How is this as a new temporary enclosure?

[Sadienelly]

Hi all,
I have changed Sheldon's enclosure a little, putting down coco coir instead of sand etc.

How is it looking for him? All okay? Whilst his new permanent home is under construction!

I hope to get some plants to go in this weekend. It had been suggested to get some herbs to plant for the aroma.

What is more popular? Artificial plants or real? I have seen a mixture of both

Thanks for any advice, I am a complete newbie!

 

[jackmeggers]

According to the Tortoise Table website, most herbs are safe for them but the smell is so strong to them that they don't eat them. SO I guess that is up to you, just check and see if they are safe or not. I planted zinnias, different types of pansies/violas and coleus in Archimedes current enclosure. They are all starting to come up and he just lays on them instead of eating them lol. but it's pretty maybe he will eat them when they get leafier, or maybe he is just full from all we feed him lol. Sheldon's place looks great!

 

[Sadienelly]

Thank you! I have just been reading your thread!

I have ordered some seeds, did you plant the seeds directly into the substrate or did you start them off first?
Looks lovely either way and very natural growing up through!

 

[jackmeggers]

I started them in the substrate. we did them in sections, dug a long trench and scattered and then covered back up. we did the zinnias on the long walls and the violas/pansies on the short walls, the coleus is a ground cover so we did it in a cross formation in the center leaving the 4 quadrants empty. We put forget-me-nots, which I forgot to mention in my other post ironically, in each of the 4 corners. I'm hoping he likes it when they come in, it will give him plenty of hide space so we may move or remove his log. I can't wait till he has a bigger place, but i'm ok with him being small for now until we have the space for it lol. I wanna do a raised hide with a ramp for a basking spot and make it look like hobbiton My boyfriend and I are nerds lol

 

[Sadienelly]

That all sounds amazing! Keep posting pics so I can copy all your idea's! My little man was a surprise birthday pressie so feel like I'm playing catch up getting up to speed!

 

[jackmeggers]

Archie was a Christmas gift for my bf. He has always liked turtles and tortoises, but I've become the obsessed one! The next plan is an elevated hide/basking spot to make sure he has plenty of heat to digest his garden without shriveling it with a higher watt bulb. his lamps are about 21 inches from the ground of his enclosure right now. I have seen lots of cool idea with all my googling lol!

 

[Sadienelly]

My husband is a carpenter so you would think he would have tonnes of plans.....but no! I'm trying to figure out how to make a mesh/wire top look good at the mo to keep my cat and toddler out!

 

[jackmeggers]

Yea that's difficult to do, also the mesh will filter out the uvb to some extent. We were able to put him up high enough that the cats don't know he is there.

 

[funbean]

Just a suggestion you will get better use of your heat and UVB if you use a dome
With a reflector inside it

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It all looks great

 

[jackmeggers]

I thought that reflectors were a bad idea?

 

[Sadienelly]

Thanks fun bean, I was thinking of getting a reflector esp as the basking area temp has reduced since changing the substrate.

Are there differing opinions as to whether these are a good idea?

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a nice enclosure. You may have a bit of trouble keeping it humid because it is so open. If that's a problem, you can jury-rig some sort of cover for it to help keep the warm moist air inside.

 

[funbean]

I never herd that reflectors are bad? I read on here that some of the most experience keepers youse tin foil above there lights

 

[jackmeggers]

Thank you for clearing up my confusion!

 

[Sadienelly]

Thanks Yvonne G,

I'm sure I will need to and I'm sure I will be looking here for idea's ;-)

I need to get something built to go on the top to keep the cat and toddler out so maybe it could sort both issues in one hit!

Not sure what yet though!