Enclosure Pics w/ Yuri

[yuri2012]

Hey All.

So I finally had a chance to take some pics of the whole enclosure and I've attached them here for your review.

Please let me know of any suggestions/concerns.

As a scaling reference, the turtle's straight carapace length is 4.5 inches. Also, the tank is a 40 gallon tank.

Substrate is (4) 8 quarts of eco-earth coconut fiber with about (2) bags of calcium-sand all mixed in together.

Temps on the right area over the heat lamp by his flatrocks is 100 degrees F and the area closer to the water dish on the left by the leaves is about 75-80. His coolest area should be under the log where he hides to sleep. Also the flatrocks are his feeding bowl and he doesn't really have any "designated" basking space since he hangs out in the dirt in front of the log.

*Should the log be placed so he can enter one way and exit the other or should it be pushed against a wall so that there's only 1 exit for in and out?

**Also, would you recommend another heat lamp added to the other side to make it warmer overall or is this OK?


Thanks!

 

[wellington]

I am not sure about size of tank. Seems it should be bigger for that size tort. The light needs to be pointing straight down, not on a slant. As far as the hide. I have done mine both ways for my leopard, both ends opened and only one end open. He seems to like one end not being left open. Probably feels more secure. Try both ways and see what he prefers.

 

[Utah Lynn]

I like the way you have it setup; but it's way too small for this guy.

 

[yuri2012]

I like the way you have it setup; but it's way too small for this guy.

So then let me ask what the minimum required space should be by foot and inches? (i.e. 4 feet by 2 feet, etc.) The surface area of this currently is 3 feet by 1.5 feet.

 

[Utah Lynn]

I like the way you have it setup; but it's way too small for this guy.

So then let me ask what the minimum required space should be by foot and inches? (i.e. 4 feet by 2 feet, etc.) The surface area of this currently is 3 feet by 1.5 feet.

I say go at least 4'X3' for a minimum.

 

[lynnedit]

I agree bigger is better. He will be fine there for a few weeks until you work it out.
You do have all of his basic needs taken care of.
Have you added any water to the substrate? It is hard to tell from pics if it is dry or moist underneath (OK if surface is dry).
I agree about the hide being turned to block one side. Mine then like to climb over it.
You wouldn't want it any hotter: cool side should be around 70, but even cooler at night. I don't use any extra heat in my tortoise tables at night.

I have a 5' x 2' with a small second level for one tortoise when inside. They do like to wander around.

Will your tort be able to be outside part of the year?

 

[Talka]

My russian's enclosure is twice that size and I feel it's still a bit too small. However it's all I can fit into my apartment. I'd say you need to double his space.

 

[yuri2012]

I agree bigger is better. He will be fine there for a few weeks until you work it out.
You do have all of his basic needs taken care of.
Have you added any water to the substrate? It is hard to tell from pics if it is dry or moist underneath (OK if surface is dry).
I agree about the hide being turned to block one side. Mine then like to climb over it.
You wouldn't want it any hotter: cool side should be around 70, but even cooler at night. I don't use any extra heat in my tortoise tables at night.

I have a 5' x 2' with a small second level for one tortoise when inside. They do like to wander around.

Will your tort be able to be outside part of the year?

To answer some questions: The tort will be outside for part of the year, specifically around Spring/Summer since I live in Pennsylvania.

Additionally, the humidity reader is around 40% in his cage and therefore I have not seen a need to add water to the substrate. The substrate in the pictures is all dry - I do mist the top with a spray bottle a few times a week though.

I've been thinking about maybe building something myself and I'm not looking for something that's 5 feet by 3 feet for a part of our balcony. A question I have though is, will he still need a basking lamp even though he's outside? I understand he'll get the UVB rays just from being outside but does he really need a basking lamp there? (hard to do since I don't want to run electrical wires outside.)

 

[lynnedit]

He won't need a basking light outside if sun hits part of his balcony enclosure (make sure there is some shade too).

 

[yuri2012]

He won't need a basking light outside if sun hits part of his balcony enclosure (make sure there is some shade too).

Our balcony faces directly South so we get the sun now from around 4pm until 8pm and during the day the sun light does not hit the balcony directly.

Would it be OK to leave him out there all day under these conditions? The temps are high in the upper 70s and higher 80s, but I want to make sure he gets all he needs out there without artificial light support.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I like the way you have it setup; but it's way too small for this guy.

 

[lynnedit]

Our balcony faces directly South so we get the sun now from around 4pm until 8pm and during the day the sun light does not hit the balcony directly.

Would it be OK to leave him out there all day under these conditions? The temps are high in the upper 70s and higher 80s, but I want to make sure he gets all he needs out there without artificial light support.

They do get natural UV even in the shade. If he is outside all day, that should be OK.
Just watch the temps on the ground in his area of the balcony over the course of the months he is outside. Make sure there are cool hides to retire to. Making one out of pavers can help hold in the cooler temps for the evenings when the sun hits your balcony.
I can see my Tortoises hanging out in the sun, but even in 70-75d weather, the sun can really heat up their shells and they move under a shrub for a short time before moving on...

 

[yuri2012]

Ok...problem solved!

So I recently had a pretty good idea on how to create his new outdoor enclosure. I figured I didn't really want to build one since I'm not one to do manual labor and to plan the whole thing out (too much planning at work already, don't need any at home.)

One Tortoise House was the same size as his enclosure but TWO of these houses come out to 72" x 24"! This is an increase in square footage by 2.66 times. I'm going to remove one of the panels on the side and join them together to create the large area that he'd need to move around. The metal cage on top and the hinges are already set up and very sturdy and the wood is already stained and of high quality.

Total cost for both houses $140.00. I'll post pics once I set it up!

 

[lynnedit]

That should work. Make sure part gets shade in the evening.
Also, if rain could hit the enclosure, you might need to drill a few drain holes (not an issue if the balcony is covered, I suppose).

If you put a short shelf behind the enclosure, slightly taller, you can have a lot of pots with tort friendly plants.