Fire_bug80
Active Member
Tom, do you have a 4x4 box diagram? My sulcata is around 16lbs. I’m thinking it may be a female. So the 4x4 box would last?
Single Tortoise Night Box
- Thread starter Tom
- Start date
The 4x4 is enough for any adult sulcata.
Fire_bug80
Active Member
I added the clear flaps on the doorway. How long until they use them on their own? Doesn’t seem interested in going inside on its own!!!
It can vary a lot. Some use it on day one. Most use it after a week of putting them in at night and letting them walk out on their own in the morning. Some are stubborn and can take two months.
It sort of defeats the purpose, but sometimes its helpful to lift one flap so they can see in or out clearly and learn to push between the other flaps.
Fire_bug80
Active Member
I put them in every night and let them walk out if it. But I’m gone every 3rd and my wife refuses to touch the tortoise. Right now the weather is great but it will be too cold at night. So I’m hoping it’ll do it on its own soon
If not, you'll have to enlist someone's help to get it done.
More tips:
1. Each night place the tortoise part way in the door and back it up a little each night. On night one, place the tortoise at the door so that its face is pushed through the flaps and it can see the inside. Don't let it back up. The next night, place it a few inches farther back and patiently wait for it to move forward on its own. Each evening, start it a little farther back. Don't get impatient. Expect to sit there for 5-10 minutes letting the tortoise consider its options and deciding to go in.
2. On a really hot sunny day, make a wall of cinder blocks, or something similar, in about a 6-10 foot circle around the door of the box. No corners, no bushes, no shade, no cover. Put the tortoise in there facing the door. Don't let him over heat, but let him warm up to the point that he gets uncomfortable and wants out of the sun and will walk into the box on his own.
3. You can also do number 2 above every evening whenever the tortoise is trying to retire for the day in its usual spot. Go get the tortoise, put it in the barren 6-10 foot circle with no cover and nowhere to hide except to go into its box.
These tips have worked for me 100% of the time even with my most stubborn sulcata cases. Most took a few days. Some took two months.
Fire_bug80
Active Member
In Arkansas, we have a few months where it stays around freezing. So in those months where the box cannot be opened. Do u put a light on a timer just to give the tort some daytime light?
These boxes are just for a day time retreat and night shelter. They can't "live" in these boxes 24/7 in a frozen climate.
You need something around 50x50feet that is insulated with heated floors and a 95 degree warming area to house a sulcata in winter in a frozen climate.
Fire_bug80
Active Member
Tom. How do I get the humidity up in his box. I have 2 large bowls of water on a shelf. Humidity stays around 40-45%. Temps stay between 81-88F. Wonder if it’s causing his 3rd membrane always puffy in both eyes Is he too dry?
More water. More water near heat sources. Add an aquarium air stone "bubbler". If you keep the air pump inside the enclosure, it will bubble warm air into the water and cause more evaporation.
You could also line the box bottom and about 18 inches up the walls with rubber horse stall mats, seal all the corners and joints, and then keep damp orchid bark in the box.
Fire_bug80
Active Member
I like the horse mat idea
Fire_bug80
Active Member
Probably not in your climate, but if he's indoors for winter, I'd try to get it higher.
Kojack Norseman
New Member
Tom, are the door hinges on the inside or outside of the box? Im trying to figure out if the door is supposed to close flush or stick out. I couldn't find a good picture of how you do it.Build the door the full 26x16 inches. This way you are all set for later as the tortoise grows and the box is framed correctly and structurally sound. Then simply cut out a rectangle of plywood a little larger than your door that will be screwed in and cover the whole door entry way. Then cut a rectangle out of your fitted plywood piece just a little bit larger than your tortoise. As the tortoise grows, you can periodically remove that plywood piece and keep cutting ever larger openings until the tortoise is finally large enough to just need the whole larger door. Works like a charm and it is MUCH easier than trying to enlarge the door hole on a previously built box.
Now... Ask me how I know all this...
BTW, your knowledge on this has been so helpful. Thanks!
It's hard to show in pictures. The inside of the door is made from the piece of the outside front wall of the box that I cut out to make the door hole. Because of this, it always lines up perfectly. The width of the saw blade leaves enough gap for it to open and close perfectly.
Imagine the box sitting there with a door hole and no door. Now place the piece that was cut out to make the door hole flush in the opening that it was cut from. Now attach the hinges to the door and bottom of the door opening on the front of the box. Check to make sure it opens and closes properly. Then I frame the outside of this piece with flat 2x4s and put the rigid foam in the middle. Then cover that with another piece of plywood. For bonus points, router or chisel out space for the hinges on the framing that will over lap it. This is essentially my door.
When I frame the door on the inside, I leave about a quarter inch of overlap for the closed door to rest against.
This shows how the door attaches and where the hinges go:
I trace the outline of the hinge and router out a space for it:
Don't forget to seal as you go and add in the insulation:
Kojack Norseman
New Member
The way you described does seem the most logical, but when I started building boxes, this way just made the most sense and was the most practical.
JusJoshinYa
New Member
What kind of hinge do you use to achieve this. I cant seem to see it. I was thinking maybe a pivot hinge would do this
I use galvanized hinges. Either two 2 inch ones or two 3 inch ones, depending on the size of the door and weight of the tortoises that will be using it. I countersink the hinge into the framing of the door. See post number 235 above this one.
