New outdoor enclosure under construction!!

DobbyRed

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Well I finally started making the new outdoor enclosure for Dobby, Hedwig and Fang.
I used an empty area in a part of the backyard and decided to do it there. The floor is in concrete so I can forget about someone leaving or entering the enclosure.
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After three long days in design and budget calculations I did it with concrete blocks. First design was wood but the budget will be a lot more.
It supose to be a small area but I finished doing a 8'x20' area for them.
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Used concrete glue to stick them together. For the soil. I used three different areas with differents soil. The big one is pure top soil from my own yard, had to remove a lot of dirt to open a clugged pipe and the soil was filled with all kinds of worms.
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The other two parts were sphagnum peat moss and pine nuggets bark. And here is the finshed soil proyect. Next week will be for security and decoration and pools.
Enjoy jiji!

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In the soil area already starter planting some seeds.
Now please share your comments and critics of what I did good or wrong. Or any ideas. Thanks!
 

Merrick

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Looking g good so far can't wait to see the finished product
 

Mantissa3

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How is the baby doing? Fully back to health again? (You did such a great job with her care while she was sick!!!) That's a really nice outdoor enclosure! Please plan to start on mine when you are finished with this one. LOL
 

Yvonne G

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Very nice! A lot of hard, back-breaking work. I do wonder if that's enough substrate, though. I'm thinking you might consider putting on another row of cinder blocks to make it three high, and adding about six more inches of substrate. Too thin a layer is going to dry out very quickly and you'll be watering it all the time.


I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.
 

DawnH

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Love it! Now the fun begins!!! I can't wait to see it all decorated/planted up. I think that is my most favorite part of tort keeping. The enclosures!! I live and breathe the next expansion...lol
 

DobbyRed

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How is the baby doing? Fully back to health again? (You did such a great job with her care while she was sick!!!) That's a really nice outdoor enclosure! Please plan to start on mine when you are finished with this one. LOL
Hedwig is very active and eating a lot but still no gain of weight. I really dont know whats going on with her.
 

DobbyRed

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Very nice! A lot of hard, back-breaking work. I do wonder if that's enough substrate, though. I'm thinking you might consider putting on another row of cinder blocks to make it three high, and adding about six more inches of substrate. Too thin a layer is going to dry out very quickly and you'll be watering it all the time.


I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.
The dirt is 4-5 inches to the all you can eat buffet, the bark is like 2 inches cause is where the hides will be and the peat moss is 3 inches and is where the pools will be.
 

DobbyRed

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Well thanks to the rain the plants started to grow nicely. Today got the last materials and lets see if I can finished tomorrow.
 

Oxalis

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Wow! Can't wait to see the progress! I like your expression, "all-you-can-eat buffet," it's definitely applicable to my tortoise "jungle." ;)
 

DobbyRed

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Update:
Im done for now. Need to keep on working in my house. Next step on their house a big concrete pond. And the mist system. Everything that My wife planted, nothing grow. Too hot here. Well here it is.

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I removed the blue cover for a black garden cover for shadowing the sun.
Still need to put tje small ponds.
 

DobbyRed

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Tonight I went to check on them. And I notice that like 10 huge grasshoppers lives with them now. Is that okay or I need to do something???
 

bouaboua

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Very nice work. I think all your torts will be very happy.

Great looking enclosure.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Tonight I went to check on them. And I notice that like 10 huge grasshoppers lives with them now. Is that okay or I need to do something???
If they are just the grasshopper/locust type they may become food. But they might also eat some plants if you place anything delicious in there.
I wouldn't worry about them.
 
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