My Best Night Box Design Yet

[Tom]

Ok and a heat mat is that fine

Would that be ok for a adult sucalta around 60 pounds

I either do the radiant oil heater, OR I do the Kane mat/radiant heat panel combo.

Either will be fine for a large sulcata.

 

[BILBO-03]

Are large adults a lot of work

 

[Tom]

Are large adults a lot of work

This depends on where you are and what kind of set up you have. My adult sulcatas are the least work of any of my tortoises. They retire to their burrows or boxes every night, I rinse and refill waters as needed, keep a flake of grass hay available and feed them other things when I get around to it. I sit and watch them more than I work on caring for them. In winter its even easier. When the rains come all sorts of weeds and grass sprout up and I don't have to feed them at all. They just graze whenever they want.

 

[BILBO-03]

I live in Ohio but if they had a heated night box could they live outside

 

[Tom]

I live in Ohio but if they had a heated night box could they live outside

Not in winter.

Where will you house a 150 pound, active, destructive, eating machine that needs warm, tropical temperatures day and night when your Ohio winter sets in? They need a lot of room to roam, but they can't walk in the snow.

 

[BILBO-03]

Cause I'm saw somebody that said as long as they have a heated night box they will be fine in the snow

 

[Yvonne G]

A heated night box is just that - a heated night box. When it's snowing, you can't contain a large tortoise inside a night box. Some people get around this by providing a large shed for the tortoise to live in during the bad weather. Take a look at the pictures on page three of this thread:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/winter-adult-sulcata-housing.103555/page-3

 

[BILBO-03]

Ok thanks

 

[kbarj]

Is that a wire haired pointing griffon?

 

[pugsandkids]

Just have to say how happy I am that I found my way back to this group of amazing, knowledgeable people. Can't wait to get Sarges night box started!

 

[Tom]

Is that a wire haired pointing griffon?

German Wire-haired Pointer on the right and mutts center and left. We have three of the GWHPs.

 

[Tom]

Just have to say how happy I am that I found my way back to this group of amazing, knowledgeable people. Can't wait to get Sarges night box started!

And we're glad you're back!

 

[Stephanie Beal]

After much thought about what worked and what I wanted to improve over previous attempts, here is the latest version with a step by step pictorial on how I did it. It is time for my 2010 South African herd to move outside. They are moving into a 16x20' completely closed in enclosure. The enclosure is a wooden frame enclosed top to bottom with welded wire. It has a wire roof and the wire extends 18" down into the ground. The actual night box is 4x8x2'. I found a mini oil-filled heater to heat it with. The heater is on a thermostat and will be set to 80 for about half of the year and 70 over the warmer months.

Here is the lid. You can see the insulation in place.

Here is the plywood cover going over the insulation in the lid. The lid fits on top of the box and is hinged. There will be weatherstripping all around the top and the lip on the lid keeps the rain out of the box. You can see a finished lid for a second box in the background.

Here is the bottom. Notice the door notch and how that will fit in later.

Insulation in the bottom. All the insulation is 1.5" thick and has the shiny mylar foil side pointing to the outside. Don't know if that matters much, but thats how I did it.

Insulation on the floor all covered up.

Here the front and back are attached. Notice the door taking shape. Since 9 animals will initially share this, and as they get older they will get bigger, I went kinda big with the door at 26x16". This way one of them won't be able to sit in the doorway and block all the others in or out, and later, when they reach adult size, they will easily fit in and out of this door.

Another view of the front with the sides going up.

Here the side wall insulation is in place and about to be covered up. This box is also double caulked to keep out any cold drafts on those below freezing winter nights. The only air movement will be from the door, or when I open the lid.

All buttoned up.

Here goes the front insulation.

The front insulation is all covered up here. The 2x4 blocks there will support a 2x10" water tub holding shelf. Having containers of water inside will keep the humidity up in the night box, and act as a bit of a heat sink. This technique has been working very well in my underground sulcata night box.

Here's a top view showing the area where the heater will live, the weather stripping in place, the door flaps, and the 2x4 in the back that the lid hinges attach to.

Here is the front with paint and door flaps and water shelves in place.

