Is this enclosure okay?

[Paddy]

Hi,
Just got our leopard tort yesterday, reading through these forums I realized that they're not as..."simple"
To take care of as I thought. In learning and trying my best to avoid mistakes. That being said I just wanna make sure the enclosure we got is okay. I know that there could be a lot of improvement, but a mother and a full time student means money is always tight. So starting off with the bare minimum, and hopefully in a couple of months I can spice things up a lil bit.

 

[mike taylor]

@Tom

 

[Gillian M]

I like that-a wonderful job. Congrats!

Please allow me to point out that glass/transparent enclosures are not recommended for torts.These cute little animals do not understand the 'concept of glass' and keep struggling to get out of it.

 

[Paddy]

I like that-a wonderful job. Congrats!

Please allow me to point out that glass/transparent enclosures are not recommended for torts.These cute little animals do not understand the 'concept of glass' and keep struggling to get out of it.

Yay thanks ! So you're saying no to class, plastic ones will be acceptable?

 

[tortoise_world123]

Yay thanks ! So you're saying no to class, plastic ones will be acceptable?

Yea as Gillian said, tortoises don't do well in glass terrariums/tanks because they get stressed and try walk through the glass. Plastic rabbit cages are great (what I use) or wooden tortoise tables are also recommended. Since money can be tight at times, you may be able to build a table yourself or have someone do it for you at a very cheap price. Apart from that, looking great so far just make sure your temps and humidity are right and make sure you add lots of interesting plants and rocks to keep the little guy amazed.

 

[Paddy]

Yea as Gillian said, tortoises don't do well in glass terrariums/tanks because they get stressed and try walk through the glass. Plastic rabbit cages are great (what I use) or wooden tortoise tables are also recommended. Since money can be tight at times, you may be able to build a table yourself or have someone do it for you at a very cheap price. Apart from that, looking great so far just make sure your temps and humidity are right and make sure you add lots of interesting plants and rocks to keep the little guy amazed.

Thanks so much for that ! I think I'll look around for those options you gave me, also speaking of plants, I can keep live plants in there ? Can I put like a small pot? And are any types of plants a big no no? Sorry if these are too many questions !

 

[Keith D.]

Hiya Paddy and welcome to the TFO.
I would probably loose the top screen. What type of light are you using? If you don't want to replace your tank right away you could wrap the bottom of the tank with cardboard so he cant see out. Also I would find a way, maybe with a price of aluminum foil and cover the darker half of the tank (only the top) to keep more humidity in. Also I would moiusten the substrate pretty well so the humidity is higher. But everything else looks good

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

I personally like the glass terrariums cause it keeps the humidity in. I'm not sure the temps/humidity levels for a leopard but if its high a glass tank should be fine. If he is getting stressed with the glass the card board idea is good. Look for a leopard care sheet on this site. It should tell you everything you need.

 

[Keith D.]

Oh and your hide needs to be changed, most of us use a Rubbermaid tote turned upside down with a hole cut into it just big enough for him to get into it. The hide you have it looks a bit to small.

 

[Gillian M]

Yay thanks ! So you're saying no to class, plastic ones will be acceptable?

After a lot of research, I have decided to make a wooden enclosure for Oli.

 

[Tom]

Please allow me to point out that glass/transparent enclosures are not recommended for torts.These cute little animals do not understand the 'concept of glass' and keep struggling to get out of it.

37 years of keeping turtles and tortoise in glass tanks tells me otherwise, even though people on the internet say otherwise...

 

[Tom]

Yea as Gillian said, tortoises don't do well in glass terrariums/tanks because they get stressed and try walk through the glass. Plastic rabbit cages are great (what I use) or wooden tortoise tables are also recommended. Since money can be tight at times, you may be able to build a table yourself or have someone do it for you at a very cheap price. Apart from that, looking great so far just make sure your temps and humidity are right and make sure you add lots of interesting plants and rocks to keep the little guy amazed.

37 years of keeping turtles and tortoise in glass tanks tells me otherwise, even though people on the internet say otherwise…

None of your advice is good for a young leopard tortoise. Can you tell us how many you have raised from hatchlings and what your recommendations are based on?

 

[Tom]

Hi,
Just got our leopard tort yesterday, reading through these forums I realized that they're not as..."simple"
To take care of as I thought. In learning and trying my best to avoid mistakes. That being said I just wanna make sure the enclosure we got is okay. I know that there could be a lot of improvement, but a mother and a full time student means money is always tight. So starting off with the bare minimum, and hopefully in a couple of months I can spice things up a lil bit.

Hi Paddy and welcome to the forum. You've got a nice looking baby there.

I will link the right care info at the end of this post, but here is what I see initially:
1. Its too small. Bigger would be better.
2. Its too open. Young leopards need higher humidity to grow smoothly and you can't maintain higher humidity with an open top unless the whole room is humid and warm all the time.
3. I see no night heat. This can be a big problem. They need it warm at night, but still dark. A ceramic heating element set on a thermostat will keep your ambient temp where you want it day and night.
4. You need a bigger hide. I use black plastic dishwashing tubs from Walmart. Flip them over and cut out a door hole. This will take up a lot of room in your little tank there.
5. What type of light is in the one light fixture? Any UV?

