'make do and mend'

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johnandjade

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hi all, we are doing our best to modify a store bought open top table as went on advice from pet shop :/ , an all to commin prob as i have discovered! i am awating delivery on a sheet of plexiglass to cover the enclouser and am aware to cut a hole for the bulb, will cover hole with wire mesh for safty!

the hide box has heat matt, secured to inside of lid with glass panel which is on 24/7 just now as is getting chilly in Scotland.

i removed the front wooden panlel and replaced with glass, however have wood inserted in the hide box so no light gets in. i have also put 'pegs' in main area behind the glass to allow a wood panle to be easily inserted at times when the little guys on a mission to get through.

awating delivery on temp/humidity meters (no mention of impotence of this from pet store)


would apreciate any ideas or advice on how to make best use of what we have as have to make do untill can make our own little slice of edan for the little guy :)

hope pics load ok!ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1417700737.780301.jpg
 

Alaskamike

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It's unfortunate that pet stores don't hand out care sheets with Accurate info. You can't imagine the great numbers of tortoises being kept in dismal conditions because of bad pet store advice and example.

When pets are purchased. The store tries to sell all the supplies at the same time - often the wrong ones

You are the exception - one who is wise enough to check information and adjust to leading edge husbandry.
Good fortune with him/ her. BTW what type of tort did you get?
Mike
 

johnandjade

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cheers mike! my girlfriend had wanted a tortoise for years and we got a flat last year and so she got one lol. hes a hermans, 2yrs old going on what we were told.

jade had spent a lot of time and visited severall stores for information and thus concluded the advice given was accurate, as anyone would. its just been a blessing we found this forum and have learened sooo much!

so step one is creating best home we can now untill able to build our own to a proper spec. still trying to locate a vet, we are calling all over in hope of finding a specialist or at least one with an interest in the little guys
 

johnandjade

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ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1418847872.107238.jpg

getting there,;

•have made a cold hide, top left corner.

•created colsed chamber with acrilic top supported by tention rod, cut for the bulb

•changed out substrate for coir, spaghnum moss in both hides.

we are awaiting delivery on temp/humidity gauges and plants.

hope all sounds/looks so far?
 

Yellow Turtle01

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Wow, that is nice! It looks great. How's humidity with the closed top now? It's a little darker in the one corner, is it night? He himself looks great too!
Slightly concerned about the big rocks around his water, he might flip? I'd opt for some smaller ones :)
 

johnandjade

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thank you, yeah we are in scotland and its night just now. we actually have a tall lamp to the left of the table, the pics just not turned out the best lol. i'll take the rocks out and burry dish in substate.

not sure about the levels yet, orderd gauges online and are due anytime now. i have noticed a vast improvement on both temp and humidity though. when i lift a corner of the top i can feel the difference in air :) its amazing the change since we first started! we are getting there though lol
 

crissyshine

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Looks good! Don't know much about Hermans torts, but I have an eastern boxie and I find that topsoil, coco coir with spaghnum moss hold humidity very well.
My boxie loves it and is very active and is always digging in the substrate or moving the leaves/moss around to his liking.
Maybe your tort would like some sticks, plants to creat sight barriers to keep him walking around the enclosure and keep him entertained.
 

johnandjade

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thank you all for the 'likes' :) , glad we'r on the right path. awaitng delivery on a humidity reader but yes i can tell its soooo much better since we made the modifications. plants are on way as well, postal service is murder this time of year lol
 

johnandjade

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found some before shots, one is just after i changed front panle to glass, it so bare! this is how we were told it should be, and check the substrate we were told to use! ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1418928384.445473.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1418928400.861658.jpg
 

johnandjade

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way hey!!!! we have a humidity reading now, another box ticked :). got temp gun but have to pick up batteries. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1419369801.620258.jpg
 

katfinlou

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Where did you get the humidity reader? I look on Amazon but get overwhelmed with the choices. I thought I'd got a temp and humidity all in one thing but turn out it was just a temp reader
 
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