Looking for Night Box Idea's

BowDownBowser

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This summer I moved my year and a half old Sulcata outside for more space. I live in North East Florida so it's getting to the time or year where I either need to move her back inside or Make something more permanent outside that can still be suitable as far as temperature and humidity. I have seen some ideas for night box's I am just curious to see all of the idea's I can before doing it. I have all of the time and equipment I need to be able to build it right away. I just need to come up with a way to go about it. Any idea's or tips would be greatly appreciated.
 

Lyn W

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Hi
@Tom has an excellent design, I'm not sure where to find it at mo but I've tagged him so he can point you in the right direction himself.
Having said that I'm not sure if he is old enough to over winter outside yet, but wait and see what sully keepers say.
Good luck with it.
 

BowDownBowser

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Also what is the best size for a single sulcata? I saw a great thread by Tom a few months ago, but I can't find it again. What size would be big enough, but not too big? I'm thinking 4x4 but I'm not sure if that will be good throughout my tortoise's life. I'd rather leave her as much of her outdoor space as possible so that's why I don't want it to be too big. I'd like to build one that would last forever. With that what size should the opening/door be? and is there a preferred typed out insulation? Is panel better than the spray can foam insulation? How big of heater? I've seen that people use the oil heater's and the radiant heat panels for their outdoor enclosures. I'm leaning more towards the radiant heat panels so any recommendations on where to get it? Also what size heat panel?
 

motero

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Pick up a non working freezer upright or chest for free. Get the refrigerant evacuated in accordance to your local laws. Rip out the compressor and other guts. Cut a tortoise sized hole in the side or bottom, if it was an upright. Screw down heat pads, Install timers, or thermostats, or resistors to your liking. Put flaps over the door. Put behind bushes in your tortoise pen, so you can't see an ugly freezer laying back there. You could paint it too. Benefits are cheap, insulated, has a hinged top and almost water tight. I have built two of these so far and the tortoises have taken up residence all on there own.


Tip; Cut the outer skin to the size of opening you want. Cut away insulation, cut the inner skin 3-5 inches smaller, make relief cuts in the corners, fold the inner skin out to cover up the exposed insulation, screw it down with some self tappers.

I found this to be much, much, cheaper than the lumber and insulation needed to build one from scratch.
 

Lyn W

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I'm not really qualified to answer that as my 3-4 year old, 11" leopard lives indoors in his own room (too cold in UK for outdoors) so I haven't made anything like that myself.
From my experience of using spray foam I would say the panels are quicker and easier - but then I am a very messy DIYer and get spray foam everywhere!! I expect they are more expensive but I would go for the quick and easy option every time.
How big is your tort?
 
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BowDownBowser

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Pick up a non working freezer upright or chest for free. Get the refrigerant evacuated in accordance to your local laws. Rip out the compressor and other guts. Cut a tortoise sized hole in the side or bottom, if it was an upright. Screw down heat pads, Install timers, or thermostats, or resistors to your liking. Put flaps over the door. Put behind bushes in your tortoise pen, so you can't see an ugly freezer laying back there. You could paint it too. Benefits are cheap, insulated, has a hinged top and almost water tight. I have built two of these so far and the tortoises have taken up residence all on there own.


Tip; Cut the outer skin to the size of opening you want. Cut away insulation, cut the inner skin 3-5 inches smaller, make relief cuts in the corners, fold the inner skin out to cover up the exposed insulation, screw it down with some self tappers.

I found this to be much, much, cheaper than the lumber and insulation needed to build one from scratch.

When I was looking for other idea's I though I saw one or two made out of what looked like an old freezer, but I wasn't sure. Definitely seem's like a good way to turn one man's trash into another man's treasure haha.
 

BowDownBowser

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I'm not really qualified to answer of that as my 3/4 year old, 11" leopard lives indoors in his own room (too cold in UK for outdoors) so I haven't made anything like that myself.
From my experience of using spray foam I would say the panels are quicker and easier - but then I am a very messy DIYer and get spray foam everywhere!! I expect they are more expensive but I would go for the quick and easy option every time.
How big is your tort?
My tortoise was about 6 inches, but I haven't measured her in about a month so she maybe be slightly larger now.
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Pick up a non working freezer upright or chest for free. Get the refrigerant evacuated in accordance to your local laws. Rip out the compressor and other guts. Cut a tortoise sized hole in the side or bottom, if it was an upright. Screw down heat pads, Install timers, or thermostats, or resistors to your liking. Put flaps over the door. Put behind bushes in your tortoise pen, so you can't see an ugly freezer laying back there. You could paint it too. Benefits are cheap, insulated, has a hinged top and almost water tight. I have built two of these so far and the tortoises have taken up residence all on there own.