Tortoise keeping is a lot cheaper when you realize the pet store doesn't have most of what you need and that hardware stores are cheaper and usually better.

Read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[tortoise_world123]

37 years of keeping turtles and tortoise in glass tanks tells me otherwise, even though people on the internet say otherwise…

None of your advice is good for a young leopard tortoise. Can you tell us how many you have raised from hatchlings and what your recommendations are based on?

Tom I'm not going to justify my expertise to you, As we have clearly got different opinions on a couple of topics now. I actually find some of your comments quite insulting and would preferably go by the advice on several websites than listen to one guy on tortoise forum,regardless of his experience and observations.

Paddy advise you to fish around on the web and look at some more websites as they are probably more reliable than Tom and his friends.
Obviously it's good to take everyone's view into account but really it up to you. It's all about trial and error. You see people coming one here asking for any other alternatives to thinks like substrate etc.

 

[tortoise_world123]

Animal behaviourist....Tom you of everyone should know that it's unhealthy to keep tortoises in tanks as they get stressed. I can't believe you had the nerve to tell me that my tortoises are living an unnatural life. You need to get your facts right.

 

[Tom]

Tom I'm not going to justify my expertise to you, As we have clearly got different opinions on a couple of topics now. I actually find some of your comments quite insulting and would preferably go by the advice on several websites than listen to one guy on tortoise forum,regardless of his experience and observations.

Paddy advise you to fish around on the web and look at some more websites as they are probably more reliable than Tom and his friends.
Obviously it's good to take everyone's view into account but really it up to you. It's all about trial and error. You see people coming one here asking for any other alternatives to thinks like substrate etc.

I'm not asking you to justify anything. I am asking you to explain why you think old outdated info that is still commonly found all over the web is still good advice despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. I want people reading this to know how much, or how little, you are basing your advice on. This is not a personal attack. This is a reasonable request. I would like you to explain what experience you base this on. I have no problem explaining what I base my assertions on. Why do you?

Trial and error? Seriously? You want new tortoise keepers to go through the process of trial and error, as I and so many reptile keepers of yesteryear have already done, and let them learn the hard way while their animals suffer and die as so many already have? Isn't the point of asking for advice on a public forum to avoid the process of trial and error by getting the correct info at the start from people who have the answers? I sure wish I had a resource like this forum back then.

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum Paddy. Listen to Tom's advice and your hatchling will grow up smooth and healthy. He knows what he is talking about.

 

[Tom]

Animal behaviourist....Tom you of everyone should know that it's unhealthy to keep tortoises in tanks as they get stressed. I can't believe you had the nerve to tell me that my tortoises are living an unnatural life. You need to get your facts right. !

I know that people on the internet claim that glass tanks are not good, but there is a problem with this assertion. A BIG problem… Its not true. I have literally raised hundreds of tortoises and turtles in glass tanks over several decades. So has Yvonne and Maggie. So have many other veteran keepers here. If keeping them in glass tanks was in any way "unhealthy", as you claim, why do all of the babies I raise in them thrive?

This is my fact. This fact is "right". Many other long term glass tank using tortoise keepers will agree, as they have seen the same results. Still keeping your experiences in this matter a secret?

The only people who think glass tanks are bad are people who have read they are bad on the internet, but have little or no experience actually using them. Sound familiar? Then you ask the person to explain why they think this and they take it as a personal attack and start slinging insults and belittling comments… Hmmm...

 

[Tom]

I can't believe you had the nerve to tell me that my tortoises are living an unnatural life.

I've gone back and re-read the previous posts, and I do not see anywhere that I mention what sort of life your tortoises are living, natural or not.

Further, I am not an "Animal Behaviorist". I am an "Animal Trainer". Very big difference there.

Please, let us keep this on track with helping the original poster who wants to know what is best for her new tortoise. I am not intending to hurt your feelings or run you off. I am intending for the people reading to know what each of us is basing our opposing advice on, so that they may choose which advice will serve them best.

 

[tortoise_world123]

I'm not asking you to justify anything. I am asking you to explain why you think old outdated info that is still commonly found all over the web is still good advice despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. I want people reading this to know how much, or how little, you are basing your advice on. This is not a personal attack. This is a reasonable request. I would like you to explain what experience you base this on. I have no problem explaining what I base my assertions on. Why do you?

Trial and error? Seriously? You want new tortoise keepers to go through the process of trial and error, as I and so many reptile keepers of yesteryear have already done, and let them learn the hard way while their animals suffer and die as so many already have? Isn't the point of asking for advice on a public forum to avoid the process of trial and error by getting the correct info at the start from people who have the answers? I sure wish I had a resource like this forum back then.

I think your exaggerating a little bit.
When I say trial and error, I mean sometimes things like substrate are suited to one and not the other. God knows how many different types of substrate I've been recommended and it hasn't worked out. So no I'm not saying she should dunk her tortoise in a swimming pool and see if it swims but try different things out and see what suits her and her tortoises needs better.
I haven't raised any leopard tortoise hatchlings myself but I have worked with couple of close members family members who have raised hundreds of tortoises of different species throughout the years. So My advise in not only based on the internet but family experience. Sometimes you just have to go to a poor reptile store and watch a tortoise with RNS trying to walk through the glass at hours on end.