New Tortoise New Enclosure

[DaveTheDadHaileeTheDaughter]

Hi everyone, we had been having so much fun with our two Sullies that we decided we wanted another one. We got our new addition (female cherryhead) from forum member BK January 30th (and thank you again BK for making the drive up here) and for the first two weeks she lived in a huge rubbermaid tub until I got her enclosure built. Its 4 x 6 with one end enclosed in lexan with a dog door type flap so she can go from one area to the other. The lexan is hinged and opens up so its easy to get inside and clean etc. Temp wise the area she sleeps is 82, hot spot is 91 and the humidity stays between 70 and 90%. Outside the closed in area she has her basking rock and water dish and it stays around 75. She seems to prefer the hot humid side more than anything but does come out now and then and lay on her basking rock. We soak her every night before feeding her and hopefully today i'll get our other project finished which will make soaks an such a ton easier (no more carrying water tubs) I'll post pics of it when its all finished.

 

[pdrobber]

Awesome! Cool enclosure, and great to see you guys enjoying the new addition.

 

[coreyc]

Very nice table you got time to start another one

 

[Seiryu]

Agreed nice table! Are the 2 heat bulbs over the Plexi-glass just normal house bulbs? And then the one in the open is the MVB?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hey, Dave:

That's a great table. You've really been bitten by the "Betcha' can't eat one" bug, haven't you?

 

[jeffbens0n]

That is an awesome enclosure! I love the idea of actually separating the humid side to keep it hot and humid!

 

[DaveTheDadHaileeTheDaughter]

Thank you everyone !!
The bulbs over the lexan are two red 85 watt heat lamps which are always on, and the one on the other end is a 110 watt heat lamp that is only on during the day, since the pics were taken i've added a uvb over the lexan area that is on during the day.

LOL emysemys lil one is already measuring out where can dad build another. Im of to Lowes for stuff really wanting to get her new project done today, wait till you see it lol

 

[B K]

Dave it looks Great!!!!

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Really nice enclosure! I am going to show my husband your "humid side" so we can try to do something like that for next winter.

 

[Paige Lewis]

Great enclosure, i absolutely love how you have made your humid area!

 

[Jacqui]

The thing about all these pictures that impressed me the most is the child is actually taking an active part in the work to make the enclosure. It is a family project and that just makes me so tremendously happy to see. Great job!

My question is kinda a follow up to what somebody else asked. The UV light you said you added to the covered side, correct? Just wondering how the cover changes the UV light. I would make a guess it cuts out most, if not all of the UVs effect. Then too, it makes me ask, that one side is all humid, but does she within there also have a hide, especially if the UV is on there? Is there a hide outside in the non humid part as well?

 

[Seiryu]

The UV light you said you added to the covered side, correct? Just wondering how the cover changes the UV light. I would make a guess it cuts out most, if not all of the UVs effect.

This is true. The UVB Won't travel through the covered area. I didn't see his post until now about adding the UVB over those spots. Definitely need to have the UVB (whether it's a MVB or 10.0 fluorescent tube) to be in the complete open, with no screen or glass under it.

 

[coreyc]

You can get a Exo Terra light unit and mount it under the lexan. Here is a pic of what I did left is the humid side top is covered with plexi the thing in the middle of the lights is a heat panel right side basking CHE an MVB hope it helps

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

You can get a Exo Terra light unit and mount it under the lexan. Here is a pic of what I did left is the humid side top is covered with plexi the thing in the middle of the lights is a heat panel right side basking CHE an MVB hope it helps

I love this table!!! I especially like the dark stain. Very nice!!! We have a lot of work to do!!

 

[DaveTheDadHaileeTheDaughter]

The thing about all these pictures that impressed me the most is the child is actually taking an active part in the work to make the enclosure. It is a family project and that just makes me so tremendously happy to see. Great job!

My question is kinda a follow up to what somebody else asked. The UV light you said you added to the covered side, correct? Just wondering how the cover changes the UV light. I would make a guess it cuts out most, if not all of the UVs effect. Then too, it makes me ask, that one side is all humid, but does she within there also have a hide, especially if the UV is on there? Is there a hide outside in the non humid part as well?

Thank you Jacqui !! my little girl is always 100% involved when I build or do stuff like this, lol she is probably the only girl in her school that can name off what tools are what and what they are used for LOL as for the uvb lighting, one lexan door has twenty five 5/16th holes drilled in it with the intention of the uvb being able to get inside, plus I hang my lights with chains and "S" hooks and have different areas I move the light to, depends on where "Isis" decides she's going to hang out, she tends to pick a spot an stays there for quite a while, moving the light from one spot to another is pretty easy and I move it around quite a bit. As for hides I havent put any in, there is 4 inches of sphagnum moss plus cypress mulch and she burrows down in it and somehow always drapes the plastic/silk vines over her so I havent put actual hides in yet.

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You can get a Exo Terra light unit and mount it under the lexan. Here is a pic of what I did left is the humid side top is covered with plexi the thing in the middle of the lights is a heat panel right side basking CHE an MVB hope it helps

Thank you coreyc I hadnt thought about going that route with mounting a uvb light inside that area.