Belle & Buzz's completed table.

[wacjac]

It looks a lot better in real life (bigger!). I could live in this myself!! They spend most days outdoors, but if it's not too warm they come into this.

The cactii are artificial, I intend planting with real cactii once I get the chance.

 

[Meg90]

It looks beautiful, but IMO, the sides are alittle low. Every day my Greek scales his log, he goes up it, and down it, over and over (I am 100% positive that he is doing this in play--he knows by now it won't get him anywhere)

What I am saying, is that with the logs placed how they are, it would be easy to get up them, and tumble down out of the enclosure, onto the floor.

You could move them, so that there is a gap on either side, so that if someone does climb, he can end up, still in the enclosure. But you also might want to look into raising the sides. A good rule of thumb is the sides should be twice as tall as your tort's SCL. Nigel's is 5.5 SCL, so his sides are minimum, 12 inches.

 

[wacjac]

I totally agree Meg.... we came back in this afternoon to find Belle (the climber (whereas Buzz is the swimmer!)). Quite happily sitting on the top of the wider log cave.

I've now realised that these little bu**ers can climb like crazy!!

Looks like a rearrange is on the cards. The guy in the business opposite mine builds kitchen/bedroom/bathroom units.... He built this one for me as a freebie favour. It was built to the size of a long, thin seed tray from B&Q.... but I soon dumped the tray after as it was taking up a little too much room. I now also realise that it's too small... I'm going to get him to build me one around 4ft x 4ft.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Crazy1]

Glad to hear wacjac that you are thinking something bigger and higher. Also I would move the water bowl so that when they slide down the log they don't flip and land in the water. Also anything that they may climb on, the cactus, even each other will create a way for them to get out. You could set a book on each corner for now to keep them in as corners seem to be the easiest for them to scale. and move the logs or remove them until the sides are raised or you get your new one built. Or you can remove the logs and get a piece of baseboard and make a lip that overhangs inside so they can't climb over it. then get a square house or hide they can't climb on. Seems no matter how well we plan tweaking has to be done

 

[Candy]

They sound like some busy characters those greeks . Your enclosure is beautiful and I liked the experience's Meg and Robyn told you about. When everything is finished post more pictures.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

The tort table that I have that I like the best is 5'X2.5'X23". I think I wrote that correctly. I have another that I put in Bob's shed for Queenie because it's 7 feet and that's just too long but this 5 foot one is nice.
This is it right here. Both sides of the lid raise for ease in cleaning. And it's just not fancy inside because tortoises or in this case box turtles just knock over stuff or kill it. So no plants, they are hard to grow under UVB lights...This is where a few box turtles live...guess i could have moved the worm pail first, that's not kitty litter, it's super worms.

 

[katesgoey]

Very nice. Isn't it amazing you go to all that great work and decorating and the first chance they get, they let you know it's time to do more?

 

[tortoisenerd]

I am constantly re-arranging my tort's enclosure. At first I thought I made the sides too high (18 inches), but with 6-8 inches of substrate cage furnishings, and his future size, it's perfect. They sure do love to climb the logs! I put aspen substrate ramps up to the sides for easy access for my little one. Less risk of him tumbling. I agree with not having things near walls, and not having climbing hazards near water or the heat sources. My tort also likes to walk the perimeter of the walls, so either something must be completely flush with the wall, or enough clearance. He fell in his water one day because he was trying to walk on the rim of it! I'd take out the cacti and get fake plants that resemble ferns or have broad leaves. These will act more as hides and break up the line of sight. The cacti are more decorative and don't serve a purpose. You may even be able to return them still if you kept tags. Michael's has coupons in the paper for 40% off one item, and you can sign up for their e-mail list for 50% off one item. Plants are $5-15 each and they have the short stems so you stick them right in! I love them. My tort takes one or two test nibbles without biting anything off, then decides they aren't food.

Can they get in and out of that dish to drink/soak? Looks a tad shallow, and difficult to climb the lip to me. If it works though, it works.

Great enclosure! They look happy.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

You actually have the exact same water dish I bought for Taco at Petsmart! It is big enough for her to get in and soak, but it is heavy so cleaning is a bit problematic. I have been tweaking it based on forum pictures and put some round flat pebbles in one end and on the adjoining substrate, but today I just decided Taco needs a groovy jacuzzi so I ordered one that is aboout the same dimensions (size Large). I will take the current dish outside to replace the plant pot saucer currently in use.

I shall also now get to Michaels for some "line-of-sight" plants!

 

[tortoisenerd]

Stephanie-I think the L may be too small (even the XL for that matter). I think the dimensions they quote for the product include the stairs, which is maybe 1/3 of it. The tort needs space to turn around in a dish like that. I have an XL for my 3 inch tort and think once he's 5-6 inches that will be it for the product for us. What about a paint tray? They also make ramp dishes where the tort climbs up, then down, so the water doesn't slosh out. Sometimes you have to rough up the ramp with sandpaper so they can get footing, but a lot of people here have had success with them.