Feeling dumb

[Anyfoot]

I'm sorry, I'm just so used to every single person telling me that it's too small, or that I'm doing something else entirely incorrectly. Feeling defensive atm.

No apology needed. We all have bad days, and I have skin of an armadillo. Lol

Right, quick fix until you get your new enclosure.

Cover the half with heat source (s) with foil again and get a piece of plywood cut to 18" x24" to cover other half. You can slide plywood off to feed etc. Plywood will get damaged with humidity over time, but hopefully last you.
When do you expect to have your new enclosure complete?

 

[dwright27]

Thanks, guys. I hope I haven't been too snarky, I know everyone wants to help. You all must get just as tired of repeating yourselves as I do, lol!

I would love to have had an enclosure for her that would suit her adult needs, but I got her as a tiny little thing. I started her in a 40 gal, now she's in a 75. I'm hoping that her next enclosure will be her last, barring any minor improvements as new information becomes available. (And the addition of an outdoor summer home!)

I cut off a big portion of the shower curtain. Except I seem to have cut it slightly small (see what I mean? No talent lol). With the help of some clips and clamps and some wishful thinking, I think it will be okay for now. I'll have to continue using the humidifier, due to the gaps, but I'm okay with that. It was the plan anyway, so *shrugs*

 

[dwright27]

No apology needed. We all have bad days, and I have skin of an armadillo. Lol

Right, quick fix until you get your new enclosure.

Cover the half with heat source (s) with foil again and get a piece of plywood cut to 18" x24" to cover other half. You can slide plywood off to feed etc. Plywood will get damaged with humidity over time, but hopefully last you.
When do you expect to have your new enclosure complete?

There is a heat source in both ends, lol! The MVB on the left and the CHE on the right, set on a thermostat so it shuts off at 80°F. Right now it's off most of the time, since adding the shower curtain instead of the drop sheet.

I don't know when the new enclosure will be complete. Might not be until next fall. Maybe I should contact a zoo or something, see who they used to make some of their enclosures lol.

 

[Anyfoot]

There is a heat source in both ends, lol! The MVB on the left and the CHE on the right, set on a thermostat so it shuts off at 80°F. Right now it's off most of the time, since adding the shower curtain instead of the drop sheet.

I don't know when the new enclosure will be complete. Might not be until next fall. Maybe I should contact a zoo or something, see who they used to make some of their enclosures lol.

What you have done should do for now.
Nice mirror BTW.

 

[Tom]

No apology needed. We all have bad days, and I have skin of an armadillo. Lol

Tough, leathery, and with little coarse hairs sticking out of it???


!

 

[Tom]

There is a heat source in both ends, lol! The MVB on the left and the CHE on the right, set on a thermostat so it shuts off at 80°F. Right now it's off most of the time, since adding the shower curtain instead of the drop sheet.

I don't know when the new enclosure will be complete. Might not be until next fall. Maybe I should contact a zoo or something, see who they used to make some of their enclosures lol.

BTW, I've never needed to cover the bottom of any of my glass tanks in all my decades of using them. I think this "problem" is greatly over-exaggerated. I say this because I really enjoy being able to see my tortoises in their tanks, and I like them being able to see out for desensitization.

 

[Anyfoot]

BTW, I've never needed to cover the bottom of any of my glass tanks in all my decades of using them. I think this "problem" is greatly over-exxaggerated. I say this because I really enjoy being able to see my tortoises in their tanks, and I like them being able to see out for desensitization.

Dito. Mine don't push on glass at all, they come upto it when they see the food god.

 

[dwright27]

I didn't always have it covered, but she was pacing and pushing against the glass.

 

[mike taylor]

Get some PVC pipe and build a support system . Then poke the shower curtain in the enclosure .

