Pixel's first home: comments and critiques welcome.

[PixelAdams]

Hello all, I'm looking for comments, critiques, and suggestions on a new baby tortoise enclosure. I'm going to be getting my first tortoise (a marginated tortoise named Pixel) in 2 days. The enclosure is a 54 gallon Rubbermaid storage bin.

Substrate: About 4 inches of topsoil, mixed with cypress mulch.

Lights/Heat: 100 W MVB for basking, 100 W CHE placed over the humid hide. The MVB is on a timer, the CHE is on a Hydrofarm thermostat set to 80 F. Both lights are suspended from a zoo med lampstand.

Hides: Half log hide on the cool end, ziploc plastic container on the warm side for a humid hide.

Here's the whole thing:


The warm side, with basking rock, humid hide, rock garden, water bowl, and fake plant:


The cool side, with spider plant, cuttle bone (on the right), food dish, and log hide:


Lights:


The lights seem to be hung pretty low, but that's the only way I got the tank to reach proper temperatures. The CHE is only 6 inches above the hide.

Please tell me if there are any improvements I could make or any dangers which need to be corrected before Pixel arrives!

 

[Heather H]

Hi I'm new on here too. I like your set up. But will let the experienced ones critic can't wait to see pics of your new baby.

 

[pfara]

I definitely commend you on getting the enclosure set up early and testing things for a few days. I also love that you're simplifying your husbandry with the use of thermostats and timers. It looks pretty good for a starter setup. I don't know much about marginateds, so I wouldn't know if they like to dig a bit. I *do* know that baby tortoises like to hide a lot, so maybe put in loose sphagnum moss or something else to dig into. Cypress isn't the best substrate to do that in.

Good job and enjoy your new addition!

 

[PixelAdams]

I definitely commend you on getting the enclosure set up early and testing things for a few days. I also love that you're simplifying your husbandry with the use of thermostats and timers. It looks pretty good for a starter setup. I don't know much about marginateds, so I wouldn't know if they like to dig a bit. I *do* know that baby tortoises like to hide a lot, so maybe put in loose sphagnum moss or something else to dig into. Cypress isn't the best substrate to do that in.

Good job and enjoy your new addition!

Thanks pfara! I have some sphagnum in the hide, but I'll go ahead and stick some in the corners as well so she'll have lots of places to dig.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

That's really nice!
Guessing you're getting a baby? Just make sure he doesn't have any trouble with those
Looks really nice, I think you did a great job.

 

[kdub]

Covering will help to keep the heat in. Aluminum foil is a cheap way to do it.

 

[keepergale]

Covering will help to keep the heat in. Aluminum foil is a cheap way to do it.

kdub is right. Holding your temperature steady and keeping the humidity up is all but impossible in an open topped enclosure.