New russian tortoise owner looking for enclosure advice

[oceansdawn99]

Hi everyone,

I was gifted a Russian tortoise named Bramble recently, and unfortunately I didn’t learn beforehand that her 40 gallon tank is too small. I’ve been researching options, and since I currently live in an apartment, I don’t have a ton of space, nor can I make an outdoor enclosure. She still seems pretty young (4.5 inch long shell) so I’m not sure she needs the minimum 8 x 4 enclosure recommended in this forum for adults, and I’m planning to move into a house by the time she’s old enough. I’m still in a living situation where I’m probably going to move apartments every couple of years or so (I’m in college), so whatever enclosure I make needs to be decently mobile. I was thinking that I use a playpen, that they typically sell for dogs and babies, and I can set that up in my apartment with a substrate carpet, lamps, dig box, the appropriate herbs, foods, etc, water, and decorations, and have her roam there for a couple of hours daily. I can put it away after and re-set it up the next day. That way, I can have a 5x4 playpen, instead of the 3x3 tortoise table I was thinking originally (the biggest size I can accommodate right now). I know technically tortoises aren’t supposed to roam on the floor, but I’ll have the lamps and the substrate carpet. I know it’s not an ideal situation, but it‘s the best I can do right now Do you think the temporary 5x4 playpen, or a permanent but smaller 3x3 enclosure is better?

 

[mojo_1]

Get rid of that water dish asap. Replace it with a terracotta saucer. Saucer is easier to get in and out and there's less chance of the tort Drowning.
Give this a read. It should help answer questions and get you on the right track.
Also don't let the tortoise free roam on your floor they can ingest all kinds of things as well as get sick.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[wellington]

She looks to be an adult to me. Can you do a pop up green house? They come 3x6 and larger. But if you could at least do the 3x6. The 3x3 is no good. They need the proper room to keep them healthy and things inside and out healthy. Consider rehoming if you can't do bigger than a 3x3.
This is the type of greenhouse I'm speaking of. Use a tarp as a floor.

 

[oceansdawn99]

Get rid of that water dish asap. Replace it with a terracotta saucer. Saucer is easier to get in and out and there's less chance of the tort Drowning.
Give this a read. It should help answer questions and get you on the right track.
Also don't let the tortoise free roam on your floor they can ingest all kinds of things as well as get sick.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you for responding! I did read the thread when I first joined, that’s how I realized I needed to make changes actually We’re getting her a terracota dish tomorrow too! She wouldn’t be free roaming in the playpen, it would have the walls and substrate carpet and lights and all the things she’d have in the enclosure. I read somewhere else that other members had converted rooms in their homes to have them “free roam” there, except it wasn’t free roaming because the space was all set up for them. Based on what I gathered from the thread, both lots of space and consistency is important, so I’m just trying to figure out how to make that work within the moving demands that I have.

 

[mojo_1]

Thank you for responding! I did read the thread when I first joined, that’s how I realized I needed to make changes actually We’re getting her a terracota dish tomorrow too! She wouldn’t be free roaming in the playpen, it would have the walls and substrate carpet and lights and all the things she’d have in the enclosure. I read somewhere else that other members had converted rooms in their homes to have them “free roam” there, except it wasn’t free roaming because the space was all set up for them. Based on what I gathered from the thread, both lots of space and consistency is important, so I’m just trying to figure out how to make that work within the moving demands that I have.

There is also these that I believe could be used for a tortoise enclosure

Hydroponics & Growers - GROW TENTS - Advance Grow Tents - Page 1 - AC Infinity

acinfinity.com

 

[oceansdawn99]

She looks to be an adult to me. Can you do a pop up green house? They come 3x6 and larger. But if you could at least do the 3x6. The 3x3 is no good. They need the proper room to keep them healthy and things inside and out healthy. Consider rehoming if you can't do bigger than a 3x3.
This is the type of greenhouse I'm speaking of. Use a tarp as a floor.
View attachment 365375

That could work! I would have to put her under my bed (which is raised) or under the kitchen counter though, would that be okay? Also if possible can you send me a link to that greenhouse? I searched and could only find that greenhouse for $60+.

If I did use that with a tarp, wouldn’t the substrate not stay in the enclosure, since it seems to be fabric? It also opens from the bottom, which would cause it to spill out, so should I cut holes in the top or use a frame at the bottom as well or something?

I hear what you’re saying about rehoming, but we’ve had her for less than a week, and I just want to try out a couple of options and see if I can make something work before I have to resort to that Thank you for responding!

 

[wellington]

That is an older picture so you may not get that price or it may be the price of a smaller one than the 3x6. Do a Google search and you should get some different ones that pop up.
The tarp if best if you can have it be bigger than the enclosure and then tape up the overhang to the outside of the greenhouse. Or just let the tarp be and very little substrate will come out of it.
It can work under a bed or counter as long as you can get too it and those things are high enough. I believe the greenhouse is with 3 foot or 3.6 feet tall. All the lights and heat will hang inside.