Outdoor enclosure

vlonethug

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The first picture is where I plan on moving his 8x4 . He is not fully grown but I believe the summer sun will do him well , I also plan on adding sum type wire to prevent predators . Although I am concerned about the temperatures here in Cali it is not so cold but I do have a heating system that is screwed on the roof of his small hide which I got from KFarm I believe he is well known for his heating pads . So when I move him outside and the temperature drops at night how Will I provide sufficient heat for him? Do I need to find a way to plug in the heating pad all the way outside because I don’t have plugs outside , please any advice will help also if you know where I can find cheap wire to cover the enclosure , thank you ! @Kapidolo Farms @Toddrickfl1
 

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vlonethug

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Santa Ana , CA
The first picture is where I plan on moving his 8x4 . He is not fully grown but I believe the summer sun will do him well , I also plan on adding sum type wire to prevent predators . Although I am concerned about the temperatures here in Cali it is not so cold but I do have a heating system that is screwed on the roof of his small hide which I got from KFarm I believe he is well known for his heating pads . So when I move him outside and the temperature drops at night how Will I provide sufficient heat for him? Do I need to find a way to plug in the heating pad all the way outside because I don’t have plugs outside , please any advice will help also if you know where I can find cheap wire to cover the enclosure , thank you ! @Kapidolo Farms @Toddrickfl1
@Tom
 

Tom

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The first picture is where I plan on moving his 8x4 . He is not fully grown but I believe the summer sun will do him well , I also plan on adding sum type wire to prevent predators . Although I am concerned about the temperatures here in Cali it is not so cold but I do have a heating system that is screwed on the roof of his small hide which I got from KFarm I believe he is well known for his heating pads . So when I move him outside and the temperature drops at night how Will I provide sufficient heat for him? Do I need to find a way to plug in the heating pad all the way outside because I don’t have plugs outside , please any advice will help also if you know where I can find cheap wire to cover the enclosure , thank you ! @Kapidolo Farms @Toddrickfl1
What species and size tortoise are we talking about?

The side of the house will have too much shade.

If that is artificial turf, I would not put a tortoise on that.
 

vlonethug

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What species and size tortoise are we talking about?

The side of the house will have too much shade.

If that is artificial turf, I would not put a tortoise on that.
Mine is a Redfoot tortoise . And he has an 8 x 4 enclosure which I will lay on top of the artificial turf so he will not be walking on that at all. And it’s 4 feet wide so I’m assuming if he needs sun he can walk towards the side with less shade . I just want to know how to keep him warm at night with no electrical outlet
 

Tom

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Mine is a Redfoot tortoise . And he has an 8 x 4 enclosure which I will lay on top of the artificial turf so he will not be walking on that at all. And it’s 4 feet wide so I’m assuming if he needs sun he can walk towards the side with less shade . I just want to know how to keep him warm at night with no electrical outlet
Ahhh. RFs don't need a lot of direct sun.

No way to safely and effectively make heat with out some electricity. Have an electrician come and instal an outlet. If that isn't possible, run a heavy gauge extension cord. These aren't cheap. You need a 12 gauge cord. Cheap small gauge cords are a fire hazard.

Your indoor enclosure really isn't suitable. They need constant Hugh humidity. This is already exceedingly difficult in our dry climate, but having an open topped enclosure with basking lamps makes it worse. You need a large closed chamber, and more radiant type heat. RFs don't need basking lamps but they do need heat and warm ambient temps.
 

vlonethug

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Ahhh. RFs don't need a lot of direct sun.

No way to safely and effectively make heat with out some electricity. Have an electrician come and instal an outlet. If that isn't possible, run a heavy gauge extension cord. These aren't cheap. You need a 12 gauge cord. Cheap small gauge cords are a fire hazard.