Here is the door. I will carve out the dirt where the door/ramp hits the ground so it sits flush. One "weak" spot of previous designs was the simple plywood door. I went to great time and trouble to super insulate my night boxes, but then just used thin plywood to cover the door holes. This time the door shares the same 1.5" insulation as the rest of the box. Door open:

Door Closed:

Here you can see the heater installed, the metal heat shield above it, the water tubs for humidity on the shelves, and my purple shoe box that holds all my electrical stuff.

Here are some of the babies enjoying their bermuda grass bedding.

Here is a wide view showing some of the enclosure. The empty wooden box in the lower right foreground of the pic is their 4x8' shade table/planter box. I will be filling it and planting leopard tortoise food in their in the next few days.

One more view of the same thing from the other side.

Well that's it. Tell me what you think.

Hello, I am in Houston and my husband is trying to replicate your awesome enclosure. we have some questions and was hoping you could maybe email us at [email protected]. Thanks, Steph Bruce Wayne's mom

 

[Tom]

Hello, I am in Houston and my husband is trying to replicate your awesome enclosure. we have some questions and was hoping you could maybe email us at [email protected]. Thanks, Steph Bruce Wayne's mom

Can we do the Q&A here on the forum? I'll bet lots of people have your same questions and could benefit from the discussion.

 

[Stephanie Beal]

I think just refinements and fewer mistakes during the build. I'm putting them flat on the ground now instead of up on skids for areas that don't flood. I think the ground will keep them warmer as opposed to lifting them and letting below freezing air under there.

I wish you would do a full you tube video! for us not so amazing talented wood working peeps....js lol

 

[Stephanie Beal]

Can we do the Q&A here on the forum? I'll bet lots of people have your same questions and could benefit from the discussion.

Sure,
1. Can you give us the sizes of wood you used for what parts?
2. Is there a certain type of calk you used?
3. what size hinges did you use and how many?
4. the plastic on the door.. did you just get that at Lowe's or Home Depot ? I know these are dumb questions but please understand we are newbies and I want it to be the best it can be.

Thank you soooo much! This is the most amazing enclosure we have seen.

 

[Tom]

Sure,
1. Can you give us the sizes of wood you used for what parts?
2. Is there a certain type of calk you used?
3. what size hinges did you use and how many?
4. the plastic on the door.. did you just get that at Lowe's or Home Depot ? I know these are dumb questions but please understand we are newbies and I want it to be the best it can be.

Thank you soooo much! This is the most amazing enclosure we have seen.

1. The roof is a full, uncut 4x8' sheet of plywood. Then I build the box to fit inside the rim of the lid. I use 11/32 plywood now because it is lighter weight. The insulation maintains the heat, so I don't need thicker plywood.
2. I use GE Silicone I. It is plain silicone sealant. It is totally inert once cured. No UV protectants, no colors, no fumes, no toxins of any kind.
3. I usually use 2 or 3 4" door hinges for the lids in a 4x8' box, and only 2 on a 4x4' box.
4. The doors flaps are made from 6" wide vinyl freezer door flap material. It comes in a 100 foot roll and its heavy. I got my roll from the lovely @Yvonne G , but I'm sure you could find it on line as she did. I custom fit the flaps so that they are almost touching the floor, and I overlap them a bit.

These are great questions! Not a dumb one in the bunch. I'm glad you asked them. It took me a long time to figure out all these little details and my hope is that other people will find this info useful too.

 

[DutchieAmanda]

For next summer I also want to build a heated night box for my redfoot. I'm hoping that with the night box and a greenhouse I can keep her outside for at least some months, even in the colder Dutch climate. During the colder seasons I will keep her inside. What size would you recommend for the night box for one adult redfoot? Would 2x4 ft be big enough?

 

[Tom]

For next summer I also want to build a heated night box for my redfoot. I'm hoping that with the night box and a greenhouse I can keep her outside for at least some months, even in the colder Dutch climate. During the colder seasons I will keep her inside. What size would you recommend for the night box for one adult redfoot? Would 2x4 ft be big enough?

I like 4x4 for a tortoise of that size. I use a heat mat and over head radiant heat panel in that size box and having a 4x4 allows them to be on the mat if they want to be warmer, but get off the mat if they want to be cooler, but still warm enough inside their house. Like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/

 

[JLM]

Coming back to this thread...still planning...if I needed this to double as an enclosure for the times it cannot be outside...how would you recommend mounting lights? I'm planning 4x8 so it has room on days that it's not warm enough to be outdoors.