Best pre made indoor RF enclosure?

[DoctorPotterWho]

I am having such a hard time controlling temps in my exo terra tank right now and I know it isn't big enough for my baby RF so I want to upgrade. I've read that Boa tanks are good, but I am having a hard time finding one. Is there a good website to check out for tanks? I was thinking a 100 gallon would work. I wish I could find one already set up for a RF.

Thanks!

 

[Alexio]

I'm a huge fan of the DIY because you can really make what you need to fit your own needs.
But if you want to go the premade route many people have success with Animal plastics cages. If you go to http://www.apcages.com/home/
And click on terrestrial cages they have many different sizing options. I would get something a minimum of two ft high.

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

I'm a huge fan of the DIY because you can really make what you need to fit your own needs.
But if you want to go the premade route many people have success with Animal plastics cages. If you go to http://www.apcages.com/home/
And click on terrestrial cages they have many different sizing options. I would get something a minimum of two ft high.

Thank you so much!!

I thought about doing an indoor myself, but I'm not too confident that it would turn out that great. I'm going to check out the Animal Plastics and see what they have.

Thanks again!

 

[MPRC]

I know some people have set these up in their homes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055FSKPW/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

I know some people have set these up in their homes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055FSKPW/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Those are pretty neat and very affordable! How would one set up their light fixtures in it, though?

Thanks!

 

[britsip]

If you want a cage that is ready to go and will last, I vote Animal Plastics. I love mine. Check craigslist religiously if you don't want to buy one new.

 

[a5fung]

I've recently setup an AP enclosure for a RF cherryhead. I've shared my updates here, http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/planning-new-home-for-a-cherryhead.145011/.

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

If you want a cage that is ready to go and will last, I vote Animal Plastics. I love mine. Check craigslist religiously if you don't want to buy one new.

Thank you! I have been checking on there a lot, so far I've had no luck. What size do you use? My guy is just a 6 month old RF

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

I've recently setup an AP enclosure for a RF cherryhead. I've shared my updates here, http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/planning-new-home-for-a-cherryhead.145011/.

I actually saw yours and was wondering how you are doing with the size. I think you did the 48 x 24 x 12. I was thinking about doing the 48 x 24 x 18, but then thought about doing a bigger one.

 

[a5fung]

The size is doing well for me. My tort is about 3" and he's yet to explore his whole enclosure. I plan to have an outdoor enclosure when he gets bigger, so this is only for the next couple of years or so. I've thought about one with more height, but opted for this one (the T8) due to price and quicker shipping. If you want to put your heating elements inside and have a fully closed top then you might need more height, but I keep my CHE outside at the top and I cover the rest of the opening with reflectix and I'm able to achieve high humidity (mid/high 80%). If price and wait for shipping is not an issue, then larger the better!

 

[britsip]

Mine is 6'long x 3'wide x 2'high. I opted for the bigger size in order for it to last longer. Plus, I wanted all my heating and lighting fixtures to be mounted inside so I needed the height. I have a mounted radiant heat panel (160 watt) on the inside to keep ambient temperatures up as well as night temps. Then a florescent light fixture and a ceramic light socket for basking (I have a Sri Lankan Star). The cage stays heated perfectly and humidity is consistently high. All my fixtures are set up to a herpstat 2 except the uvb light.
A small bonus for me regarding AP cages... it's super easy to drill into or thru. So if you need to drill holes or add fixtures, it's smooth like butter.

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

The size is doing well for me. My tort is about 3" and he's yet to explore his whole enclosure. I plan to have an outdoor enclosure when he gets bigger, so this is only for the next couple of years or so. I've thought about one with more height, but opted for this one (the T8) due to price and quicker shipping. If you want to put your heating elements inside and have a fully closed top then you might need more height, but I keep my CHE outside at the top and I cover the rest of the opening with reflectix and I'm able to achieve high humidity (mid/high 80%). If price and wait for shipping is not an issue, then larger the better!

That's great! I just purchased the T10 48Lx24Dx15H and am getting one 8in screen circle for my CHE. I am going to mount my fluro strip inside the enclosure. I can't wait for it to get delivered. My guy stays in his hide all day unless I take him outside to graze. We built an outdoor enclosure (5ft x 13ft) and he hangs out on the grassy end and grazes for an hour or so. The best advice I have found on the outdoor enclosures is, of course, the bigger the better, but do your enclosure with the larger boards for less cutting. We were going to do a 5 x 5, but realized afterwards that it was just too small for a tortoise so we added on 8 feet. We didn't have to do any cutting except for support boards and the top of the enclosure. I've also found that exposing the tortoise to outside grass and non toxic plants encourages them to graze naturally. So less store bought stuff for me haha. =) Thank you for replying!~

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

Mine is 6'long x 3'wide x 2'high. I opted for the bigger size in order for it to last longer. Plus, I wanted all my heating and lighting fixtures to be mounted inside so I needed the height. I have a mounted radiant heat panel (160 watt) on the inside to keep ambient temperatures up as well as night temps. Then a florescent light fixture and a ceramic light socket for basking (I have a Sri Lankan Star). The cage stays heated perfectly and humidity is consistently high. All my fixtures are set up to a herpstat 2 except the uvb light.
A small bonus for me regarding AP cages... it's super easy to drill into or thru. So if you need to drill holes or add fixtures, it's smooth like butter.