 

[leigti]

You could try covering three sides then leave the front open so you could see her. I live in Washington state so I know what it is to have a nice cold dry climate. Are use large rubber stock tanks for my indoor enclosures. And this year I played around with different ways to keep them covered to keep the heat and humidity in. I do not have Redfoot tortoises so I do not need quite the amount of humidity you have but I am able to have humidity and heat easily without any dripping on the carpet and without a humidifier. I usually have to make sure to leave part of it open just so the humidity doesn't get two hi, I like it in the 50% for my Russian. I'll show you some pictures of what I did if you promise not to laugh not pretty but functional.
Deep substrate and live plants also helps keep the humidity up.
PVC is a wonderful material for those of us that have no real building skills and aren't very good with power tools. I could make these look neater if I wanted to, Tuck the curtain down into the tank etc. cut off the extra links etc. But right now I'm just too busy and too lazy. It's functional and it works for me and the tortoises. I did notice a huge difference between the medium weight and heavyweight shower curtain, the heavyweight one worked so much better.
I had a true closed chamber with everything fully enclosed. but decided it was too small. But if you can get one made big enough it is definitely the way to go for your situation I think.

 

[leigti]

Don't worry about feeling dumb. I know exactly what you're talking about, conflicting information and none of it seems to work when you try it. When I first started using the stock tanks I couldn't seem to get the temperature right. I got all the suggestions and tried them and none of them worked. Finally it took a combination of a few things to get it right for my situation.

 

[dwright27]

Yeah the top one is kind of what I was thinking. There hasn't been any dripping since I cut the curtain shorter, but now there are stupid gaps argh. Believe me, I want a closed chamber for her. It's just taking longer than I thought.

 

[dwright27]

Seriously, I think there is a market out there for people to build large indoor enclosures. Ones that are meant for something like a medium sized tortoise and not a snake. Someone should get on that. Preferably in Ontario.

 

[leigti]

I think the basic design is relatively simple for anybody that has carpentry skills. But that is not me. I like the idea of using something that is not wood because then you don't have to worry about having to waterproof it. But it can definitely be done. I actually like designing the enclosures, getting them all set up. But I'm not made of money so sometimes it's hard. I think I finally got the indoor enclosures figured out, the stock tanks are going to work. They are not pretty, and they are not the The most space efficient but oh well.
I saw the coolest enclosure set up on here once, the guy said he got the basic rectangle plastic tubs from a website called go to tubs.com. The lien water Lance tubs are also pretty cool. But the problem is the cost. It's probably more cost-effective just to find somebody that can make you a nice large closed chamber. I saw somebody use a bunkbed Frame as a base. Basically just closed in the four sides with plexiglass and hung the lights from the top bunk. It worked out pretty cool. But of course I can't find it now.

 

[dwright27]

Get some PVC pipe and build a support system . Then poke the shower curtain in the enclosure .

But you guys are my support system! j/k

 

[dwright27]

I think the basic design is relatively simple for anybody that has carpentry skills. But that is not me. I like the idea of using something that is not wood because then you don't have to worry about having to waterproof it. But it can definitely be done. I actually like designing the enclosures, getting them all set up. But I'm not made of money so sometimes it's hard. I think I finally got the indoor enclosures figured out, the stock tanks are going to work. They are not pretty, and they are not the The most space efficient but oh well.
I saw the coolest enclosure set up on here once, the guy said he got the basic rectangle plastic tubs from a website called go to tubs.com. The lien water Lance tubs are also pretty cool. But the problem is the cost. It's probably more cost-effective just to find somebody that can make you a nice large closed chamber. I saw somebody use a bunkbed Frame as a base. Basically just closed in the four sides with plexiglass and hung the lights from the top bunk. It worked out pretty cool. But of course I can't find it now.

Thank you, I'll have a look at those sites. The problem is shipping of those things to Canada. Could you imagine? The bunk bed thing would work for now, but it wouldn't be large enough long-term. Of course, nothing will be large enough as far as I'm concerned lol. But I can try.

 

[leigti]

I meant water land tubs. I really need to proofread what I dictate. Shipping is a problem, very expensive. Check out the red foot section and the enclosures section for ideas.

 

[leigti]

How much room do you have for an enclosure? How much floor space?

 

[dwright27]

Right now, probably a 6x3.

 

[leigti]

Look up "containment tank". This is an example of an open top containment tank. You could make an easy PVC frame over the top of it to get it closed in. Pretty darn good price also. Good size. I bet they have them up there also.