New greenhouse enclosure

[marc.knuckle]

Hi all

I thought best to do a separate post to my last as it's a whole new large enclosure we're planning.

Since we had them as babies, they've mainly been indoors and over the last few summers in their outdoor enclosure one at a time as one is aggressive to the other.

We are now planning on having them outdoors all year round.

The plan is a polycarbonate greenhouse butted up to their existing outdoor space that is covered all around and on top with mesh to stop predators. The greenhouse would have doors leading to that and both the greenhouse and outdoor bit would have a divider to keep them apart.

I'm thinking to have a small, mini, shed within the greenhouse filled with soil for them to cool down and maybe use to hibernate in. One on each side to keep them separate.

Questions would be

1) can the existing soil and grass act as the base for this lightweight greenhouse?
2) heating for the greenhouse needed?
3) insulation for that mini shed to keep it cooler/warmer depending on outside temp?
4) any other advice welcome.

Thanks, Marc

 

[wellington]

Where are you located? How cold does your temps get? When brumating, they need e to be kept at a steady temp, but not too low or too high. What species?
A shed inside a greenhouse will not be cool in summer. Even insulated, it will be whatever temps is outside around it or higher.

 

[Tom]

Hi all

I thought best to do a separate post to my last as it's a whole new large enclosure we're planning.

Since we had them as babies, they've mainly been indoors and over the last few summers in their outdoor enclosure one at a time as one is aggressive to the other.

We are now planning on having them outdoors all year round.

The plan is a polycarbonate greenhouse butted up to their existing outdoor space that is covered all around and on top with mesh to stop predators. The greenhouse would have doors leading to that and both the greenhouse and outdoor bit would have a divider to keep them apart.

I'm thinking to have a small, mini, shed within the greenhouse filled with soil for them to cool down and maybe use to hibernate in. One on each side to keep them separate.

Questions would be

1) can the existing soil and grass act as the base for this lightweight greenhouse?
2) heating for the greenhouse needed?
3) insulation for that mini shed to keep it cooler/warmer depending on outside temp?
4) any other advice welcome.

Thanks, Marc

I have all the same questions as Wellington...

1. Yes.
2. Only your thermometer can answer that, but probably.
3. Same as #2.
4. Need to know where you are and what species you've got to offer advice.

 

[marc.knuckle]

Where are you located? How cold does your temps get? When brumating, they need e to be kept at a steady temp, but not too low or too high. What species?
A shed inside a greenhouse will not be cool in summer. Even insulated, it will be whatever temps is outside around it or higher.

Hi, Birmingham England. Winter can get in the -c, maybe -6c as an example but not too low or too often. Highs usually are in the mid to late 20s but last year for to 40c for a few days but that is very rare. Hopefully the greenhouse would then not be as low being protected from the outside that little bit.

They are Hermann's.

The reason for presuming it would be lower in the mini shed is to block out the heat from the direct sun as it will be shaded.

 

[marc.knuckle]

Hi guys, any further help now I've given the extra info above?

Also, if i insulate the mini sheds it's to keep a more constant temp which being shaded i was hoping would stay cooler mainly for when the main greenhouse is warm. I'm which case what type of insulation should i use?

 

[marc.knuckle]

I have all the same questions as Wellington...

1. Yes.
2. Only your thermometer can answer that, but probably.
3. Same as #2.
4. Need to know where you are and what species you've got to offer advice.

Hi Tom, i gave some further answers as you requested

 

[Tom]

Hi Tom, i gave some further answers as you requested

Sorry. There are just too many variables to be able to answer your questions. It depends on the current weather, the season, how well the shed is built and insulated, ground temps, etc... You will have to give it a go, use a thermometer to check the temps, and then make whatever adjustments are needed.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Questions would be

1) can the existing soil and grass act as the base for this lightweight greenhouse?
2) heating for the greenhouse needed?
3) insulation for that mini shed to keep it cooler/warmer depending on outside temp?
4) any other advice welcome.

As much as I wish there were definite answers to these questions, @Tom is right. You just have to start the project, test along the way and make adjustments as needed.

I struggle with this sometimes myself. I want definite answers from the start so I don't waste time or money tweaking things. But it doesn't always work that way.

My advice, start on the project but don't plan to use it until it's all tweaked and adjusted. That's what I do. I set everything up with lights, heat, decor...just no animal. Then I run everything as planned with thermometers everywhere and adjust as needed until I have about 3 days of steady temps. Once I am sure it works like I want, the animal goes in.

This isn't limited to tortoises either. I recently did this with my chicken brooder and my cockroach colony bins.

 

[marc.knuckle]

Cheers guys

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I used to have a greenhouse over my sulcatas house that I used in the winter. Tornado destroyed the dang thing.