ChillyChelonia
New Member
I've looked through the threads on enclosures for babies and they've been very helpful, but I have a bit of a unique idea in mind and I want to make sure this will work for my prospective tort.
I live in a very old house in New Hampshire and I have a large blocked off brick fireplace that I would like to build my enclosure into and off of. I have included a diagram to clarify, all measurements are in inches. The idea is to have a treated wood floor (to prevent decay) covered in an orchid bark, coco coir, and soil mix throughout the enclosure, and then use the existing brick walls of the fireplace (A and B in the diagram) and extend the enclosure out with wooden walls (C, D, and E in the diagram). I would also like to add a second level on one side to add a little bit more space for my tort to roam.
As I live in New Hampshire, it can get very cold in the winter and sometimes even during the summers. I plan to try to build a second outdoor enclosure for when the weather is good, but I expect my tortoise will be spending at least 4 or 5 months of the year indoors. To try to keep the temperature and humidity up I plan to make a framed glass lid so I can seal the enclosure. To try to keep the heat up I plan on using a ceramic heating emitter (like this one: http://www.reptilebasics.com/100watt-heat-emitter) in the basking area and heating cables (like this one: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/zoo-med-repti-heat-cable-23-ft-50-watt.html) burried in the substrate to heat the rest of the enclosure. I will also have a fogger to help keep the hummidity up.
My questions are:
Is the heating cable safe? Will it burn my tortoise if it digs down and hits the cable? If it is not safe, what other light-free heating sources would you suggest to provide diffuse heat to a large(ish) area?
Where should I put the basking area? I was thinking I would like to put it back in the fireplace so the brick can help absorb and radiate heat. Would it be okay to have the basking area on the second level? I'm a little worried that my baby tortoise might get cold when it's in the lower level and not be able to find the basking level.
Is it safe to have two levels for a baby tortoise if I make sure it can't fall off the ramp or the second level? I would love to make one large beautiful enclosure with lots of plants, rocks, and places to hide and then let the torttoise grow into it, but is it safe to keep a baby tortoise in a larger area where it might get far away from food, water, or the basking area?
Is there any reason not to build a tortoise enclosure into a sealed fireplace?
Any other suggestions would be very welcome!
Thank you and sorry for the long post!
I live in a very old house in New Hampshire and I have a large blocked off brick fireplace that I would like to build my enclosure into and off of. I have included a diagram to clarify, all measurements are in inches. The idea is to have a treated wood floor (to prevent decay) covered in an orchid bark, coco coir, and soil mix throughout the enclosure, and then use the existing brick walls of the fireplace (A and B in the diagram) and extend the enclosure out with wooden walls (C, D, and E in the diagram). I would also like to add a second level on one side to add a little bit more space for my tort to roam.
As I live in New Hampshire, it can get very cold in the winter and sometimes even during the summers. I plan to try to build a second outdoor enclosure for when the weather is good, but I expect my tortoise will be spending at least 4 or 5 months of the year indoors. To try to keep the temperature and humidity up I plan to make a framed glass lid so I can seal the enclosure. To try to keep the heat up I plan on using a ceramic heating emitter (like this one: http://www.reptilebasics.com/100watt-heat-emitter) in the basking area and heating cables (like this one: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/zoo-med-repti-heat-cable-23-ft-50-watt.html) burried in the substrate to heat the rest of the enclosure. I will also have a fogger to help keep the hummidity up.
My questions are:
Is the heating cable safe? Will it burn my tortoise if it digs down and hits the cable? If it is not safe, what other light-free heating sources would you suggest to provide diffuse heat to a large(ish) area?
Where should I put the basking area? I was thinking I would like to put it back in the fireplace so the brick can help absorb and radiate heat. Would it be okay to have the basking area on the second level? I'm a little worried that my baby tortoise might get cold when it's in the lower level and not be able to find the basking level.
Is it safe to have two levels for a baby tortoise if I make sure it can't fall off the ramp or the second level? I would love to make one large beautiful enclosure with lots of plants, rocks, and places to hide and then let the torttoise grow into it, but is it safe to keep a baby tortoise in a larger area where it might get far away from food, water, or the basking area?
Is there any reason not to build a tortoise enclosure into a sealed fireplace?
Any other suggestions would be very welcome!
Thank you and sorry for the long post!
