Indoor enclosure

Anyfoot

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5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
I've finally got around to start decorating the inside of my Tortoise house. 3 months behind schedule.
My plan is listed below. Hence the word plan, plans change.
1 Build caves
2 Build base for water feature.
3 Board and seal the ceiling.
4 Paint everything with chlorinated rubber paint. (3 coats). To seal as a wet room.
5 Create water feature and bathing area and finish off the upper tier above caves.
6 Install all lights and heat source.
7 fill up enclosure with soil creating smaller hides too.
8 add plant life.
9 add misting systems.
10 leave it running with heat and light source on full cycles without tortoises for a month or 2.
11 add tortoises
12 start on outside area.

Here are the caves I've created. The substrate(soil) will vary in depths from about 8" to 18"through the enclosure. At the caves it will go down hill into about 8" depth. So just outside the caves it will be 8" deep. It's a squeeze but I can get in the caves to service the heat sources and tidy around. The plan is to use the top area too. So there will be mounded up soil going up either side against the walls. There will be about 12" of soil above the caves. All made safe with natural sandstones as barriers. I'm hoping the heat from the caves will rise and keep this area warm. Maybe for nesting, but also to create different levels of thermal temps in height within the enclosure.
The floor tapers from the back at the caves to the front where 2 drains leading outside are. The taper us about 12" drop. Needed drainage because its going to be very humid and wet for at least 6 months per year.
Anyway I could go on forever , just need to imagine it painted and with natural stones above and with plant life hanging over the front.
Nearly forgot, is it true that any plants that eat flies have to be watered with rain water only?

IMG_20151018_160623.jpg IMG_20151018_160618.jpg IMG_20151018_160658.jpg IMG_20151018_160711.jpg
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
I've finally got around to start decorating the inside of my Tortoise house. 3 months behind schedule.
My plan is listed below. Hence the word plan, plans change.
1 Build caves
2 Build base for water feature.
3 Board and seal the ceiling.
4 Paint everything with chlorinated rubber paint. (3 coats). To seal as a wet room.
5 Create water feature and bathing area and finish off the upper tier above caves.
6 Install all lights and heat source.
7 fill up enclosure with soil creating smaller hides too.
8 add plant life.
9 add misting systems.
10 leave it running with heat and light source on full cycles without tortoises for a month or 2.
11 add tortoises
12 start on outside area.

Here are the caves I've created. The substrate(soil) will vary in depths from about 8" to 18"through the enclosure. At the caves it will go down hill into about 8" depth. So just outside the caves it will be 8" deep. It's a squeeze but I can get in the caves to service the heat sources and tidy around. The plan is to use the top area too. So there will be mounded up soil going up either side against the walls. There will be about 12" of soil above the caves. All made safe with natural sandstones as barriers. I'm hoping the heat from the caves will rise and keep this area warm. Maybe for nesting, but also to create different levels of thermal temps in height within the enclosure.
The floor tapers from the back at the caves to the front where 2 drains leading outside are. The taper us about 12" drop. Needed drainage because its going to be very humid and wet for at least 6 months per year.
Anyway I could go on forever , just need to imagine it painted and with natural stones above and with plant life hanging over the front.
Nearly forgot, is it true that any plants that eat flies have to be watered with rain water only?

View attachment 152973 View attachment 152974 View attachment 152975 View attachment 152976
That's a lovely enclosure!! Well done. But it must have been expensive, right?
 