Your indoor enclosure really isn't suitable. They need constant Hugh humidity. This is already exceedingly difficult in our dry climate, but having an open topped enclosure with basking lamps makes it worse. You need a large closed chamber, and more radiant type heat. RFs don't need basking lamps but they do need heat and warm ambient temps.
Well I’ve spoken on the forums before and @Toddrickfl1 told me I could get by with an open top as long as I sprayed the substrate down once or twice a day ....
I don’t plan on spending 500 on a closed chamber so I figured with a nice tarp and a sunny side of the enclosure my tortoise would be well suited . Especially if I did get a extension cord like you said
 

vlonethug

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Well I’ve spoken on the forums before and @Toddrickfl1 told me I could get by with an open top as long as I sprayed the substrate down once or twice a day ....
I don’t plan on spending 500 on a closed chamber so I figured with a nice tarp and a sunny side of the enclosure my tortoise would be well suited . Especially if I did get a extension cord like you said
Also if they don’t need basking lamps are you saying I can remove mine from the enclosure and just keep the UVB bulb ? Also the humidity in my room isn’t that dry , I actually don’t even have windows in my room as you can tell therefore it gets pretty cold in my room especially if I spray it down twice a day . I don’t see why you’re saying my indoor enclosure isn’t suitable ? especially with a radiant heat type in his hide , I do believe his hide could be smaller and closed off but I just wanted to know if keeping him outside would be a better option after all he is a Land tortoise
 

Lyn W

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@Blackdog1714 has just made the side of his house into a great enclosure for his tort maybe he can show you the pics.
 
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Also if they don’t need basking lamps are you saying I can remove mine from the enclosure and just keep the UVB bulb ? Also the humidity in my room isn’t that dry , I actually don’t even have windows in my room as you can tell therefore it gets pretty cold in my room especially if I spray it down twice a day . I don’t see why you’re saying my indoor enclosure isn’t suitable ? especially with a radiant heat type in his hide , I do believe his hide could be smaller and closed off but I just wanted to know if keeping him outside would be a better option after all he is a Land tortoise
They don’t necessarily need a basking area as such but they would need a source of heat - especially if as you mentioned, your room gets pretty cold. Ceramic heaters are good for this.

Do you happen to have a hygrometer in your enclosure? If you can keep the humidity levels high with an open top then hats off to you but I think Tom was just suggesting that it’s easier with a closed chamber. They’re relatively cheap if you look in the right places - mine only cost around 100!
 

Tom

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Well I’ve spoken on the forums before and @Toddrickfl1 told me I could get by with an open top as long as I sprayed the substrate down once or twice a day ....
I don’t plan on spending 500 on a closed chamber so I figured with a nice tarp and a sunny side of the enclosure my tortoise would be well suited . Especially if I did get a extension cord like you said
Toddrickfl1 lives in Georgia. Its humid in Georgia even when it isn't humid. You live in a desert basin. Despite our landscaping and irrigation, our humidity in SoCal is extremely low. Its even lower indoors with AC and heat running all the time. Add a heat lamp and you have an extremely dry area for a tortoise species that needs to live in an extremely humid area. Like Georgia.

You chose a species that needs drastically different conditions than what your climate offers. You will need to spend time, money, and considerable effort to make this work.
 

Tom

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Also if they don’t need basking lamps are you saying I can remove mine from the enclosure and just keep the UVB bulb ? Also the humidity in my room isn’t that dry , I actually don’t even have windows in my room as you can tell therefore it gets pretty cold in my room especially if I spray it down twice a day . I don’t see why you’re saying my indoor enclosure isn’t suitable ? especially with a radiant heat type in his hide , I do believe his hide could be smaller and closed off but I just wanted to know if keeping him outside would be a better option after all he is a Land tortoise
You should remove the basking lamp, and you are using the wrong kind of UV lamp too.

As I said in the last sentence of post #5 "RFs don't need basking lamps but they do need heat and warm ambient temps." Yes, you should remove the basking lamp, but it needs to be replaced with something else that will work to keep the temperature in the entire enclosure between 82-88 all the time. This is impossible with an open topped enclosure in a cool dry room. That would be like trying to keep your house warm in winter with no roof on it. The warm air just escapes up and away into the night sky, as your tortoises warm humid air escapes up and into the room.

I'm saying your enclosure isn't suitable because you cannot maintain the needed environmental parameters for your chosen species of tortoise in an enclosure like that. Its not an insult or attack. Its a factual statement given in an effort to help your tortoise have a better life, and to help you have a better tortoise keeping experience.
 

Yvonne G

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The no roof on the house analogy was a good one!!
 

vlonethug

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They don’t necessarily need a basking area as such but they would need a source of heat - especially if as you mentioned, your room gets pretty cold. Ceramic heaters are good for this.

