Housing question

[ntyson2]

I am building an indoor housing for my tortoise for colder days and at night time . I have Timothy hay he loves to bury in , a hut for him , large soaking water dish , food plate obviously , a mix of reptile sand and reptile dirt , cypress mulch a heat lamp night heat lamp and a heat pad and a UVB bulb . My question is is that is this ok for him and how should I set it up? I was thinking the humid side would have the cypress and a hut and the cool dry side with the sand dirt under the Timothy hay. It will be 4 feet by 2 feet enclosure

 

[ascott]

Timothy hay he loves to bury in

Hay can mold easily if water/urine soaked...

a mix of reptile sand and reptile dirt

When you say reptile sand and dirt---do you mean the calcium fortified reptile sand? I personally would not use sand of any kind--but especially a calcium fortified sand--ingestion of sand can create a gut impaction which is a really bad situation....some folks use sand but I have dealt with an impacted tort and do not see the benefits as worth the chance....

All of the other goodies sound good....and your plan is good with a warm humid side and/or hide...I would plan to have a hide in the warm humid side as well as a hide in the cool dry side....and some plants to set up a plant canopy area is good ....

Oh yeah...and a picture of your little tort is well, required---okay, so not really "required" but we really love pics...

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I prefer to house my leopard in a closed chamber while indoors. Hot and humid. It's produces amazing results!

 

[Tom]

How old and big is your leopard? Where are you?

 

[Neal]

Do you have any pictures you could provide?

 

[ntyson2]

Ya I'm going to have a hot and cool side hut for him and the sand is excavating sand for the very bottom so if he decides to dog he can . But the mix is a reptile sand NO CALCIUM and exo Terra's reptile sand that I use for my sand boa that works great mixed with reptile dirt from petco . He's about 6 months ill put pictures . And the hay is going to be in one small area not bigger then two fists full of hay in the whole enclosure away from the miste humid area (2-3 feet away) and. Will be changing it as often as possible .

 

[ntyson2]

Yes here's some photos

 

[ntyson2]

 

[Tom]

Go to tinypic.com. Upload any size photo. Copy/paste the IMG code into your forum post.

 

[wellington]

Your pictures aren't showing up. Have you read Toms great threads on raising a smooth healthy leopard. Take a look. It sounds easier then what your doing and you will have better results in my opinion. They are listed below in my post. Both the leopard and sulcata one will work.

 

[ntyson2]

Ya I actually got my tortoise from a guy who breeds them and raises them exactly how Tom does and he said my enclosure is fine as long as I have te cypress mulch on top and only a small section for the hay. I'm not using calcium sand and the majority of the sand that's really not sand at all its a mix as well as a clay type bottom so he doesn't scrap the bottom of the tank will be covered by the cypress mulch and the hay and I have his food on the side that's covered so he can't eat the sand. I've never seen him touch the sand as of eating it but I've seen him several times try I eat the cypress mulch so that scares me if anything

 

[Jd3]

I think the point your missing is the sand serves no purpose. There is no good reason to have it. I get in your mind you think there is, but there isn't.

 

[Tom]

Lets try this a different way. Here is my idea of an ideal indoor leopard tortoise set up:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

All the parameters and particulars are discussed. The farther you stray from this, the worse things get in my opinion. Sand, hay, dry hide boxes, small foot printed enclosures and open tops are all bad things in an indoor set up in my opinion.

 

[ntyson2]

I live in Ventura county and the tortoise is about 6 months old

 

[Levi the Leopard]

"I actually got my tortoise from a guy who breeds them and raises them exactly how Tom does..."

Well then Tom's link to you will make perfect sense and you'll be set to go!

Lets try this a different way. Here is my idea of an ideal indoor leopard tortoise set up:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

All the parameters and particulars are discussed. The farther you stray from this, the worse things get in my opinion. Sand, hay, dry hide boxes, small foot printed enclosures and open tops are all bad things in an indoor set up in my opinion.

Perfect, to the point.

have fun making your tortoise paradise!