I'm a newbi with enclosure questions!

[mperrier100]

Hi, I'm going to get a Russian Tortoise in about a month. Right now I'm planning out my tort's housing, which I don't know too much about yet. I've read that many people are against glass terrariums, which is origianlly what I was going to purchase. Unfortunately I live in an apartment in New York, USA, meaning I don't have an "outside" to let a tort run around in so I must get a good side inside enclosure. Also, it must be fully enclosed (not an open tortoise table) because, although my cat is cool with other small animals, my sisters cat can be curious (but her cat lives in the other half of the apartment. I just want to be careful).
Can someone please help me with this question: I've made room for a 36" x 18" x 18" enclosure, but after reading everyones threads I'm thinking perhaps that will be too small. Is their anyway I can maximize that space for a tort (or if i need I can lengthen the enclosure space. I have no room to widen it. But then what sort of enclosure should I get. I was really for the "glass terrarium" idea.) Also, is a 18" inch ceiling to high up for the bulb to heat the enclosure properly. I could do 12" in height.
Thanks for all your help. I'm a newby with torts.

 

[cemmons12]

I have a huge rubber maid tote for mine with a screen top on it. And 18 inch height works fine for me.

 

[PALOALTO]

I'm still kinda new to this too, but from what I read, the only reason a glass terrarium is bad for Torts is because the see through glass confuses them..so you could just cover the first 5 inches and I think it should be fine.
Otherwise, you can do what I did, which is build a multi tier enclosure.

 

[jamiescorer]

Would a two layered tortoise table be better, I've read that tanks are difficult to regulate for heat and can restrict air flow which is not to good for a lot of types of tortoises, great your asking the right questions I'm new to this too, so my comments are just to help the discussion, there's a lot of knowledgable people on here that will give you the answers you need.

 

[ArizonaKid39]

Going to start building an outdoor enclosure for my hatchlings. Will post pics as I go. I will be using cider blocks with a screen with 1/4 inch holes for the roof. Planting Bermuda grass and Mallows. Running a drip line for water. Den will be cinder block as well. I'm look at an area of about 10' x 10'.

 

[lynnedit]

Just make the enclosure as large as you can. 36x18 is probably too small for a sub adult or adult Russian year round if they can't be outside.

Review the enclosure section and try to come up with ideas to make it bigger. Do you have the ability to make a multilevel enclosure like paloalto? (Paloalto, can you post pics of yours?).

The light/heat source needs to be within 12 to 18 inches of the tort's shell. You adjust it up or down to get the basking area to about 95f. You can use a chain to raise or lower it.

http://russiantortoise.net/ They give the example of a 50 gal rubbermaid tub as Chris mentions, but again, that works if the tort has some time outside in the summer.

Needs to be bigger for a permanent home.

 

[tortoise007]

hello! I have a concrete mixing tub for mine. You can make a multi level enclosure very easily, just make sure you have a light that is shining under the second story so there is light under there too. This might help...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-22552.html

 

[Tom]

There is nothing wrong with using glass tanks for tortoises. That is an incorrect myth. I and many others here have been doing it for decades with no problems. The reasons that are listed for them being bad are actually why they are good. Reduced airflow is good. It keeps your warm humid air where you want it, instead of it floating up and away from the tortoise.

36x18" is fine for a hatchling, but way too small for an adult. Double that is too small for an adult. Tortoises need large areas to roam and graze and you can buy all sorts of indoor UV lighting, but nothing beats natural sunlight. Tortoises need outdoor time for at least part of the year in my opinion. If you can't offer this, or are limited on indoor space, I don't think a tortoise is the right pet for you. Have you considered other possibilities. Many other reptiles would do well in an enclosure that size. Many species of snakes and lizards would do thrive and even breed for you in a 40 galon tank. Check out blue tongue skinks. They are curious, personable, gorgeous and they can be handled regularly.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[jamiescorer]

That's an interesting point Tom, and raises some questions I'll start a new thread, be great if you can give an opinion. And good luck with which ever animal you choose.

 

[mperrier100]

A multi-tier table sounds interesting, but I can't really picture it. I've never seen one sold formatted that way. Can u buy a multi tiered one? I'd love you posted pics of that!

 

[jmhoesch]

Hi, I'm going to get a Russian Tortoise in about a month. Right now I'm planning out my tort's housing, which I don't know too much about yet. I've read that many people are against glass terrariums, which is origianlly what I was going to purchase. Unfortunately I live in an apartment in New York, USA, meaning I don't have an "outside" to let a tort run around in so I must get a good side inside enclosure. Also, it must be fully enclosed (not an open tortoise table) because, although my cat is cool with other small animals, my sisters cat can be curious (but her cat lives in the other half of the apartment. I just want to be careful).
Can someone please help me with this question: I've made room for a 36" x 18" x 18" enclosure, but after reading everyones threads I'm thinking perhaps that will be too small. Is their anyway I can maximize that space for a tort (or if i need I can lengthen the enclosure space. I have no room to widen it. But then what sort of enclosure should I get. I was really for the "glass terrarium" idea.) Also, is a 18" inch ceiling to high up for the bulb to heat the enclosure properly. I could do 12" in height.
Thanks for all your help. I'm a newby with torts.