Tip; Cut the outer skin to the size of opening you want. Cut away insulation, cut the inner skin 3-5 inches smaller, make relief cuts in the corners, fold the inner skin out to cover up the exposed insulation, screw it down with some self tappers.

I found this to be much, much, cheaper than the lumber and insulation needed to build one from scratch.

This is a great idea, I've seen a few freezers in a row to make a tunnel. I wouldn't be able to do is it is not a wife friendly aesthetic. Harold Carty had many of these. With the door up (freezer on it's back) you have easy access too.
 

Levi the Leopard

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I have an entire thread dedicated to the build of this house. 2 threads actually...I'm just not good at linking to them while using my phone.

It's 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, 2 feet tall.

of the top of my head I used...
Plywood
1.5" rigid foam insulation
caulking
12"x12" vinyl tiles
weather stripping
vinyl flaps for the doorway
mini oil filled radiator
digital thermostat
thermometer/hydrometer combo
door lock
grip tape
hardware cloth
coco coir substrate
exterior primer/paint
 

Dizisdalife

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I believe that this is one of the threads on Heather's night box build. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-heated-night-box.83326/#post-776693

I built one this size when my sulcata was 1.5 years old, for the same reasons that you want to build one for yours. A year later he had almost out grown it. Well, maybe it took a little more than a year. He only spent on winter in it and by the next fall I found myself building a larger one. A 4' x 4' version of this would work better for a sulcata.
 

BowDownBowser

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Thanks for the info. Do you guys have any recommendation for a heater? I like the idea of the radiant heat panels since they take up less space and can mount on the roof, but I'd consider something else if they are known to worker better. Any suggestions?
 

Kapidolo Farms

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http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/live-naked-people.126107/page-3

post 52 and or 53 show the end result. Earlier posts show construction in that same thread.

Some basic concepts for heat retention, lower ceiling inside to keep the heat down where the tortoise is (you can get three 16 inch 8 foot pieces from a 4 x 8 panel), put the door as far away from the heat source as possible, so a longer box, not a square, is better. Use a double entry or vestibule with vinyl curtains, better for heat retention. Heat panels along insulated walls will provide a larger heat zone than a single source of heat. Three 80 watt panels is better than two 120 watt panels in that sense. Also if one fails you still have lots of heat. Use a thermostat, really, it will save its own cost in electricity over time. Keep in mind you may get more or your current animal will grow. Build it that big in the first place. Make cleaning easy, full size lid works easier than a small port hole like entry for you to clean out poop accumulation.

Show pictures of what you do.
 

Levi the Leopard

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I believe that this is one of the threads on Heather's night box build. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/leopard-tortoise-heated-night-box.83326/#post-776693

I built one this size when my sulcata was 1.5 years old, for the same reasons that you want to build one for yours. A year later he had almost out grown it. Well, maybe it took a little more than a year. He only spent on winter in it and by the next fall I found myself building a larger one. A 4' x 4' version of this would work better for a sulcata.
Thanks Joe ;)
 

Tom

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BowDownBowser

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Here are a couple more of mine:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

I think a 4x4x2 is best for a single adult sulcata. I make my doors 26" wide x 16" tall for adult sulcata. This will fit all but the great big giants.

I move mine outside full time once they are about 10". Prior to that I like to have a 4x8 closed chamber inside, and a large outdoor enclosure for nice weather.
Thanks both boxes look great. I saw that you use a heat panel in one and an oil heater in the other. Is one preffered?
 

Tom

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Thanks both boxes look great. I saw that you use a heat panel in one and an oil heater in the other. Is one preffered?

In the 4x4 boxes, I want to conserve floor space, so the heat mat and RHP combo is ideal. In the 4x8 boxes, I don't mind giving up just a little floor space to accommodate the mini oil heater, and the oil heaters do work better for the larger spaces. Also in the 4x8 boxes, I usually use them for housing multiple tortoises and I find that the added "corners" offered by the wood that encases the oil heater gives them more places to comfortably sleep for the night.
 
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