Anyfoot

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5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
I Just used old bricks,rocks,stones and breeze blocks to construct, then splattered with cement. Quite enjoyable, daughter loved it, very messy.
I went to one of our local zoos to see how they made them.
This is it part built. On the left you can see my 1st attempt at adding texture, found it better just to lightly smooth over with a very wet brush.
IMG_20151011_165246.jpg
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
I Just used old bricks,rocks,stones and breeze blocks to construct, then splattered with cement. Quite enjoyable, daughter loved it, very messy.
I went to one of our local zoos to see how they made them.
This is it part built. On the left you can see my 1st attempt at adding texture, found it better just to lightly smooth over with a very wet brush.
View attachment 153050
Great work-well done! Please post more pics of enclosures. Oli's is being made and I want to give the guy an idea of a suitable enclosure. Thanks very much.:)
 

Prairie Mom

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Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
4,340
This is spectacular!!! I love everything you build! I can't wait to see how this progresses. What an inspiration!
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
And to keep myself busy whilst sad reality programmes are on TV, I have been having a go at creating a barrier for my slope up to the top level of the caves with bamboo and twine. Very frustrating at 1st. Got the hang of it now. This is 4' long with gaps about 4" max, so my smallest sub adult cant fall through it. Made of 2" diameter bamboo.
You can see on the right there is one piece missing, my plan is to fix one here when it's in situ, but make this one look as if it comes from the floor and through the ceiling.(about 7ft) Then grow a plant up this one. Was thinking a Swiss cheese plant.
Does anyone know if I will be OK using a Swiss cheese plant?
IMG_20151114_163420~2.jpg
 

Prairie Mom

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Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
4,340
And to keep myself busy whilst sad reality programmes are on TV, I have been having a go at creating a barrier for my slope up to the top level of the caves with bamboo and twine. Very frustrating at 1st. Got the hang of it now. This is 4' long with gaps about 4" max, so my smallest sub adult cant fall through it. Made of 2" diameter bamboo.
You can see on the right there is one piece missing, my plan is to fix one here when it's in situ, but make this one look as if it comes from the floor and through the ceiling.(about 7ft) Then grow a plant up this one. Was thinking a Swiss cheese plant.
Does anyone know if I will be OK using a Swiss cheese plant?
View attachment 155595
Ooooooh! That's going to look so cool!!! Swiss Cheese plant is also called "Splitleaf Philodendron" or "Monstera deliciosa." This website lists oxalates as being the only issue... http://www.tortoise.org/general/poisonp.html - The plant would look so good in there! <chanting can be heard across the internet> Do it...Do it...Do it!...:D
 

Anyfoot

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
6,309
Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
Ooooooh! That's going to look so cool!!! Swiss Cheese plant is also called "Splitleaf Philodendron" or "Monstera deliciosa." This website lists oxalates as being the only issue... http://www.tortoise.org/general/poisonp.html - The plant would look so good in there! <chanting can be heard across the internet> Do it...Do it...Do it!...:D
Thank you so much. I am going to need help when it comes to plant selection and location off you guys. Hint hint. I was hoping to plant plenty of stuff that they can pick off at will, also grow weeds,clover, etc for ground cover, then have plant boxes on the walls to grow stuff they can't devour instantly. Thinking also to grow a grape vine up some mesh on one of the walls. I have somebutterfly palms for cover too. Would hibiscus plants flower indoors in a tropical climate?
 

Prairie Mom

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Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
4,340
Thank you so much. I am going to need help when it comes to plant selection and location off you guys. Hint hint. I was hoping to plant plenty of stuff that they can pick off at will, also grow weeds,clover, etc for ground cover, then have plant boxes on the walls to grow stuff they can't devour instantly. Thinking also to grow a grape vine up some mesh on one of the walls. I have somebutterfly palms for cover too. Would hibiscus plants flower indoors in a tropical climate?
I'm growing quite a few things indoors experimentally for the first time. I think that a room like you're creating is breaking new ground:) Many of us will be watching you to see how it all works.

I tried growing a small young grape vine last year. It was doing well under my fluorescent grow light, but then one of my cats got to the plant (mine eat anything green) and it never recovered. I plan to try it again soon. I'm growing hibiscus inside for the first time and have wondered that too.

@Yellow Turtle01 & @Odin's Gma does your hibiscus flower indoors?
 
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