Are wooden enclosures for indoors better than other materials for baby tortoises?

willee638

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I recently built my own wooden indoor tortoise enclosure from as close to natural solid wood as possible without actually chopping down a tree, previously I had used the worse possible for tortoise a small aquarium fish tank advised never to by experienced keepers. My tortoise didn't feel comfortable in a glass container or probably plastic which I haven't used, but she seems to noticed the smell & feel of wooden materials compared to other more artificial ones. I added wood chips, small stones, live grass & a cactus plant to make her feel at home & apparently more pleasing to her. I read redfooted tortoises loves to burrow & dig, is adding natural planting unfertilized dirt advised for baby tortoises?
 

Yvonne G

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For a baby, or a young tortoise I like to use a large plastic tote. And because you're keeping a redfooted tortoise that requires a warm humid environment, I think a plastic tote would be better than wood.

I wouldn't use dirt though. I like to use fir bark, the kind that comes in SMALL particles. You keep it moistened and you cover the top of the tote to keep the warm air inside.

We have a couple good care sheets for you to read:


 

Toddrickfl1

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Plastic totes usually hold up better against the moisture for young Redfoots than wood. I'd have to disagree about tanks being the worst though. For an adult Redfoot yes, a tank would not be big enough. For a Hatchling or yearling though a larger tank can be pretty easily converted into a closed chamber. I've been using a 75g for my yearling and it's worked great. Redfoots aren't really a burrowing species either. They'll dig out a small spot and sit in it but that's about all the digging they do. I've used potting soil before but now I just use Cypress mulch or Orchid bark.
 

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I recently built my own wooden indoor tortoise enclosure from as close to natural solid wood as possible without actually chopping down a tree, previously I had used the worse possible for tortoise a small aquarium fish tank advised never to by experienced keepers. My tortoise didn't feel comfortable in a glass container or probably plastic which I haven't used, but she seems to noticed the smell & feel of wooden materials compared to other more artificial ones. I added wood chips, small stones, live grass & a cactus plant to make her feel at home & apparently more pleasing to her. I read redfooted tortoises loves to burrow & dig, is adding natural planting unfertilized dirt advised for baby tortoises?
You've been reading all the old wrong info. Glass tank are GOOD for them, for the very reasons "they" say they are bad for them. Reduced ventilation helps keep the necessary warm humid air in. Myself and several other keepers here have been starting babies in glass tanks for decades with no issue. While it sounds logical that they don't understand the invisible barrier, in actual real life, it doesn't bother them at all. I enjoy seeing them, and I think they enjoy watching what is going on in the world around them. I think this myth was start by someone who bought a wild caught tortoise and put it in the little pet store recommend 40 gallon, and then noted that the tortoise was trying like hell to get out of its little prison. The issue is that the enclosure was much too small. Russians will do that in any small enclosure regardless of what it is made of. A new import will do that in a room sized enclosure until it settles in and accepts its new "territory".

Wha type of "wood chips' did you add? Some are toxic and shouldn't be used, and others make a great substrate.

Soil should not be used. There is no way to know what composted material it is made of.

I would not use wood to make an enclosure for a tortoise that needs high humidity and dampness. It will not last.
 

willee638

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For a baby, or a young tortoise I like to use a large plastic tote. And because you're keeping a redfooted tortoise that requires a warm humid environment, I think a plastic tote would be better than wood.

I wouldn't use dirt though. I like to use fir bark, the kind that comes in SMALL particles. You keep it moistened and you cover the top of the tote to keep the warm air inside.

We have a couple good care sheets for you to read:


Thanks very much, as a single first time tortoise owner myself I truly thinks it matters very little whether you kept 1 or 10 tortoises. It's the knowledge gained & paying careful attention to the animals behaviour & needs that really matters at least for me anyway, when I purchased my tortoise the salesperson answered with the bare minimum of information when asked. Their main purpose was to sell potential pet owner expensive sometimes maybe un-necessary items, I would not be surprised I probably would know a little more on basic care about tortoises than them now. There're a lot of conflicting information on almost every topic regarding tortoises as you said people from different parts raise their tortoises differently & different ways...kudos to you for sharing tips.
 

