Enclosure help

[MiaLikesMyrtle]

So I am new to the forum, so hello! I have a Russian tortoise named Myrtle. I got her when I was pretty young and did not question the advice the pet store gave me (HUGE MISTAKE), so I know now that her enclosure is too small. Once I found out the cage was too small, I let her out of her cage and in my room when the floor was picked up, and then I found out that is a terrible idea as well. Anyways, aside from me learning from all of my mistakes I am starting to think of ways to make her enclosure bigger and am doing as much research as I can to give her a better life. so here is my plan and some questions I have.

Plan
- her current enclosure is the tortoise house from zoo med (way too small and extremely expensive for what it is)
- I want to buy a sheet of wood roughly the same size as her current enclosure and basically double the size of her current enclosure which would be 2 ft by 6 ft, which small but still larger than her current size
- I then want to build her a ramp to an upper area which would be her basking spot and would be roughly 2 ft by 4 ft, but split in half and pushed on the sides if that makes sense, so each side would be 2 x 2 and have its own separate ramp, just so I could see the lower area better
- the sq ft would then be 20
- I would then build or buy a table so I can use the under space for all of her equipment and stuff
- I would probably slow down at this point with expansion and once I get my own place, then give her an even larger enclosure

Questions
- Is this large enough? there seems to be a lot of debate on what the appropriate sizing is for a Russian, If needed I could make a larger second or even 3rd floor but I am hoping this is enough for the time being
- What wood is safe? I want to just buy sanded plywood from Home Depot but I don't know how it is treated and if it is safe for her.
- How should I secure it? I am no carpenter so I want the best, safest, and easiest way to secure it. I was thinking wood glue but again I am unsure of the safety and the security. so then my next bet is just screwing into the wood, I just want it to come apart when I need to move.
- What tables are strong enough to hold the weight of this, or would it be better to make my own?
- Any other suggestions and advice? (no excessive or hurtful criticism please, I want to get better, not dwell on the things I have been doing wrong)

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello! So glad you’ve made your way here, I think it’s wonderful you’re making a conscious effort to improve your tortoises lifethis site has all the most up to date husbandry information, you’re in the right place

If I’m being completely honest you might struggle building two separate levels on a 6x2 enclosure, mainly because of the logistics of the ramps incline, it can’t be very steep at all. Not saying you can’t build some kind of double decker enclosure, but you may need to reconsider your dimensions. Carpentry definitely isn’t my thing lol, so I’m hoping in some of the links I pass on you’ll be able to pick the brains of the original posters.

Plywood should be fine so long as you line it with something to protect the wood and making sure she doesn’t have direct contact with it, cheap pond liner should do nicely.

I’m not the best with diy, but I would probably suggest screwing this kind of build together.

Sometimes you can get custom stands made for tortoise tables depending where you are, but I know listings for work benches usually have the weight baring load specified.

Hopefully these following links will come in helpful for you!

A great one for new comers

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Toms care guide

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

This one covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, I’d double check bulb types), sizing, appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out!

Housing adult Russian and Hermans indoors

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information an example of an appropriate indoor set up for an older Herman/russian. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that some climates make it difficult to...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes lots of inspiration for an adult set up both indoors and out! The indoor bit has some good ideas to tackle indoor space whilst still providing the needed roaming room, there’s some multi story examples in there. Check comments too, I’m always adding to it.

Enclosure inspiration

Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...

tortoiseforum.org

I found this double decker build quite creative by @Michael Bird

Help improve indoor enclosure expansion for Hermes tortoise

Hermes, my approximately 4.5-year-old Hermann's tortoise, has spent the summer enjoying the 12 foot by 14 foot outdoor enclosure that I set up for him, filled with lots of green things to eat, a deep cave, and plenty of other hiding spots. However, we've had well below freezing temperatures for...

tortoiseforum.org

If you scroll down to response 18 here, they were working with a similar sq footage to you, might give you an idea

Russian Ramp

I tried doing some TFO searching but didn't feel I could find a direct answer to some of my questions regarding ramps intended for Russian tortoises. I apologize if I'm an idiot and completely over looked already hashed out and agreed upon solutions. Situation: I am in the design phase of a new...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Really hope they help! Sorry it’s a lot to go over, but take all the time you need and feel free to ask any further questions, they’ll always be someone around to break information down. Welcome to the forum

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[MiaLikesMyrtle]

Hello! So glad you’ve made your way here, I think it’s wonderful you’re making a conscious effort to improve your tortoises lifethis site has all the most up to date husbandry information, you’re in the right place

If I’m being completely honest you might struggle building two separate levels on a 6x2 enclosure, mainly because of the logistics of the ramps incline, it can’t be very steep at all. Not saying you can’t build some kind of double decker enclosure, but you may need to reconsider your dimensions. Carpentry definitely isn’t my thing lol, so I’m hoping in some of the links I pass on you’ll be able to pick the brains of the original posters.

Plywood should be fine so long as you line it with something to protect the wood and making sure she doesn’t have direct contact with it, cheap pond liner should do nicely.

I’m not the best with diy, but I would probably suggest screwing this kind of build together.

Sometimes you can get custom stands made for tortoise tables depending where you are, but I know listings for work benches usually have the weight baring load specified.

Hopefully these following links will come in helpful for you!

A great one for new comers

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Toms care guide

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

This one covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, I’d double check bulb types), sizing, appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out!

Housing adult Russian and Hermans indoors

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information an example of an appropriate indoor set up for an older Herman/russian. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that some climates make it difficult to...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes lots of inspiration for an adult set up both indoors and out! The indoor bit has some good ideas to tackle indoor space whilst still providing the needed roaming room, there’s some multi story examples in there. Check comments too, I’m always adding to it.

Enclosure inspiration

Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...

tortoiseforum.org

I found this double decker build quite creative by @Michael Bird

Help improve indoor enclosure expansion for Hermes tortoise

Hermes, my approximately 4.5-year-old Hermann's tortoise, has spent the summer enjoying the 12 foot by 14 foot outdoor enclosure that I set up for him, filled with lots of green things to eat, a deep cave, and plenty of other hiding spots. However, we've had well below freezing temperatures for...

tortoiseforum.org

If you scroll down to response 18 here, they were working with a similar sq footage to you, might give you an idea

Russian Ramp

I tried doing some TFO searching but didn't feel I could find a direct answer to some of my questions regarding ramps intended for Russian tortoises. I apologize if I'm an idiot and completely over looked already hashed out and agreed upon solutions. Situation: I am in the design phase of a new...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Really hope they help! Sorry it’s a lot to go over, but take all the time you need and feel free to ask any further questions, they’ll always be someone around to break information down. Welcome to the forum

Thank you so so much! I have been referring back to all of the links you sent me frequently. I greatly appreciate it!!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you so so much! I have been referring back to all of the links you sent me frequently. I greatly appreciate it!!

No problem! Glad they’re helping