Temporary burrowing container?

Lwilliams

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2020
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19
Location (City and/or State)
Fremont, California
Hallo Everyone, I just moved and am temporarily in an apartment until I find a new house. My russian torties only have their large terrariums and the living room floor to exercise in. I sometimes put them in a box on the balcony to enjoy the warm sun as well, but they really miss their outdoor enclosure from my old house. They are constantly trying to dig down in the terrarium substrate, which at most is several inches deep. I'm thinking about creating a temporary burrowing container, one that has like 10 inches of substrate/soil for them to burrow in. What do you think? Should I mix the orchid bark and planter soil for this?
 

Nickolas

Active Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
130
Location (City and/or State)
Pennsylvania
In my opinion, it would be best to give them as much space as you can in the apartment. Maybe make the walls of the enclosure higher, and buy some OMRI certified peat moss and cyress mulch from the hardware store to make the substrate deeper. It HAS to be 100% CYPRESS.
Good Luck!
 

Lwilliams

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2020
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Fremont, California
In my opinion, it would be best to give them as much space as you can in the apartment. Maybe make the walls of the enclosure higher, and buy some OMRI certified peat moss and cyress mulch from the hardware store to make the substrate deeper. It HAS to be 100% CYPRESS.
Good Luck!
Thanks for your response. I have showcase terrariums that are molded polyethylene, so no luck making them bigger. I just let them loose in the apartment, after tortie-proofing of course. But their need to dig is so basic and instinctive, I want to help their little scaly brains feel better! I'm going to get a large plastic container and fill with about 2 feet of cypress and peat moss. That'll give them the burrowing which both russians are really missing.
 

Nickolas

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Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
130
Location (City and/or State)
Pennsylvania
That should make them happy. Personally, if I'm the only one that sees the enclosure, then it doesn't have to look good. I just build it so it functions best for the tortoise and my bank?
If you're not too attached to those enclosures, you could sell them, and use the profit to build a more convenient enclosure for you and the torts?
 

iAmCentrochelys sulcata

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Joined
Aug 10, 2019
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1,322
Location (City and/or State)
Alief
In my opinion, it would be best to give them as much space as you can in the apartment. Maybe make the walls of the enclosure higher, and buy some OMRI certified peat moss and cyress mulch from the hardware store to make the substrate deeper. It HAS to be 100% CYPRESS.
Good Luck!
Not a good idea to let a tortoise Roam around your Apartment.
 
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