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Sound like you already built the enclosure, I also made mine of wood. But because if the humidity I lined the side walls and the bottom with a piece of vinyl flooring. You can either hot glue it in or velcro it in. I have build two indoor boxes for my Sulcata. The velcro makes it easier to remove for cleanup and also used a few apolltry tacks to secure the corners. I want to one of my local home repair stores ( Home Depot or Loews) go to the flooring dept. And ask then if by change do they any short end drop offs of the end of a roll. You can get it at a discount , I used a piece 12ft × 3 ft. on my second box. The manager like what I wanted it for and was a turtle lover and gave me the piece of vinyl for 0 dollars. The girl at the register said it was worth more than $100.00 buy square foot. There was enough leftover to do his little side box and his ramp to get into his box. God bless that man. Here are a couple of pictures.
 

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willee638

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Sound like you already built the enclosure, I also made mine of wood. But because if the humidity I lined the side walls and the bottom with a piece of vinyl flooring. You can either hot glue it in or velcro it in. I have build two indoor boxes for my Sulcata. The velcro makes it easier to remove for cleanup and also used a few apolltry tacks to secure the corners. I want to one of my local home repair stores ( Home Depot or Loews) go to the flooring dept. And ask then if by change do they any short end drop offs of the end of a roll. You can get it at a discount , I used a piece 12ft × 3 ft. on my second box. The manager like what I wanted it for and was a turtle lover and gave me the piece of vinyl for 0 dollars. The girl at the register said it was worth more than $100.00 buy square foot. There was enough leftover to do his little side box and his ramp to get into his box. God bless that man. Here are a couple of pictures.
Thanks that's some great carpentry work on your boxes, I like to ask since in the old days people used to lay vinyl sheets on their floors instead now there have vinyl titles, doesn't vinyl flooring give off a smell when in hot or warm temperatures? I could be wrong like plastics maybe odours from vinyl disappears with time passes. I didn't line my wooden enclosure with anything because I thought it might strap some moisture underneath it & cause mildew or mold to grow on the wood, from what you said you can remove the linings for cleaning anyways.
 

Blackdog1714

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Other members have used Pond Shield and flex seal to paint the insides. I used UGL dry lock for the side and ceiling and a rubber pond liner for the floor to hold the moist substrate 70B2C807-493F-4DFC-8E8B-F58DADD54E05.jpeg
 

Warren

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Thanks that's some great carpentry work on your boxes, I like to ask since in the old days people used to lay vinyl sheets on their floors instead now there have vinyl titles, doesn't vinyl flooring give off a smell when in hot or warm temperatures? I could be wrong like plastics maybe odours from vinyl disappears with time passes. I didn't line my wooden enclosure with anything because I thought it might strap some moisture underneath it & cause mildew or mold to grow on the wood, from what you said you can remove the linings for cleaning anyways.
I have not had a proplem with any mold or mildew. Back in the day they used to sell some flooring call Lanolinm. It had a decorative top design and the bottom had a waterproof layer that I believe to be like tar paper. That had a smell, todays vinyl flooring has a thin to medium layer of foam backing. Smells just like a new car smell for a few day until Sammy leaves his own scent.
 

willee638

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Other members have used Pond Shield and flex seal to paint the insides. I used UGL dry lock for the side and ceiling and a rubber pond liner for the floor to hold the moist substrate View attachment 286723
This is another great enclosure you're sharing here, I always love to have plant life in my tortoise enclosure too to stimulate her senses & create a more natural environment. Must all the plants be edible for your spices of tortoises? I've read some keepers use plastic imitation plants which I'm sorry not a fan of because real plants give out oxygen, is edible & the smell of the soil & plants keeps moistures in, I don't want my tortoise trying to eat a plastic or other material made plants & plastics gives out a toxic like stink in the heat even I don't want to smell. I spray warm mist on the substrates & plants several times daily to keep constant humidity & moistures & it created a fresh rain fall like smell.. because I haven't place a cover on my box to keep some kind of air flow maybe should have more ideally drilled holes on the sides of the enclosure instead.
 

William Lee Kohler

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If they're not Cedar or some other toxic wood and not slivery it shouldn't be a problem except the bare wood will rot from humid/damp conditions if not sealed well.
 

willee638

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If they're not Cedar or some other toxic wood and not slivery it shouldn't be a problem except the bare wood will rot from humid/damp conditions if not sealed well.
Yes, exactly what I thought because dead wood with too much humidity will definitely rot & grow fungus or get moulds. But moulds will grow on almost any surface even plastics & glass if kept constantly wet & humid, so I don't lay down too thick & deep substrates & needs to change the beddings after 10 days or so. I would be glad to listen to any advice you can share.
 

