View attachment 30038View attachment 30037View attachment 30036View attachment 30035I just built an outdoor enclosure frame on river rock. Under the rock, there is heavy landscaping plastic. Is it a good idea to fill it with different substrates? I already have river rock in it. I have some flat rectangular bricks and recently bought russian tortoise seed for planting from Carolina Pet Supply. I need to buy some kind of soil to fill it. But what should I use that will be safe? I've seen Ace Top Soil that has only Sandy loam and Humus. I've seen bags of Sphagnum Peat Moss, and there is 100% Natural Pathway Bark. None of these seem to list any harmful chemicals. What do you think? I also want to make a wire top for the enclosure. It is next to a automatic lawn sprinkler, so it will get some sprinkles of water, not buckets of it, which would be nice for growing plants! It is fall, so I probably won't be able to plant anything now, and will have to wait until spring. Maybe only use it for the daytime in spring and summer months so my tort can get some outdoor sun! I'm not sure about using the enclosure for night or winter at this point in time. We have a lot of raccoons, possums, cats, birds. I live in Northern California where we have mild winters, no snow, but hot summers! We live a few blocks from the delta so it attracts a lot of wildlife. Do you thinks predators can dig under the enclosure? Any suggestions about substrate filling, decor, security or anything else you may think I've forgotten or need? Here's a bit of history: I have one russian tortoise. My daughter got him from a friend that couldn't care for him properly. I've had him since February. Right now, He's in a 50 gal. storage tub with heat and UVB lighting, etc. He came to me in a 10 gal. glass aquarium with no heat or UVB light!! Outrageous! I've already learned about the basic needs of a russian tort. Now moving on to bigger and better things for him. This forum is a great help! I'd appreciate any input regarding my outdoor enclosure questions.
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