tort table designs - things to include

[Josh]

hi guys,
if you saw my other thread you know that i might be adopting a couple of desert tortoises
im going to need to build them an awesome tortoise table and im calling on all tfo posters to help me include all the essential functions of a tort table. if you have designs, dimensions, or tips please post them!

thanks!

 

[T-P]

Well, i dont have plans drawn up...never have done.
but you must make sure the sides are high enough for them to NOT climb (cuz if you have hides and stuff they may be smart and climb on them and over the sides).
Depending on the size of the DT's you may wanna build it as large as possible.

When i built my table top (then we smashed it cuz it was to large LOL)...
we used plywood, that was about 3mm thick. We lined it with pond lining...so the wood wouldnt rot from the damp soil (thats when we tried it lol and my mother hated it).
we brought four 5 foot long and 2 foot wide sheets of wood to build with.
with wood nails and so on.

O_O thats all i can tell you..not helpful sorry

 

[halfnelson]

Make sure you can reach all areas for cleaning. Long and narrow is better than square.

 

[Josh]

good tips. thanks guys!
looks like i will probably buy a large tank from poster spikethebest and when my little dudes get big enough, ill construct something for them outside

 

[Crazy1]

Josh,
you can also use a kiddy pool -small ones at Petsmart for dogs. This works well and is big enough for them to run around in and minimal cost. I will be over wintering my greeks this year and I want a larger than 40 gal square aquarium (which they were in when I brought them home.) So I will be using my dogs pool this winter for them which I will house in my computer room so the Dogs stay away from them.

 

[Josh]

petsmart has those little kiddie pools? i was going to try toys r us or pic'n'save

 

[Iluvemturts]

Try Walmart or Kmart.

 

[T-P]

Toys r us are great for lil kiddie pools.

Also glass tanks or wooden vivs are bad for all tortoises

 

[Crazy1]

Petsmarts pools are a little smaller and seasonal. Toys R us , Walmart, K-Mart even Target has them-Don't know if they are available all year long.- Also what about a used playpen. A friend has hers in a used net playpen-just a temporary thing.

 

[Vegas Chad]

As for outdoor pen... Well, indoor too... It is best to not let them be able to see out the sides... If they can see out the sides they will just keep trying to escape. Same with a pen of sorts... Some use the mesh dog pens that have large squares in them, your tort will spend they day with his head sticking out because he thinks he can escape.

 

[Crazy1]

So true Vegas Chad. they must have the area they can see through solid- be it board, colored opaque plastic, anything as long as they cant see what is on the other side of the "fence"-remember the old saying 'it's always greener on the other side of the fence' well I think Torts took this saying literaly and really, really, believe it.

 

[Laura]

For my russian I used a kiddie pool from Walmart. It was $10 bucks. Brought it home poked holes in the bottom for drainage, put rock and dirt in it, ( be sure to have it in a location you wnat it in.. it gets heavy) and then put a few flower pots on thier side, a feed dish and a shallow dish for water.
I transplanted some grasses and its looking nice and the tort loves it! He can cruise in circles all day if he wants.
Gonna have to move him inside soon....

 

[chris]

Toys r us are great for lil kiddie pools.

Also glass tanks or wooden vivs are bad for all tortoises

What makes glass tanks bad for torts? Even large aquariums for baby torts?

 

[Josh]

chris, i dont think tanks are all bad. its just that air flow can become a concern, and generally speaking, i think everyone here just hates the idea of a tortoise in a 10gal aquarium.

 

[chris]

chris, i dont think tanks are all bad. its just that air flow can become a concern, and generally speaking, i think everyone here just hates the idea of a tortoise in a 10gal aquarium.

Makes sense. I have 2 empty 55 gallons. I am wanting a couple of baby redfoots. Would these work for a while as they are babies?

 

[Josh]

i would think so... as long as they are allowed to roam somewhere else too on a daily basis. of course this implies you've got the right temp inside along with UVB bulbs...(blah blah blah)...

 

[Josh]

i went to walmart target toys r us and petco today to look for a kiddie pool. no dice.
i posted a bunch of craigslist wanted ads but all ive gotten in return is someone suggesting i check Food4Less stores...

 

[Jentortmom]

Circulation is a big problem with aquariums, plus they can see out the glass and spend the whole day trying to get out. They have reptile tanks that are wider and shorter, I am not sure how circulation is in those tanks. A huge rubbermais tote works great for babies, boxies, even a temporary pond. They are $ 15.00 at walmart and you can get them year round. Of course if you have a bunch of them they take up a lot of space, but one or two are good.

 

[halfnelson]

ToysR Us has plastic sand boxes (same size and shape as the pools) that would work well. They even have lids.

 

[Flying Jenny]

Here is the first tort table we have built for our Hermann's. He loves the two level thing and goes up and down the "stairs" on a daily basis. He is bigger now than he was in these pictures and has a larger habi-hut and a larger water bowl. We are going to build him a bigger version of this habitat around Christmas time so he has more room to move. The tray that has the weeds in it is a plastic silverware tray from Target. We bought a bunch of them and planted them with weeds so that we can switch them out after he eats up all the weeds.