We just got our daughter a Greek Torti for her birthday. We got one of those Exo-terra extra lrg "low" glass tanks. I really like it because there are doors on the side. I'll put a pic up so you can see. We're also using the mercury vapor bulb. It's great, cause it's an all in 1, UVA/UVB and heat. We're in the southwest but our daughter wanted Mr. Pickles in her room.

 

[tortoise007]

OK to make one just get two concrete mixing tubs at home depot or somewhere for like 10$ a piece, and cut a hole in the bottom of one of them just like on the link I showed you. Then make little supports out of a cut up 2-4 to hold up the second level.After that just make a little ramp that goes from the bottom to the top(make sure to have walls on the sides)A lot of members on the tortoise forum use cement mixing tubs
Just make sure that there is a heat bulb shining on both levels, along with a UVB light.

 

[ArizonaKid39]

Now I need to concentrate on the inside and protective cover. It ended up to be 11'x8' ...pretty good size for 2 hatchlings.

 

[mperrier100]

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[lynnedit]

Now I need to concentrate on the inside and protective cover. It ended up to be 11'x8' ...pretty good size for 2 hatchlings.

Nice! Love the interlocking blocks. What's the little screened block for ?

OK to make one just get two concrete mixing tubs at home depot or somewhere for like 10$ a piece, and cut a hole in the bottom of one of them just like on the link I showed you. Then make little supports out of a cut up 2-4 to hold up the second level.After that just make a little ramp that goes from the bottom to the top(make sure to have walls on the sides)A lot of members on the tortoise forum use cement mixing tubs
Just make sure that there is a heat bulb shining on both levels, along with a UVB light.

Good idea.

And if you do a search on TFO for 'multilevel enclosures', or other word combinations, you should find some.
But remember Tom's advice about tortoises needing some outside time.

 

[ArizonaKid39]

The screened block is for drainage. There are more than just one. Will make the den on a mound and have everything grade toward the drainage. The screen is zinc coated too so it doesn't rust. I also plan on planting their natural plants to feed on. Mallows, Bermuda grass and clover. I'll also run irrigation for water. Still have a long ways to go until it's ready.

 

[BetsyTheTort]

Hi! I have a Russian Tortoise, and as of now she is living in a Zilla 40 gallon reptile tank. It has plent of space for her to explore her surroundings! Esspecially if you put in rocks and things for her to be curious about. Honestly I think a 40 gallon is sufficient for a russian tortoise under 6 1/2 inches

For subsrate I recommend eco earth coco fiber on the bottom and forest floor cypress mulch on the top. I use this now and it holds humidity pretty well! (Its keeping it at around 50-60)

And just a recomendation if you would like to add some extra nutrients and fiber into your tortoises meal use Zoo Med's Grassland Tortoise Food. You can sprinkle it over the veggies or wet a bowl of it so it gets mushy and feed it alone =) My tortoise LOVES this stuff. She does eat it alone when she wants a snack to munch on.

 

[ArizonaKid39]

Thanks for the information.

 

[rhondak]

I got my first Russian tort about 6 weeks ago and currently have him in the Exo Terra large low terrarium. It's okay for him but I am already researching to build him a bigger enclosure. Honestly, knowing what I do know I would have probably been better off just buying 2 of the zoo med tortoise houses and joining them. I will either sell the current terrarium or keep it in case I buy a baby tort.

The glass doors in the front do make it nice to access inside his cage. I put up a backing that you can buy for aquariums so that he can't see thru the glass at the bottom. During his first week with us, he would go to the one side and claw at the glass. I felt bad and didn't want to stress him out so I went to the pet store and bought a background. The back of the aquarium is completely covered and I covered about 6 inches on the sides. I didn't do the sides completely because I wanted to be able to see him from the sides and not just the front. He seems to enjoy it. When he gets on top of his log and rock, he can look out and he even has come walking to the front glass a couple of times when he sees me standing there.

I was concerned with what issues there might be with cleaning a wooden box since it seemed that Salmonella was a major concern when i was researching on buying a tort. Unfortunately I didn't discover this forum when I originally started thinking of buying a tort and than I saw Boris and decided to go for it.

Ask all the questions/ concerns you have and read through the posts that are on here. You can literally spend hours reading on here and get sooooo much useful info. I found this site to be very reliable due to most of the information was consistent among everyone.

Good luck!!

 

[mperrier100]

Thanx for all the great ideas guys! I've made room for a larger enclosure that my original 3 foot by 1 1/2 foot. Now I will get an enclosure around 5 feet by two feet. I am also now considering a Greek over a russian.