Winter Quarter Preparations!!

[tortoisetime565]

I'm going to buy a 6' x 8' greenhouse for winter quarter. That's the biggest the law will allow since we have the max number of buildings already built!

What heating element should I use? I'm going to have one of those oil radiator heaters for them. I plan on splitting it into 2 or 4 separate enclosures maybe two 3' x 8' or three 2' x 8' enclosures. There will be two jeuv Sully's and two jeuv redfoot here BTW. Anyways I plan on having MVB's for them since greenhouses tend to block UVB.

I am also going to grow some colder baring grass for them to grub on. As well as grow plants inside for them.

I know winter is a while away but when your 18 and working for $8-9 an hour you make early preparation.

I have the money for the green house which is 299.99 and tax.

And MVB are $40-50 on amazon. And then grass which is like $4 a lb.. And then I have the oil heater. We actually have two.

Hides and all will be input as well.

Please let me know what else I'll need. Also torts are :

Oogway : 9 in.
Gideon : 6 in.
Rupert : 9 in.
Roxie 7-8 in.

Thanks all!!

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a small greenhouse where I put my cacti during the winter. The oil-filled electric radiator keeps it from freezing in there, but it still gets pretty cold at night. I suppose if you have individual heating elements, such as a CHE, for each mini-habitat inside the greenhouse it would help.

I think you probably should set up the greenhouse and monitor the temperatures for a month or so before you put the tortoises in there. They make a high-low thermometer that tells you the highest temperature it recorded plus the lowest temperature.

I hope this works out for you. Let us see pictures as you progress.

 

[tortoisetime565]

I have a small greenhouse where I put my cacti during the winter. The oil-filled electric radiator keeps it from freezing in there, but it still gets pretty cold at night. I suppose if you have individual heating elements, such as a CHE, for each mini-habitat inside the greenhouse it would help.

I think you probably should set up the greenhouse and monitor the temperatures for a month or so before you put the tortoises in there. They make a high-low thermometer that tells you the highest temperature it recorded plus the lowest temperature.

I hope this works out for you. Let us see pictures as you progress.

Okay! That sounds like a good idea Yvonne!! I'm going to get the green house next week and have the torts start sleeping inside it at night so they are used to it.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Sounds like a great idea!

 

[tortoisetime565]

I've got the green house up.... Finally!!

I've got to brick up the area where we leveled it out then I'm going to fill it with dirt... yay!!!

 

[tortoisetime565]

Filled the house with dirt. Its 100 outside and at least 110 in the greenhouse. Just being inside it for 5 mins makes outside feel like 50 degrees.

Anyways there's 4-6 inches of dirt inside I plan on making shelf's on the left wall but they will not interfere with the ground walk space for the torts. I'm going to look into buying a solar heating element kinda ordeal. I'm excited!!


The last is just a pic of Oogway cause you know.. Tortoise forum... Lol

 

[ShadowRancher]

Looks pretty cool so far!

 

[tortoisetime565]

Looks pretty cool so far!

Thanks!!

 

[Abdulla6169]

Hope it becomes your best project yet keep us posted!

 

[tortoisetime565]

Hope it becomes your best project yet keep us posted!

I plan to!!

 

[lynnedit]

Looks great! See how the temps do as the weather gets cold. The oil filled radiator with bulbs for spot basking works well. I never had to turn the oil filled radiator up to full. (Insulation helps).

If needed, insulating the walls will help in the winter. Keep an eye on Craigslist and the cull section of Home Depot, etc. and look for cast off plywood. You can line the inside lower levels, 18" high?, with the wood. This also prevents them trying to scabble against the sides. Of course, you will be building separate enclosures in the GH, so it won't be hard to do this.
On the ceiling and South and West upper walls, I used Greenhouse bubble wrap. It comes in rolls of various widths, I got 24" wide. I leave it on the roof winter and summer. On the North and East upper walls, I used Tekfoil from Home depot.
Just some ideas if you have trouble retaining heat.

You are very industrious!

 

[jhongsen]

Yeah i found your thread i think it's better if we discuss here LOL , so you prep the green house for winter... I was thinking tonuse the green house for rainy season , well let me just observe your progress