3 Toe Box Turtle Outdoor Enclosure

Rebecca84

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Aug 13, 2015
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Hi, I'm gonna start on an enclosure this weekend and curious about materials. I'm wondering what kind of mulch I should use for enclosure? Is Pine mulch okay? Also, this enclosure will be in the Houston Texas area and I'm wondering about plants. I have spider plants available, Moses in a boat, Aloe vera, Pothos and an abundance of succulents. Are all or most of these okay? Do y'all have any other plant suggestions? Hope y'all can help :) Thanks
 

CanadianTestudo

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Pine mulch is fine. My eastern box turtle really likes coco coir because she can burrow in it a lot easier, maybe do a mix? Spider plants are great, really easy to grow as well, aloe is good too. You want to make sure that you provide a lot of overhead cover and provide a nice large water dish.

I haven't used the other plants you have listed, but a quick search on tortoisetable.org will tell you if the plants are safe or not
 

Angel Carrion

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I used peat moss on top of and slightly mixed in with my natural soil with sphagnum moss shoved into the hides I supplied. My turtles seem to loooooooove it. Just make sure to water often so as to keep the peat and sphagnum hydrated so that the hides are humid and the ambient humidity is of the proper level.
I planted various different clover, little pumpkin, strawberries, collard greens, mosses, parsley (which one boxie has chosen as his place to burrow and sleep), a fern I believe someone said was ragweed, squash (although I think that's a dud because I haven't seen any growth), lavender, either pansies or violets can't remember (the ones that need super well drained soil), aloe Vera, speedwell inspire, some vine-like plant I can't remember the name of but do remember the tortoisetable.org.uk said it was good, dandelion greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, marigolds, red leaf lettuce, etc.
Attached is a picture of the peat moss I used. Some people prefer coco fiber or a mixture of coco fiber with peat moss and sphagnum moss for their water retention abilities which aids humidity. From what I understand orchid bark is also good.
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1440561945.800133.jpg
 

johnsonnboswell

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Make a compost pile and use compost to top dress the habitat. It will amend the soil, make a great germination bed and substrate, and attract worms and other edible bugs.

Make a pile in the habitat, too. Mine like to climb it & hide in it and hunt in it. I add to it all through the season.
 

Angel Carrion

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Make a compost pile and use compost to top dress the habitat. It will amend the soil, make a great germination bed and substrate, and attract worms and other edible bugs.

Make a pile in the habitat, too. Mine like to climb it & hide in it and hunt in it. I add to it all through the season.
My only problem when doing a compost pile in the enclosure is the amount of flies and ants it attracts. I'm afraid the sheer number of them could overwhelm my boxies. But I am in the process of making a cheap compost bin that I could do black fly larvae in as compost eaters and grub suppliers.
 

johnsonnboswell

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I have several compost piles going at once. Kitchen waste - the stuff that attracts flies- goes in the general piles, not in with the turtles.
 

Angel Carrion

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I have several compost piles going at once. Kitchen waste - the stuff that attracts flies- goes in the general piles, not in with the turtles.
I'm confused then. I thought you (or someone else I honestly can't remember) commented on a thread I made complaining about the wasted food my one rescue boxie couldn't eat fast enough and told me to make a compost pile out of it in his enclosure?
 

johnsonnboswell

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I'm confused then. I thought you (or someone else I honestly can't remember) commented on a thread I made complaining about the wasted food my one rescue boxie couldn't eat fast enough and told me to make a compost pile out of it in his enclosure?

Sort of. I feed my boxies fruits and veg that are one step away from compost. The remains may be left in to decompose (they return to some foods to eat remnants), removed to the main compost pile to decompose, or buried in the habitat. It depends. I don't want to attract ants or wasps either. If it is a tiny part of a pile of mainly garden waste, or if it's buried, it won't attract nasties & will feed the worms. My bt habitats are effectively giant worm bins, and that may make a difference. So that's all composting.
 

Angel Carrion

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Sort of. I feed my boxies fruits and veg that are one step away from compost. The remains may be left in to decompose (they return to some foods to eat remnants), removed to the main compost pile to decompose, or buried in the habitat. It depends. I don't want to attract ants or wasps either. If it is a tiny part of a pile of mainly garden waste, or if it's buried, it won't attract nasties & will feed the worms. My bt habitats are effectively giant worm bins, and that may make a difference. So that's all composting.
Oooooohh okay I understand now. Thank you for clarifying!
 

Rebecca84

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Thank you everyone for the ideas and suggestions and the pictures! I appreciate y'all taking timeout of your day to answer my questions. I have actually been thinking about a compost pile even before having the turtle. That just may be my next project. I got 2 small kids that love fruit and veggies and I drink lots of coffee, so i would have plenty coffee grounds and fruit and veggie peels :) I think I'm going to get supplies on Saturday and prob start creating on Sunday. I will let y'all know how things are going.
 
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