Russian Tort Enclosure Help

[TennisGecko]

Hi Im looking into building a new tortoise enclosure as for mine is waaaaaay too small for my Russian Tort Donnie.
Would 5 foot across and 2 foot Wide be enough and the sides would be 2 feet high also he get's out daily for a walk in the reptile room.
What kind of wood should I use too make it too?
What can seal the wood so no moisture gets in?
Thanks

 

[Tom]

An adult russian should have at least 4x8' for an indoor enclosure. Any increase in size will be better than something too small, but they need room to move. I would not let the tortoise roam the floor. Many tortoises are injured or killed in a variety of ways from that practice.

Painted plywood and 2x4s will work just fine.

 

[TennisGecko]

Tom: No I mean The "Reptile room" is his room I have tort proofed it and I always see lots of people keep their torts in a room and let them roam.
also Why have i seen enclosure way smaller then that? I have seen people keep them in 50 gallon totes?

 

[Jodie]

People do all kinds of things. Just because the tortoise hasn't died doesn't mean it is thriving. Russian tortoises roam a long way every day in the wild to graze. They need a lot of space to do well and stay active. The floor is usually too cold, even if you have successfully tort proofed it.
The advice you receive here will always be in the tortoises best interest. It is not enough to provide an environment they can survive. Everything possible should be done to achieve an environment where they can thrive. With Russians, bigger is always better.

 

[naturalman91]

Tom: No I mean The "Reptile room" is his room I have tort proofed it and I always see lots of people keep their torts in a room and let them roam.
also Why have i seen enclosure way smaller then that? I have seen people keep them in 50 gallon totes?

a tort will always find something to mess with there is no such thing as "tort proofing" and i agree i've seen 50gallon totes used as enclosure's they work great for baby's but they're not right for adults

the people you see using totes for adult's aren't listening to the proper advice they're following they're own opinion which normally comes back to haunt the animal not them

if you can't do a full 4x8 might i suggest 3x6? i just made a very nice enclosure for about 80 dollars i'd be happy to share with you where i got the stuff and a how to