Making a healthy habitat, help needed!

[sabrinapg]

I have a one year old leopard tortoise and he is currently in an aquarium which I now see is not the best thing for him! I want to try and make him something that will help him continue to grow and be healthy.
I am open to building my own habitat for him if I could find some sort of plan or get some advise on what to do! He is about 7 inches long.
Please help me create a healthy place for Yertle to live!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Most all the care referenced for the sulcata of the same age will work for a Leo. We are happy you are here.

 

[turtlegirl13]

Hello! A few years ago I built my Russian tort a 4ft x 6ft indoor enclosure! It is very easy to make using wood, glue, screws, and glass! If you like my enclosure I would be more than happy to give you tips on building your own!
My tort has plenty of room to grow as well as lots of space for decor, plants, food/dishes and more. You need to have substrate for the bottom and I use a mixture of natural non-dyed bark and dirt so she can burrow. I currently have two heat lamps, one UV, and one night bulb for her to keep the huge "hut" warm! After being advised on here, I now have a safe pool/water dish that is level to the substrate. I found my tortoise was a little small and had trouble getting out so I put some stones on the bottom and now she can get in and out safely. I currently have two food dishes one for wet foods and one for dry foods. I have a lot of decor/hides for my tortoise which makes the enclosure look nice and she also enjoys the hides!

 

[NeuroNaka]

I can't stress how much aquaponics has made it easy to feed my leos a variety of fresh grasses and greens. It's so easy to build and maintain, I had no experience until I got my torts. It's cheap and takes up little space. Mine cost less than $300 (and I splurged), and sit on my 4ft x 6ft balcony. The actual garden is an under-bed storage unit, the largest I could find. You can see more on my signature link. Here's a more recent picture.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Sabrina:

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm so glad you've found us. Your tortoise will thank you too, after you've read the "Important Threads" at the top of the leopard tortoise and sulcata tortoise sections.

I really like it when new folks join and right away show us pictures of their tortoise. Can you also share a picture of his habitat?

 

[Tom]

Nothing wrong with aquariums as long as they are big enough.

Here is a care sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-79895.html

Here is an enclosure thread:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

 

[sabrinapg]

His aquarium is 38" by 18". His habitat is currently like this:

And from what I read I need to take out the bark and put something more humid for the bottom?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Welcome.

I must say, I think Yertle is much older than one. My 1 1/2 year old is just shy of 7" and he was raised hot and humid (faster growth rate). But since age doesn't really matter, who cares!

Where in the world are you? If you live in a good tortoise weather area, I'd suggest letting 7" Yertle live outdoors in a large, heavily planted tortoise pen. Then you can choose to either bring him inside at night or build him a heated tortoise house.
He'd really love to live outside though. Think big, too. Aim for 100sq ft minimally but go much bigger if you can.