Do you happen to have a hygrometer in your enclosure? If you can keep the humidity levels high with an open top then hats off to you but I think Tom was just suggesting that it’s easier with a closed chamber. They’re relatively cheap if you look in the right places - mine only cost around 100!
By any chance was your closed chamber 8ft by 4ft I know it’s not crucial for it to be that big at the moment but it was recommended. So if you know somewhere I can find one that big for $100 I would be very thankful @turtwigtortoise
 

vlonethug

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You should remove the basking lamp, and you are using the wrong kind of UV lamp too.

As I said in the last sentence of post #5 "RFs don't need basking lamps but they do need heat and warm ambient temps." Yes, you should remove the basking lamp, but it needs to be replaced with something else that will work to keep the temperature in the entire enclosure between 82-88 all the time. This is impossible with an open topped enclosure in a cool dry room. That would be like trying to keep your house warm in winter with no roof on it. The warm air just escapes up and away into the night sky, as your tortoises warm humid air escapes up and into the room.

I'm saying your enclosure isn't suitable because you cannot maintain the needed environmental parameters for your chosen species of tortoise in an enclosure like that. Its not an insult or attack. Its a factual statement given in an effort to help your tortoise have a better life, and to help you have a better tortoise keeping experience.
Thank you so much for your time and making an effort to explain this very thoroughly. What I am getting from all this is that with efficient shade , I could place a closed chamber outside with a ceramic heat emitter and also a hide with some time of radiant type heat like the one I’m using now in his hide ? @Tom
 

Blackdog1714

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My just finished Leopard outdoor enclosure. I made it so he can't get out and they can't get in!
 

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Tom

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Thank you so much for your time and making an effort to explain this very thoroughly. What I am getting from all this is that with efficient shade , I could place a closed chamber outside with a ceramic heat emitter and also a hide with some time of radiant type heat like the one I’m using now in his hide ? @Tom
Closed chambers are for indoor housing. That will solve most of your problems until the tortoise gets big.

Outdoor housing needs to be open, but our climate is much too dry for this species. I normally advise people in SoCal not to get RFs, YFs, Indotestudo, Aldabras, or Manouria, because its too hot and dry here. Manouria can do okay near the coast as they tolerate lower temps, but the others need warm humid conditions all the time.

When the time comes for yours to be outside more, you will need a large heavily planted area of the yard for them. Frequent sprinklers and misters will help keep humidity up on warm days and a highly humidified heated night box will help give them the correct conditions to sleep in at night.

As I mentioned. Its not easy to keep this species where we live. It takes a lot of time, effort and money to do it in a satisfactory way.
 

vlonethug

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Closed chambers are for indoor housing. That will solve most of your problems until the tortoise gets big.

Outdoor housing needs to be open, but our climate is much too dry for this species. I normally advise people in SoCal not to get RFs, YFs, Indotestudo, Aldabras, or Manouria, because its too hot and dry here. Manouria can do okay near the coast as they tolerate lower temps, but the others need warm humid conditions all the time.

When the time comes for yours to be outside more, you will need a large heavily planted area of the yard for them. Frequent sprinklers and misters will help keep humidity up on warm days and a highly humidified heated night box will help give them the correct conditions to sleep in at night.

As I mentioned. Its not easy to keep this species where we live. It takes a lot of time, effort and money to do it in a satisfactory way.
Would it be effective if I had a glass tank with a ceramic heat emitter ? On nights where it gets too cold I can bring him inside , but other than that I think keeping him outside with a nice closed hide and a radiant heat panel on the roof of that . Will be enough for the summer at least . Correct ? And well when it comes to the humidity I will figure that out once I know it’s safe and I have all the information that I need . I have extra wood that I can use to cover the top if I have to provided more shade and less humidity from escaping . As well as adding plants and shade for a less drier environment.
Also I live in Santa Ana so it is quite windy most of the time and I don’t believe it’s as dry as most parts of Cali . So I’m sure spraying it constantly at least twice a day will provide efficient humidity. What do you think? Should I move the wooden enclosure outside ? I just want to get the room in my room back . I didn’t realize 8ft would take up most of my room tbh
 
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