xirxes
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2017
- Messages
- 175
Back to the drawing boards for designing a long term outdoor housing for some XL torts.
My 5 year old sulcata has just about outgrown his evening hot-house, which is about 3x3', with floorspace taken up by an enclosed oil heater and a tortoise zoomed floor heater. He lives outside year round and in the cold season may stay inside his hot house for a few days at a time.
I am also planning to have two 6-7" aldabras come live here nearing january and i want to build a heated enclosure to house them both for 5-10 years. I want them to have a large enough space that i can close them in for the majority of the cold season here if needed comfortably.
I will be functionally halving the space, one half for the sulcata and one half for the aldabs. They will each get their own separate entrances and each get their own yard space.
My question: Is it time to bite the bullet and build a full sized shed, 8x10x8' and heat it, like a smaller version of Kenan's sulcata shed or Aldabraman's aldab barn or will they be suited to possibly two separate enclosures like Tom's sulcata enclosure where its 4x8x3?
It seems like the materials cost will be about the same, heating may cost a bit more, but if i have a heat mat each side, and a hanging, shielded oil radiating heater (again like Kenan's) or even 2x 250 watt CHE's at a height to set evening temps to 70F perhaps the heating will be the same cost.
Either way i'm on the fence and will be building soon.
Any input appreciated.
My 5 year old sulcata has just about outgrown his evening hot-house, which is about 3x3', with floorspace taken up by an enclosed oil heater and a tortoise zoomed floor heater. He lives outside year round and in the cold season may stay inside his hot house for a few days at a time.
I am also planning to have two 6-7" aldabras come live here nearing january and i want to build a heated enclosure to house them both for 5-10 years. I want them to have a large enough space that i can close them in for the majority of the cold season here if needed comfortably.
I will be functionally halving the space, one half for the sulcata and one half for the aldabs. They will each get their own separate entrances and each get their own yard space.
My question: Is it time to bite the bullet and build a full sized shed, 8x10x8' and heat it, like a smaller version of Kenan's sulcata shed or Aldabraman's aldab barn or will they be suited to possibly two separate enclosures like Tom's sulcata enclosure where its 4x8x3?
It seems like the materials cost will be about the same, heating may cost a bit more, but if i have a heat mat each side, and a hanging, shielded oil radiating heater (again like Kenan's) or even 2x 250 watt CHE's at a height to set evening temps to 70F perhaps the heating will be the same cost.
Either way i'm on the fence and will be building soon.
Any input appreciated.