Thanks for the reply! I wanted to go for the bigger, but had no place to set it up for now. Plus we put in outside in his outdoor enclosure for a while each day so he does a lot of his moving around out there. Inside he snoozes for the most part.

That's great to know about the AP cages being easy to drill into. I just bought the T10 48Lx24Dx15H and plan on mounting the fluro strip inside and drilling a small hole for the cords if it needs it. I wasn't sure if it comes with anything like that. =)

 

[Shaif]

Hi All!

I'm also considering a large Animal Plastics cage. Because the are side opening, are they hard to clean? Have you been happy with yours? Do you have any suggestions regarding set up and accessories?

Thank you so much for and advice!

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

Hi All!

I'm also considering a large Animal Plastics cage. Because the are side opening, are they hard to clean? Have you been happy with yours? Do you have any suggestions regarding set up and accessories?

Thank you so much for and advice!

I am still waiting for mine to be built and shipped. It takes several weeks for it to be done and shipped. From what I have seen in my research, it's one of the best ways to go for pre-built. You can customize it in regards to fixture mounting inside the enclosure, top circular screened holes for your light fixtures, locks, etc. Lots of different options. I would definitely look into and order if you like it because the wait is the downside lol. =)

 

[Shaif]

Thank you, Doctorpotterwho. Man, that's a long wait! But I'm sure it's worth it.

Congrats on your purchase, and good luck!

 

[britsip]

Hi All!

I'm also considering a large Animal Plastics cage. Because the are side opening, are they hard to clean? Have you been happy with yours? Do you have any suggestions regarding set up and accessories?

Thank you so much for and advice!

I really love mine. It has not been difficult to clean, but I do sorta lean/climb into it which could be annoying depending on what you like. My advice is to lift the cage up in order to make it more accessible. I have the 6'x3'x2' cage and had to build a custom table in order to fit it, plus lift it to the desired height for aesthetics. Once it's all sealed and placed, cleaning is a breeze.
For set up, I enjoy having everything mounted inside with no holes/large openings in the cage. On the hot side, I have a ceramic basking bulb and the uvb tube light mounted to the inside top. Fluorescent tube in the front, basking in the back. This set-up makes the light up of the cage appealing and helps with heat loss through the glass. On the cool side, I do not have any lights mounted, but I do have a radiant heat panel mounted to the middle top. This helps with overall ambient temperature (it's a big cage to heat) and with nighttime heat. Since the cage is so easy to drill into, you can mount the fixtures yourself and drill cord holes exactly where you want them. Where I live gets really cold, so the ability to retain heat was a big concern. So far, I haven't had any issues.
Overall, I think it's worth the pretty penny and wait time. I have no doubt that these cages will last the remainder of our or our tortoises lives.

 

[DoctorPotterWho]

Thank you, Doctorpotterwho. Man, that's a long wait! But I'm sure it's worth it.

Congrats on your purchase, and good luck!

Thank you! It sure is. I think it will be well worth it for sure =)

 

[Shaif]

I really love mine. It has not been difficult to clean, but I do sorta lean/climb into it which could be annoying depending on what you like. My advice is to lift the cage up in order to make it more accessible. I have the 6'x3'x2' cage and had to build a custom table in order to fit it, plus lift it to the desired height for aesthetics. Once it's all sealed and placed, cleaning is a breeze.
For set up, I enjoy having everything mounted inside with no holes/large openings in the cage. On the hot side, I have a ceramic basking bulb and the uvb tube light mounted to the inside top. Fluorescent tube in the front, basking in the back. This set-up makes the light up of the cage appealing and helps with heat loss through the glass. On the cool side, I do not have any lights mounted, but I do have a radiant heat panel mounted to the middle top. This helps with overall ambient temperature (it's a big cage to heat) and with nighttime heat. Since the cage is so easy to drill into, you can mount the fixtures yourself and drill cord holes exactly where you want them. Where I live gets really cold, so the ability to retain heat was a big concern. So far, I haven't had any issues.
Overall, I think it's worth the pretty penny and wait time. I have no doubt that these cages will last the remainder of our or our tortoises lives.

This is AWESOME! So helpful, thank you! Guess what I'm getting for Christmas!!
Thank you for the setup info. I will do similar!

 

[Janelle Green]

It's really cheap to make one . I spent $40 on material to make my Russian tortoise hatchling setup. I just finished it last night ( still needs more substrate adding today) get my babes tonight ❤️Hope this helped . I also posted a thread of step by step pictures of how we built it . I will post the finish picture with the hatchling today