- Joined
- Oct 30, 2010
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- 2,410
ok, so I've decided I'm going to build a table for my Russian tort. sorry for the length of this post but I have no pics since this is just a vision in my head of what I will be building.
I've looked through past threads and got some ideas. I'm thinking it will be about 3.5 ft tall, rectangular, possibly 6'X3', with a lower level a few inches off the ground (not connected by a ramp or anything) but available for another tortoise or other use.
This lower level will rest on support beams which are attached to the 4 legs of the table and will extend out another foot or so in front of the table, making it, the lower level, have more area space than the top level. This bottom level will have two extra support legs in the front to carry the weight of the extra area which extends out past the 2 front legs supporting the top level. This can be used for miscellaneous storage or the housing of another tortoise should I feed into my newly found addiction and fascination with torts...
Each level will have a large hide area of about 1'X3' covered with a hinge top door at one end and at the other end, a screen type cover above which a mvb light will be clamped onto a support beam which will be attached to and extend up from the side wall. The lamp will be clamped securely and be facing straight downward properly and there will also be a screen type cover whether it be one for a tank aquarium or made from chicken wire or another material, as a safeguard in case the clamp fails and the light falls(though it won't fall because it will be clamped so that it is just touching the screen).
I will most likely line the bottom with garbage bags or shower curtain and garbage bags or something else. I'm not sure what substrate I'll use (remember this is for a Russian) since I've heard so many different things, I might include aspen, coir, sand, hay, soil... I'll have the large hide area, plants near the heated end as hide areas and some smaller hides like logs in between. I'll have a slate as feeding place and a water bowl she can sit in/drink from somewhere in the middle.
How does this sound?!any suggestions on wood to use, treating it at all, etc...
6'X3' good enough size for a Russian? and my girl's a climber so I'll definitely have the walls a decent height.
What substrate should I use? something easy to spot clean and can hold moisture but not get moldy...aspen plain or pellets, soil, sand, coir?
1'X3' hide box and other hides ok? will the hide box be too cold being like all the way across the table from the heat bulb? my apartment doesnt go under 70 but you never know with a draft or something... should I use an ultratherm heat mat under the liner I decide to use under the hide?
Oh yeah, and of course I'll be using my dual probe two location thermometer with one probe on basking area and one in the hide across the table...
PLEASE let me know what you guys think, I've made some (horrible, I'm no artist) sketches and I'll try to get them up asap.
I've looked through past threads and got some ideas. I'm thinking it will be about 3.5 ft tall, rectangular, possibly 6'X3', with a lower level a few inches off the ground (not connected by a ramp or anything) but available for another tortoise or other use.
This lower level will rest on support beams which are attached to the 4 legs of the table and will extend out another foot or so in front of the table, making it, the lower level, have more area space than the top level. This bottom level will have two extra support legs in the front to carry the weight of the extra area which extends out past the 2 front legs supporting the top level. This can be used for miscellaneous storage or the housing of another tortoise should I feed into my newly found addiction and fascination with torts...
Each level will have a large hide area of about 1'X3' covered with a hinge top door at one end and at the other end, a screen type cover above which a mvb light will be clamped onto a support beam which will be attached to and extend up from the side wall. The lamp will be clamped securely and be facing straight downward properly and there will also be a screen type cover whether it be one for a tank aquarium or made from chicken wire or another material, as a safeguard in case the clamp fails and the light falls(though it won't fall because it will be clamped so that it is just touching the screen).
I will most likely line the bottom with garbage bags or shower curtain and garbage bags or something else. I'm not sure what substrate I'll use (remember this is for a Russian) since I've heard so many different things, I might include aspen, coir, sand, hay, soil... I'll have the large hide area, plants near the heated end as hide areas and some smaller hides like logs in between. I'll have a slate as feeding place and a water bowl she can sit in/drink from somewhere in the middle.
How does this sound?!any suggestions on wood to use, treating it at all, etc...
6'X3' good enough size for a Russian? and my girl's a climber so I'll definitely have the walls a decent height.
What substrate should I use? something easy to spot clean and can hold moisture but not get moldy...aspen plain or pellets, soil, sand, coir?
1'X3' hide box and other hides ok? will the hide box be too cold being like all the way across the table from the heat bulb? my apartment doesnt go under 70 but you never know with a draft or something... should I use an ultratherm heat mat under the liner I decide to use under the hide?
Oh yeah, and of course I'll be using my dual probe two location thermometer with one probe on basking area and one in the hide across the table...
PLEASE let me know what you guys think, I've made some (horrible, I'm no artist) sketches and I'll try to get them up asap.