for your input.
A very warm welcome to the forum! :)

If the enclosure is there, please post a pic of it. Pics always help when advise is to be given.;)

Read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and the "Enclosures" Section.:D
 

Neal

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Thanks for the help. When I said fake grasses I was imagining tall decorative, not short turf-ish stuff. But I've opted out of fake plants altogether I think.

For the food tile, would you recommend a piece of flagstone?

Also, I had an idea for around each of his two water dishes, do a ring of stones (that would be level with his substrate), then a ring of moss, then another ring of stones, then the dish. This would serve to wipe excess substrate off him before accessing the water dish. Just a thought. We'll definitely be using flower pot saucers as water dishes.

For the lightbulbs, are regular (60w) round bulbs from the hardware store ok? Or should I go with (60w) flood lights?

Thanks

Use live plants if you can grown from seeds you have started in clean soil.

Flagstone is good, I prefer it because I think it works better aesthetically than tile.

I like your idea of ringing the water dish with stones.

The regular light bulbs are OK, but I would probably start out with the flood lights and adjust the height based on how warm the make the area in your enclosure.
 

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