willee638

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If they're not Cedar or some other toxic wood and not slivery it shouldn't be a problem except the bare wood will rot from humid/damp conditions if not sealed well.
I do watch Lori's hartland's YouTube channel for basic tips on tortoise enclosures & I think most of her's are of wood on the interior as well but don't know if it's treated, I heard someone suggest using cardboard to put inside the enclosure it can keep moistures & discard it after a reasonable period of use.
 

willee638

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Plastic totes usually hold up better against the moisture for young Redfoots than wood. I'd have to disagree about tanks being the worst though. For an adult Redfoot yes, a tank would not be big enough. For a Hatchling or yearling though a larger tank can be pretty easily converted into a closed chamber. I've been using a 75g for my yearling and it's worked great. Redfoots aren't really a burrowing species either. They'll dig out a small spot and sit in it but that's about all the digging they do. I've used potting soil before but now I just use Cypress mulch or Orchid bark.
Yes when I first brought my red foot home she was kept in a fish tank & it was fine but probably too small rather than other issues, I didn't use a lid because I clapped the UV lamp onto the top of the enclosure but the substrates are constantly moistened & she soaked herself in water.
 

Blackdog1714

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Mine has cypress under Fine Fir Bark chips- both hold moisture well and keep a dry surface. Fir bark looks nicer and is easier for my Leopard to walk around on. Putting the cypress down first saves $$$
 

willee638

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Mine has cypress under Fine Fir Bark chips- both hold moisture well and keep a dry surface. Fir bark looks nicer and is easier for my Leopard to walk around on. Putting the cypress down first saves $$$
Good Idea, I'm not so knowledgeable when it comes to laying down good substrates. I use only wood chips with tree ferns, tree bark & sphagnum moss to keep some moistures in...red foots probably likes more dampness.
 

Blackdog1714

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Redfoots love the dark and wet-just make sure to have a tube of Athelete's Foot Cream (dollar store is fine) for when they shows of rot. A few days of applications clears it right up. For me the Cypress is $4 a bag at Home Depot. The Fir Bark is tough on the Eastcoast- Westcoast it comes in big regular mulch bags ($20). For me I have to stalk Petco and Petsmart and buy Reptibark when the price dips- so far $15.30 for 24 quarts is as good as it gets. That is why I use the cypress as the bulk of the substrate and lay the Fir Bark over it in a thin layer until it completely covers the cypress.
 

polDurna

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My Redfoot tortoise live in a box the built on a queen size mobile bed frame (500lb capacity). Inside the 20 inch walls (FlexSeal treated) is a cement tub size pond with filtering fountain with 2 way ramp access, and 6 inch deep substrata of coco coir, and cypress mulch - plants are in terra cotta pots sunk for stability with a 3 inch lip to protect the stems and roots from over grazing while allowing leaves to hang out. I split a xlg terra cotta pot into 2 hides. Inset and covering this box is a "portable greenhouse" the sides roll up for access, the flat walls meet the wood walls, the pinnacle roof rises above the box. The lights and CHEs are all hanging-hard mounted to the frame. Wires and supports above reachable height are wrapped with habitat vines to camouflage them. At some point I will post pictures of the new setup, the only picts I have currently are of the last twin size box.
 

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polDurna

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My Redfoot tortoise live in a box the built on a queen size mobile bed frame (500lb capacity). Inside the 20 inch walls (FlexSeal treated) is a cement tub size pond with filtering fountain with 2 way ramp access, and 6 inch deep substrata of coco coir, and cypress mulch - plants are in terra cotta pots sunk for stability with a 3 inch lip to protect the stems and roots from over grazing while allowing leaves to hang out. I split a xlg terra cotta pot into 2 hides. Inset and covering this box is a "portable greenhouse" the sides roll up for access, the flat walls meet the wood walls, the pinnacle roof rises above the box. The lights and CHEs are all hanging-hard mounted to the frame. Wires and supports above reachable height are wrapped with habitat vines to camouflage them.

At some point I will post pictures of the new setup, the only picts I have currently are of the last twin size box. This was taken as we were tearing it down to set up the new one, but is the same basic setup with more room...
 

willee638

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Very good reuse of materials, I too built my tortoise's enclosure with a wooden dining table top. Old furniture wood is solid & not toxic, no need to spend extra money to buy hardware wood that you don't know if suitable & expensive, I think the enclosure for my baby red foot is adequate for 1 year much better than the glass fish tank she was initially in when I first had her in.
 
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