TheWaveCarver
Member
Cherryhead Tortoise Indoor Greenhouse
- Thread starter TheWaveCarver
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TheWaveCarver
Member
Sharing images of my enclosure setup. I have a 6500k 4 foot fluorescent T5 and a 4 foot Arcadia 12.0 fluorescent. The 6500k is on for 14 hours. The Aracdia is on for only 4 hours in the afternoon. The bulb in the center is a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) that keeps the enclosure at 80 degrees during the night. Humidity stays above 85% with a humidifier running for 2 hours in the morning.
The enclosure contains plants that were re-potted and grown for 3 months outside the enclosure. I also reached out to the vendors and confirmed systematic pesticides were not used. Even so.... the 3 month old plants are placed out of reach. The total setup is 6 feet by 3 feet. I plan on expanding this to upwards of 10 feet by 5 feet within the next year.
Ive replaced the bowl in the photos with a ceramic saucer that is shallow and rounded to provide easier access to food. Substrate is coconut coir. Esteban (The tortoise) has been raised in humidity > 75% his entire life. The pyramiding is very minimal as you can see.
The enclosure contains plants that were re-potted and grown for 3 months outside the enclosure. I also reached out to the vendors and confirmed systematic pesticides were not used. Even so.... the 3 month old plants are placed out of reach. The total setup is 6 feet by 3 feet. I plan on expanding this to upwards of 10 feet by 5 feet within the next year.
Ive replaced the bowl in the photos with a ceramic saucer that is shallow and rounded to provide easier access to food. Substrate is coconut coir. Esteban (The tortoise) has been raised in humidity > 75% his entire life. The pyramiding is very minimal as you can see.
Super nice and great growth on your tort. Pyramiding, what Pyramiding? Lol
Very nice! I've been seeing a lot of folks doing similar with greenhouses.
TheWaveCarver
Member
Thank you for the compliments! If anyone would like to point out a potential flaw or make a critique, Im always open to that as well!
The greenhouse get too small for your crop?? nice lookin shell!
My only concern, and it's not too serious, is the plastic base lining. I have no idea how thick/strong it is from the pictures, but if it is breached (perhaps from a tortoise claw while digging down into the substrate) moisture could leak down onto the carpet--unobserved--and perhaps cause a bout of mold and maybe ruin the carpet. But redfoots aren't really impressive diggers so you may be safe. And...that is an incredibly impressive cherryhead.
TheWaveCarver
Member
That's definitely a valid concern! Luckily he mostly digs under his hide so I most likely just have to inspect there. I bought the pond liner that was double the size so its folded twice to create a second layer underneath.
Very small holes could potentially pierce - this is something that I may just have to check every year by lifting underneath and wafting to see if I sense/smell mold. I tried to prick the side of the pond liner with a thumbtack and it takes a decent amount of pressure. So its possibly but not super likely.
Very small holes could potentially pierce - this is something that I may just have to check every year by lifting underneath and wafting to see if I sense/smell mold. I tried to prick the side of the pond liner with a thumbtack and it takes a decent amount of pressure. So its possibly but not super likely.
TheWaveCarver
Member
Some of the credit definitely goes to Tyler from TortoiseSupply.com. He assured me the Cherryheads were kept humid and recieved daily baths. I then made sure to bathe him everyday for a year and I still bathe him around 4 to 5 times a week.
The picture with my hand is very old (3 years ago) and was taken about 2 minutes after I removed him from the overnight package. He's almost 6-7 inches long now (In the photo with my hand he was only about 3 inches and a few months old).
Something that was difficult was balancing the humidity. Early on he started to get some shell rot on his plastron that I got under control by using anti-fungal.
Last edited:
C. Nelson
Active Member
qiangzhu
Active Member
Nice. Where do you buy the setup?
TheWaveCarver
Member
I got most items from Amazon.com: the greenhouse, pond liner, heat fixtures, aluminum rods, etc. I can provide exact links if youre interested in re-creating it
qiangzhu
Active Member
yes. Thanks a lot
TheWaveCarver
Member
Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/7vIirlR?ref_=wl_share&tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Arcadia and 6500K Bulbs: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/
Not listed in this amazon list are the below:
Notes:
Arcadia and 6500K Bulbs: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/
Not listed in this amazon list are the below:
- 6500K and 12.0 Arcadia Bulbs (48 Inches)
- 2x Zoomed Reptisun T5 HO Hoods (48 inches)
- Also get a bunch of extension cords.
- I also recommend a humidifier with a hose. I dont recommend mine since I cannot connect it to a timer so I have to manually turn it on.
- You also want a shallow ceramic dish for food. I would use real plants for decoration.
Notes:
- The Dome Reptile Lamp is for the Ceramic Heat Emitter (100W). Connect the BN-LINK thermostat to that fixture so that if the temperature dips, the Ceramic Heat Emitter Turns on.
- The timers are for the 6500K and 12.0 Arcadia Bulbs - I have the 6500K on for 14 hours and the 12.0 Arcadia Bulb on for only 4 hours.
- I would run the CHE for a few hours outside the enclosure because it can smell kinda bad brand new. But then it should be good for years.
- I would run the Arcadia 12.0 outside the enclosure for a day or 2 since it can output really high UVB in the beginning. Currently mine measures at about 4.0 down at the substrate which should be good for a tropical tortoise.
- I use the zip ties to secure the aluminum rods across the greenhouse and any wires.
- I use the gorilla tape to seal holes I cut in the greenhouse where wires leave the enclosure.
- ***Make sure to buy 3/8th Inch rope*** - I ran this around the bottom of the perimeter of the greenhouse to keep the substrate secure. I will send a couple more pictures detailing this. But it takes a load off the towels at the bottom.
TheWaveCarver
Member
Have you ever tried turning the humidifier off for a few days? If you dump a few cups of water in the substrate I doubt you'd need it.
TheWaveCarver
Member
I should try that! I havent checked tbh.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
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Providing a correct habitat for a Redfoot can be difficult.
Nice job there!
Nice job there!
Mystic_Queen (Llaria)
Well-Known Member
Oooh this set is awesome. And very nicely done and your tort is stunning. Can I be cheeky and request links please. I’d love to him give something like this ago. It looks very impressive. Well done
