New enclosure

Cindy63

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island
Hi all tort lovers!!!! I was reading on here about someone that made a new enclosure using a bookcase they bought from IKEA. I love this idea but have a question...would you be able to use kitchen tiles as flooring but use a clear silicone to seal it? Thank you
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I don't see why not. The book cases we're talking about generally come with a flimsy cardboard or light plywood backing and are really not suitable for the floor of an enclosure, so adding tiles and sealing them sounds good to me. Just allow the silicone to dry out and air out before you populate the new enclosure.
 

Cindy63

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island
I don't see why not. The book cases we're talking about generally come with a flimsy cardboard or light plywood backing and are really not suitable for the floor of an enclosure, so adding tiles and sealing them sounds good to me. Just allow the silicone to dry out and air out before you populate the new enclosure.
Thank you! And I'm not understanding why some put a small plastic bin inside the enclosure then add the dirt? Then fill the rest of the enclosure with dirt. Why not just all of the substrate without a bin? And if I do the bookcase idea how high should the substrate be. Sorry for all of this but I'm new and I know what I have is way too small for Rubble
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I don't understand the plastic bin thing either. The only plastic bin I use is one inverted with a door cut in an end for them to use as a hiding place. Your substrate should be 4 or 5" deep, but make sure that doesn't bring the level up so far that the tortoise can climb out. You may need less substrate depending upon how tall the walls are.
 
Last edited:

drew54

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2018
Messages
903
Location (City and/or State)
Indiana
Thank you! And I'm not understanding why some put a small plastic bin inside the enclosure then add the dirt? Then fill the rest of the enclosure with dirt. Why not just all of the substrate without a bin? And if I do the bookcase idea how high should the substrate be. Sorry for all of this but I'm new and I know what I have is way too small for Rubble

It's supposed to give the tort room to burrow.
 

6strings

Member
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
38
Location (City and/or State)
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Hi all tort lovers!!!! I was reading on here about someone that made a new enclosure using a bookcase they bought from IKEA. I love this idea but have a question...would you be able to use kitchen tiles as flooring but use a clear silicone to seal it? Thank you

I tried that idea years ago for a snake. I can tell you that Ikea finishes are not made to hold up to contact with prolonged moisture. An occasional cleaning, fine. I am kind of a pessimist about using Ikea products as enclosures. Too flimsy and require a good deal of modification usually. If for a hatchling cage, OK, I get it, as it is temporary anyway so who cares about it lasting a long time.

There are plastic tubs available that are easy and last forever. For example, ARS reptile racks will sell spare tubs w/o having to buy a rack. Same for Vision Racks. They have some big tubs that are great. Then there are Waterland land tubs, as big or bigger than any Ikea bookcase.

Did not mean to squash any creativity, and by all means prove me wrong. There are so many clever people out there that find a way. I saw one person use a tub, but he built a frame around it, stained it and made it look like a unique enclosure.
 

Cindy63

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island
I tried that idea years ago for a snake. I can tell you that Ikea finishes are not made to hold up to contact with prolonged moisture. An occasional cleaning, fine. I am kind of a pessimist about using Ikea products as enclosures. Too flimsy and require a good deal of modification usually. If for a hatchling cage, OK, I get it, as it is temporary anyway so who cares about it lasting a long time.

There are plastic tubs available that are easy and last forever. For example, ARS reptile racks will sell spare tubs w/o having to buy a rack. Same for Vision Racks. They have some big tubs that are great. Then there are Waterland land tubs, as big or bigger than any Ikea bookcase.

Did not mean to squash any creativity, and by all means prove me wrong. There are so many clever people out there that find a way. I saw one person use a tub, but he built a frame around it, stained it and made it look like a unique enclosure.
Thank you for your input! Haven't made any decisions yet as I'm still searching!
 

katieandiggy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
1,022
Location (City and/or State)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
I used an ikea book case, it was really cheap but I knew it was only temporary. Personally if I was building it again I would go for a solid wood bookcase, as Yvonne said, the back of the IKEA one is really flimsy. I have mine resting on 2 tables but if I lifted it up I think the bottom would fall through now it is full of substrate.
 

katieandiggy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
1,022
Location (City and/or State)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
IMG_3161.jpg

This is an old pic of it.

In total the bookcase was about £11 and the two tables £5 each. It’s lasted 18 months without issue.
 

Cindy63

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island
I used an ikea book case, it was really cheap but I knew it was only temporary. Personally if I was building it again I would go for a solid wood bookcase, as Yvonne said, the back of the IKEA one is really flimsy. I have mine resting on 2 tables but if I lifted it up I think the bottom would fall through now it is full of substrate.
I was going to put ceramic tiles on the bottom so the substrate or water from the bowl wouldn't go through to the wood
 

katieandiggy

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Messages
1,022
Location (City and/or State)
Suffolk, United Kingdom
It wouldn’t work on the one I have, the bottom wouldn’t hold the weight. I use a shower curtain, you can get nice thick ones, I cut it to size and stick it with gaffa tape, I tip bottles of water over my substrate it never leaks.
 

6strings

Member
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
38
Location (City and/or State)
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Cindy63 - the backs of those bookcases are not flush with the ground when the case is placed on its back. You would have to attach a piece or 2 of plywood onto the case and not use the Ikea flimsy back wall. Then you can put down tiles or plastic pond liner or whatever. Pond liner works quite well. Even plastic trash bags are better than nothing. If you use outdoor rated plywood, even better. It will outlast the Ikea part of the setup. I must admit, it will look nice.

For me, the fun of this hobby is figuring out the enclosure, so feel free to try things. BTW, use UVB tubes instead of compact fluorescents, or else use the heat/UVB bulbs available. If you want just UVB w/o heat, www.lightyourreptiles.com sells an Arcadia T5 HO fixture that is fantastic. I use it - way way better than any compact fluorescent bulb. I like how Katieandiggy suspended her UVB tube. I will post a pic later of how I attached the Arcadia fixture.
 

Cindy63

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
37
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island
Thank you so much for all the info! I never thought of putting plywood it makes alot of sense! And yes please show pictures. I right now have the long uvb (the sunlight light) across the top of her temporary enclosure.
 

New Posts

Top