Progress on a tortoise table!

mlummus

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May 20, 2015
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68
Hey guys just wanted to share some pics of the first weekend of building Frankie's new tortoise table!

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My boyfriend works at a glass shop and was able to get a bunch of wood from the shipments they get in! This frame is roughly 5x2

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We added legs, an extra board for support and put more screws around the edges for reinforcement

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I got so excited with wanting to set everything up that I forgot to line the the bottom with the shower curtain I bought :( but I'll be moving in less than a year so I'll dump everything out and redo it all then. We ran out of wood to finish building up the walls but the plan is to build the walls up about 8 inches. We're also going to add a second story for a basking spot so we sorta started to get that going (that's what you see on the far right of the enclosure). We'll put a "roof" on top and then add the second story and ramp! The plant on the far side is a spider plant and I added some testudo broadleaf seed mix into part of the substrate (which is hapigro topsoil). So ready for it to be finished so Frankie can move in!
 

CanadianTestudo

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Spider plant might not fare to well if it can't spread its roots (conch shell looks nice but might not make a suitable flowerpot). Also, maybe want to give the plants a chance to grow before putting your tortoise in there or they will never grow :p
 

johnsonnboswell

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Nice start. You'll want the walls higher than 8". Tortoises climb. A fall from that height could be dire.

I wouldn't wait till you move to line the bottom, even though it's a nuisance to dump the substrate & replace it. It would be a shame if dampness ruined all your work, especially if the wood absorbed odors.
 

bouaboua

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Can't wait to see the higher wall with upper floor.
 

mlummus

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May 20, 2015
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Spider plant might not fare to well if it can't spread its roots (conch shell looks nice but might not make a suitable flowerpot). Also, maybe want to give the plants a chance to grow before putting your tortoise in there or they will never grow :p

I never thought about the roots! I'll be digging up the soil it seems so that I can line the bottom so I'll replant it!
 

mlummus

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May 20, 2015
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More progress but still some more work to be done!

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We added walls and sorta built the house! The second story is coming later because, again, we ran out of wood /: Frankie is coming home next week and this will work for a while. Once my boyfriend and I find some more time (probably sometime in August :/) we will finish the second story basking spot! For now I'm super excited! My weed seeds have sprouted and everything is starting to come together! :)
 
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