My Best Night Box Design Yet

[Tom]

Sure. I'm happy to share whatever I've learned.

 

[argus333]

great tom thanks im gonna get one of those this weekend.

 

[Dizisdalife]

When I built a new night box for my sulcata I knew that I would copy this design from Tom. He had shelves with water dishes to add humidity so I built one too. I must admit that I thought that it would not be of much use and the relative humidity would be low no matter what. That Tom is a smart guy. I don't have a working hygrometer (new one on order) but I can tell there is a measurable amount of humidity in the box. Here is what I get in the morning when the cool outside air hits the vinyl flaps:

 

[bouaboua]

Thank you so much for sharing this project. This is such good idea and I can copy some of your idea like the water tub in the night box.

Thanks.

 

[featherator]

Wow what a great tutorial for an outdoor enclosure! I'm using some of this in my design.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

I just wanted to say that this design WORKS. Even here in southern Alabama, we have had some cold nights below 20'F. And my 4'x'4' box for my adult redfoots stays a nice 66-68'F. Definitely beats bringing big tortoises in every night.

 

[boris'mommy]

Those chunky little legs get me every time! [SMILING FACE WITH HEART-SHAPED EYES]

 

[DeanS]

That Tom is a smart guy.

If you only knew the half of it!

 

[Angi]

I am so jealous My mom and I made ours out of a plastic deck box. It works, but is not nearly as nice as yours. Great job!

 

[Tom]

I'm making another one too.

 

[Dizisdalife]

I'm making another one too.

Now I am jealous. Will there be upgrades from your previous night box design?

 

[Tom]

I think just refinements and fewer mistakes during the build. I'm putting them flat on the ground now instead of up on skids for areas that don't flood. I think the ground will keep them warmer as opposed to lifting them and letting below freezing air under there.

 

[wellington]

Tom, just wondering, have you ever just sunk them into the ground, not completely buried like some of your others, and then dug out the ground I. Front of the opening, but digging it to be the ramp to go in? Then putting black roofing of some type on the top. Thinking being partially buried would help to keep them warmer. Just a thought.

 

[Tom]

Tom, just wondering, have you ever just sunk them into the ground, not completely buried like some of your others, and then dug out the ground I. Front of the opening, but digging it to be the ramp to go in? Then putting black roofing of some type on the top. Thinking being partially buried would help to keep them warmer. Just a thought.

I've considered this. My problem with this is potential flooding. I have not been able to mentally work out a way to keep heavy rain from flowing down the hole. Any sort of shelter over the entrance hole would interfere with the lid. In my other underground buried boxes, I've used long tunnels for the entrances and built shelters over the holes, but these were far from the lids of the actual underground chambers. I've considered building up the dirt around the boxes, and I'm halfway trying that now on my leopard box. Frankly, my boxes are so well insulted and sealed that I don't think it matters whether they are above or below ground. I'm making smaller underground boxes for my Russian right now and I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with this. I think I might need to make a short tunnel and have it covered with dirt above ground, but away from the lid. I'll be making a thread on this with lots of pics.

 

[wellington]

Would sitting the box on a grate that's over the hole work for the flooding? Leaving just a small gap between the entrance and the ramp. Kinda like the pools in hotels. The grate they have running all around the pool for the water to go in, before spreading all over the floors. The water would run under the box before getting into the box?
Can't wait too see your Russians box. Might have to build one for Toto and a leopard one for Tatum. Moving to bigger property and the shed we just built last year won't be making the move for a while, if at all. Need something quicker and cheaper for the time being, for the spring and fall colder nights. Winter will be in a basement for a while.

 

[Jazzbell772]

I am planning on building a 4x8' outdoor enclosure for the one hermann I have. Would a mini night box be wise? Not sure how I would put a heater in it though. I live in Louisiana so while most of the year is nicely heated, theres about 2 months that we can dip into 30's at night.

 

[ironpython]

I habe two of those heaters and wondering how they will stand up in the boxes humid environment.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

[Tom]

I habe two of those heaters and wondering how they will stand up in the boxes humid environment.

Two of which heaters, and what humidity in what box are you referring to? My boxes don't get all that humid. I'm lucky to hit 50%.

---

I am planning on building a 4x8' outdoor enclosure for the one hermann I have. Would a mini night box be wise? Not sure how I would put a heater in it though. I live in Louisiana so while most of the year is nicely heated, theres about 2 months that we can dip into 30's at night.

First: I would go much bigger than 4x8 for an outdoor pen.

Second: A radiant heat panel set on a thermostat in a small night box should work great for you. Like this: http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels If your box is insulated or buried, I'll bet the 40 watt will work well for you.

Here is how I use them in a 4x4 box: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-86632.html
Since you are making a smaller box, probably 2x2' and the tort is a temperate species, you shouldn't need the heat mat underneath and you could set your thermostat to just 65 or so.

 

[Jazzbell772]

How big would you go for one Dalmatian hermann tortoise?

 

[sibi]

Tom, it had been mentioned before, but I would tell you what I did and then I would like your opinion on it please. With the oil heater, I created air flow without compromising on heat by using cement blocks turned on its side where the two holes face the inside and outside surroundings of the heater. In this way, heat is directed through the holes and into the bottom living space. With an oscillating fan pointed toward the floor, the warm air moves from top to bottom, and from inside the barrier out. The torts can't mess with it and they can't get burned. It transfers the heat that rises back down to the floor where it is needed. Temps on the floor are around 80-85 degrees continuously! Of course, the 10x 12' shed is their living space year round, and it does allow me to use cement blocks.