New RT table

[Akronic]

Well the other day i decided to use up the rest of some 1/2" plywood i just had in the shed, so i originally was gonna make it 3'x6' just cause thats how big the one piece was so i figured that would be me base. well the wife thought i would be to BIG, I'm 6'+ so it didnt seem large at all/ we agreed to 3x5 and i has enough other plywood to build up the sides like 13" that and i used 2x2 ro go all the way around and brace the plywood i predrilled and counter sunk all my 1' screws. then i lined the whole bottom and the 2x2 bracing w/ black vapor barrier. i was gonna leave it like that but i decide to get some plexi for a from viewing window so to speak. so in none of the pics do you see the plexi i just got it so yeah. after i get the plexi in place, what else would you suggest i do BEFORE adding the bedding(coir/sand). i have a friend who owns a fireplace store and he had some pieces of soap stone that i thought would work great for basking sites since Soapstone absorbs and radiates heat better than any other natural material. also i ungraded my Zoomed Mini Dual Deep to the MEDIUM sized one, i didnt even know it existed till i was online after i got the mini. so im gonna return the mini. let me know what you guys think of my set up thus far. also i got another Reptisun 10.0 UVB CFL(this was befor i really knew) and the packaging is a lil diff but all the context is the same. any way let me know what you guys/gals think im also kickin round the idea of a second table/level since it's so big to begin w/ and my plan is to do a few females w/ 1 male.

 

[slowpoke]

just watch that plastic liner , that RT will rip it up digging , i had to go with caulking and sealing the enclosure (make sure you let it set for 24+ hours)

 

[Jacqui]

The soap stone looks really nice in there. I didn't know about it's qualities before.

 

[Akronic]

yeah i was hoping to find something easy to seal the bottom aside form using epoxy/urethane the whole thing. the substrate will be fairly deep but i know they like to dig, yeah i got really luck w/ the soap stone. go to your local fireplace dealer and ask if they have any out of date models cuz they come in a bunch of pieces that one slab weighed a good 10lbs easy. does anyone else use dual lamp fixtures? i thought it would come in handy when i set up to table that way i dont have a bunch of clamp lamps. i plan on hangin it w/ a chain. also im debating putting another 100w in the fixture, although his tub doesnt need it yet

 

[nicoleandrocky]

Looking good already
Hope to see the end result soon.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

 

[Akronic]

i just scored about Half a fireplace worth of soap stone again from my buddy!! its frozen in the snow but i gotta shovel and a torch haha! theses peices are way to big to put in any rubbermaid tub. they would be perfect for use in an outdoor enclosure, but living in Ak that isnt very likely.

 

[Akronic]

well i think im done sealing the bottom and the lower sides. i used about a 1 1/2 quarts of Minwax Helmsman water sealer. im gonna let the final coat cure for 48hrs before i silicone the seams. ive still left the blue plastic on the plexi, figure im not gonna take it off till im ready to use it. im trying to figure out a better way to hang my lights the wood feels kinda flimsy, not like it would break but it does flex when you put even a little weight. i know the angle brackets wont break, guess i'll have to go thicker. or try something like these other tables. well here are some more pics not much diff but i got all the plexi in and the bottom sealed pretty much. now i just gotta wait till May, when i go back to work. i found someone who will have a few 2-3 4" females for me and will ship to my zip code, i can get 3 for the $100 less than the price of 2 up here. not sure if im gonna bother w/ a loft for these guys.

I do have one question, im pretty sure my male is WC, i guess from what ive heard that's where most of the petco RT come from. anyway he was in a TINY *** glass cage w/ 2 other males and now he's in a 50gal rubbermaid all by himself. he spends most of his day in the same corner, mostly just sleeping under the Powersun UV (i moved it there cuz he always headed for the corner) he has a nice hid on the opposite side but he rarely uses it. he will walk across the tub if i wake him up and make him chase food across to the feed dish, but he spends alot of time in the corner just clawing at the wall. i figured it being black he would realize it's a barrier. or is he just stubborn? he seems to act normal, he gets soaked every couple days and he usually make normal lookin stool/urates in the soak tub. so idk if it's just his wild instincts takin over or what but he sleeps alot and digs in the corner alot. any thoughts on the progress of the table or the tortoise's behavior would be much appreciated.