Indoor habitat

ArmadilloPup

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Yup, I think it's in-store only. They just had a sale, so I'm not sure if it's still got a few days left or it's already over. But there are generally about 4 of these sales a year. You can call your store and ask about the dollar-a-gallon sale, sometimes they know the month of the next sale and will tell you, sometimes they don't. Aquatics specialists and managers will be more likely to know.

Edit: Looks like it's still going on.
 
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Tom

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I am so glad to see someone with your experience say this. I have my new Greek hatchling in a glass aquarium. The tank is 60 x 18 and it only uses about a third of it. It’s easy to maintain the temperature and humidity. It doesn’t grind on the glass or try to escape. It has its little area that it uses and is thriving.

I tried to have a discussion about this with another group and it was maddening.

This is the end it uses. There are cement pavers buried under the substrate to hold in the heat. It sleeps in its hide but basks in the open or under the grass and plants.

Amazing that you are using it, your tortoise is doing well in it, and people still want to tell you what a problem it is... It must be those nuts on FB we keep hearing about.

I like to see my tortoises, and I like my tortoises to see me. And your tank looks like a good size for a smaller tortoise.

I'd remove the hay. You don't need it and its a mold risk.
 

dmilam

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Amazing that you are using it, your tortoise is doing well in it, and people still want to tell you what a problem it is... It must be those nuts on FB we keep hearing about.

I like to see my tortoises, and I like my tortoises to see me. And your tank looks like a good size for a smaller tortoise.

I'd remove the hay. You don't need it and its a mold risk.

You’re correct, it was FB. Not a single stress related issue that I’ve seen. It is a large 100 gallon. It’s 7.5 sq ft for a two inch tortoise.

I originally put a small amount of the hay in as supplemental food but it hid in it. So now I put it in there for a few days and then pick it out and toss it. The idea of mold scares me. So I put it close to the basking lamp just in case. It’s kind of a pain to pick it out but it’s funny to see the tortoise burrow into it. I think I’ll just get another plant and lose the hay.
 
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katieandiggy

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I am so glad to see someone with your experience say this. I have my new Greek hatchling in a glass aquarium. The tank is 60 x 18 and it only uses about a third of it. It’s easy to maintain the temperature and humidity. It doesn’t grind on the glass or try to escape. It has its little area that it uses and is thriving.

I tried to have a discussion about this with another group and it was maddening.






———————————————————————


I have actually got myself banned from a UK tortoise group because 1. I suggested carrot soaks for a sick tortoise and 2. Because I suggested orchid bark as a substrate. It was literally like the tortoise police. I got told I was going to kill my tortoise etc I am cruel you name it. Jeeez
 

ClarenceTort

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Wow. There are some crazy tort people out there. I think that’s why I’m stressing so much about his indoor enclosure. The one I have now is definitely too small and I’m driving myself crazy looking for something that works for him but is also functional for my space size and for when he has to be brought over to the neighbors for babysitting. I need to make him easy to transport and having some big handmade wooden table isn’t going to work. The more I read and see YouTube videos the more crazy I make myself.
 

katieandiggy

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Ok well I had a Russian tortoise and I can tell you how I kept him.

From age 6 month he was in a 3ft by 2ft vivarium. I soon worked out that he looked miserable but I kept him in there until around a year old.

After that I moved him to an open top enclosure made from a bookcase which was 3ft by 5ft he was 100g and that was plenty of space. It was extremely cheap as I got one from ikea and used 2 ikea tables to rest it on. It was long but I moved it twice without it falling apart.

I also had a large outdoor area for summer.. do you have access to the outdoors?
 

ClarenceTort

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Ok well I had a Russian tortoise and I can tell you how I kept him.

From age 6 month he was in a 3ft by 2ft vivarium. I soon worked out that he looked miserable but I kept him in there until around a year old.

After that I moved him to an open top enclosure made from a bookcase which was 3ft by 5ft he was 100g and that was plenty of space. It was extremely cheap as I got one from ikea and used 2 ikea tables to rest it on. It was long but I moved it twice without it falling apart.

