My new boxie enclosure

tortdad

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So last Friday I adopted there yearling 3 toe box turtles from @txturtle13. The biggest one is about the size of a fifty cent piece, maybe slightly larger. Rather than put them in a Rubbermaid bin I decided to build them a small indoor enclosure to hold them off until they're big enough to go outside. I had everything already except some screws and a few small odds and ends. I did have to buy the lights and all the soil and such to put in it but the box was build with parts laying around. My wife went into the garage and dug up an old coffee table and she stripped the legs of of it, lol. She didn't like the 2x4 legs I put on.

It has 6" of miracle grow brand organic top soil (not the potting soil) orchard bark and spag moss. I used one saucer for water and one for food. I also used a small paint tray as a baby swimming pool. 3 hides and two edible ferns. I out small flat rocks around the dishes to keep them from dragging in so much substraight. I put an accurite digital temp/humidity meter.

Now I just need to add the lights and set the timer. The lights are a zoo med 5.0 tube UVB, the high output one. I will also have a 65watt black light for some heat.


What else am I missing beside a fe more plants? I added some red wigglers to the substraight.

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leigti

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I like it! The coffee table legs are definitely a good addition :). Those little guys are adorable. I can't even imagine my Boxee being that little. I would add a lot more plants, maybe some leaf litter from outdoors. Hopefully your yard isn't covered up in snow like mine is right now. I like to make little hills and different kinds of terrain for them to walk on like large pieces of bark. They also like hiding under those pieces of bark.You can also add a pile of moss. Mine like crawling through that.keep it moist. But not soggy. I guess little box turtles are mostly carnivore so worms, pill bugs etc. will work well. it is fun to watch them hunt.
 

tortdad

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I painted the inside with the killz brand white primer the lines the bottom with 10 mil plastic. It's the same stuff we use at work under concrete slabs to create a vapor barrier.
 

leigti

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I painted the inside with the killz brand white primer the lines the bottom with 10 mil plastic. It's the same stuff we use at work under concrete slabs to create a vapor barrier.
That's good, it should keep it nice and waterproof. You're going to need that with the amount of moisture in there.
 

lismar79

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Very nice! I second the leaf litter. Mine seems to really like the leaves to hide under.
 

Yellow Turtle01

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That's so nice! Agree with lisa127, when I make something it looks like a troll sat on it :p
Your little guys are so cute! I would add more plants, because plants just finis it off so nice, and are great hiding spots.
 

johnsonnboswell

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Nice! Definitely add dead leaves. You'll have to make sure it doesn't overheat once you add the light, so watch for that. You'll ventilate if that happens.
 

tortdad

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Looking good, but it is really bright. Add a whole bunch more plants so your little turtle can hide when he wants to.

More plants are on my list. It's just hard this time of year to find small house plants and I prefer live to fake. I've got a few more stores to try then it's off to get some fake ones.
 

leigti

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More plants are on my list. It's just hard this time of year to find small house plants and I prefer live to fake. I've got a few more stores to try then it's off to get some fake ones.
I looked up the safe house plant list here on the forum and then I went to Walmart. My box turtle doesn't seem to really eat the plants in the enclosure, unlike my Russian :) so I just brought them home sprayed them down a really good including the roots and then planted them either directly into the substrate or into pots with safe soil. One Pothos plant could pretty much do it for you if it's big enough. You can separate them into a bunch of littler ones. I also saw some herb plants at Walmart that I thought about putting in mine.
 

tortdad

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I found some more safe plants so I hooked it up. I have a few more but don't want the entire thing to be plants.

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Ignore what looks to be like jagged edges along my enclosure. That's because I was using the panoramic function of my phone camera and my hands are not that steady.
 

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