My Tort Table

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MrJorgensen

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I have attached photos of my tortoise table. I wish I'd have drawn plans, but I just bought the materials and built it. Instincts.

I started with 2 pieces of 3/4 inch thick 8 foot x 4 foot plywood. I kept one as the base and cut the other into 4, 1 foot wide planks. I places a plastic drop cloth on the bottom of the base, then screwed in a hard plastic plank over the top. This was a moisture seal so the base wood wouldn't be in contact with the substrate. I attached the 1 foot high planks with screws from the bottom of the base and screws securing them to each other from the sides. I then used the additional plank to make the corner hiding spot and removable plank that is the back of this. After noticing that Carl could get his arms up on the sides, I had to add height. I bought 4 inch x 4 foot planks of wood to add 4 inches of height. Now Carl doesn't even try to climb the walls. I secured those around the perimeter with metal braces and screws that are on the outside.

I started with a 2 inch topsoil base and walnut sand on top of that. After many people on here suggesting I not have the walnut sand, I mixed it with the topsoil and then added an inch of coconut coir on top as the substrate. My water and food dishes are terracotta saucers. The heat lamp is a 150W, Zilla white light and my UVB is an Exo-Terra, 26W with 10.0 UVB. Those are the 2 in the corner. Then on the side, I have a 100W Exo-Terra ceramic heat emitter that comes on at night when the lights go off. They are connected to a Zilla power connector that has the lights on from 8:00am-8:00pm and the heater from 8:00pm-8:00am.

I take him outside all the time, but with fall and winter coming, he'll be in this table a little more. During the day, the basking spot/that corner stays around 85-95 with humidity at about 65% and the covered shelter stays at 73-77 with humidity around 80%. During the night the, the hiding spot stays at 70-75 and the warm area stays at about 77-80.
 

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Yvonne G

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That's a nice size habitat. You might think about sprucing it up a bit with some plants, either real or fake. This also serves to make the tortoise feel more secure, with many hiding places.
 

MrJorgensen

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emysemys said:
That's a nice size habitat. You might think about sprucing it up a bit with some plants, either real or fake. This also serves to make the tortoise feel more secure, with many hiding places.

I was looking to buy some sod to plant on top. Is Bermuda grass the best choice?
 

Masin

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MrJorgensen said:
I was looking to buy some sod to plant on top. Is Bermuda grass the best choice?

You can sprinkle in seeds too! Ours likes the grazing tortoise seed mix. It grows fast!
 

AZtortMom

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Nicely done!
 

MrJorgensen

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I did spruce it up a bit with a fern, a hosta, and a large patch of grass. He really likes the new plants and helps him with his environment.
 

MrJorgensen

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LuckysGirl007 said:
Masin said:
You can sprinkle in seeds too! Ours likes the grazing tortoise seed mix. It grows fast!

Where can I buy that? Do I have to get it online?

http://www.sulcatafood.com/Store.html

http://www.turtlestuff.com/category/Custom-Blended-Forage-Seed-Pasture-Mixes-39

http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=179

http://www.arizonatortoisecompound.com/Tortoise-Grazing-Seed-Mix.html

http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes

These are just some of the options available. I'm sure you could look at the different grasses in them and make your own mix at a local nursery or garden center.
 
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