I also had a large outdoor area for summer.. do you have access to the outdoors?

That makes me feel better. I want to get him something about 5 feet long. Right now because the weather is nice we bring him outside for n the afternoons until evening. So he isn’t inside unless we are out. He has a beautiful outdoor enclosureC5672F5A-758F-48E0-9351-9AE186C4878C.jpgIMG_1223.jpgIMG_1224.jpg

Thanks for the advice
 

ClarenceTort

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Ok well I had a Russian tortoise and I can tell you how I kept him.

From age 6 month he was in a 3ft by 2ft vivarium. I soon worked out that he looked miserable but I kept him in there until around a year old.

After that I moved him to an open top enclosure made from a bookcase which was 3ft by 5ft he was 100g and that was plenty of space. It was extremely cheap as I got one from ikea and used 2 ikea tables to rest it on. It was long but I moved it twice without it falling apart.

I also had a large outdoor area for summer.. do you have access to the outdoors?

How long were you able to keep the tort in the 3x5 enclosure? I guess I have a few years before he is full grown to re-evaluate and get a bigger enclosure as needed.
 

katieandiggy

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Sadly i has to have mine euthanised for some ongoing issues but he would have stayed in that until he was old enough to live outside full time. If you predator proof the top of your outdoor enclosure and add a cold frame and maybe a night box, is there any reason he can’t live outdoors full time? Russians do much better living outside.
 

ClarenceTort

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Sadly i has to have mine euthanised for some ongoing issues but he would have stayed in that until he was old enough to live outside full time. If you predator proof the top of your outdoor enclosure and add a cold frame and maybe a night box, is there any reason he can’t live outdoors full time? Russians do much better living outside.

Only problem is I live in Kansas City. The winters are brutal even for me!! I would have such guilt leaving him outside. Hopefully I’m the next few years we will be heading to warmer climates. For me and him. [emoji12][emoji217]
 

katieandiggy

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Only problem is I live in Kansas City. The winters are brutal even for me!! I would have such guilt leaving him outside. Hopefully I’m the next few years we will be heading to warmer climates. For me and him. [emoji12][emoji217]

Well you could hibernate him through the winter. Keep him outside from say April until October in a cold frame/ heated night box and then hibernate him over winter....
 

BorisTurt

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Do you have a bottom on your outdoor enclosure? My Boris has dug out a couple of times! I think I need to rebuild and put in a floor so he cannot escape via burrowing - he is a big time digger!!
 

Alex Z

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If you can, build one out of plywood. Make it 8x4 with 15in high walls. Cheaper and lasts a very long time.
 

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ClarenceTort

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Do you have a bottom on your outdoor enclosure? My Boris has dug out a couple of times! I think I need to rebuild and put in a floor so he cannot escape via burrowing - he is a big time digger!!

I do not. I built up the sides with dirt and put rock around perimeter. So far he isnt digging but wants to climb out. I may have to add another plank or chicken wire to sides as he gets bigger
 

Alex Z

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I’m curious if he could be kept in his indoor habitat in the garage. It’s the biggest space I have. If he has Uv and heat lamps would it be warm enough.


You can. I seen on yt several setups in the garage. Depends too if you live in a warm state.
 

dmilam

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Wow. There are some crazy tort people out there. I think that’s why I’m stressing so much about his indoor enclosure. The one I have now is definitely too small and I’m driving myself crazy looking for something that works for him but is also functional for my space size and for when he has to be brought over to the neighbors for babysitting. I need to make him easy to transport and having some big handmade wooden table isn’t going to work. The more I read and see YouTube videos the more crazy I make myself.

I am the same way, I'm trying to make sure I do everything correctly. Based on what they share in the FB pages, it should have opaque sides and be 6-8 inches high so air can flow. Using that idea, I said, OK, I can blackout the sides of the aquarium and increase the depth of the substrate. The tortoise cant see through the glass and it doesn't care about the depth of the substrate underneath it. It was all no, no, no.... aquariums are bad... for an adult that needs space, I get it. For a hatchling that's going to start its life indoors, its working just fine.
 
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