Tile Deluxe Heated Tortoise Table (PICS)

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

WELL its done. Stained, trimmed, tiled, and heated, waterproofed too. I can adjust the temperature from nothing to hot. The under floor heating system kicks on or off depending on the thermostat installed underneath the tile. Right now I have it set to 75. The tile feels warm to the touch, not hot. It covers the entire bottom of the enclosure.

Pictured on top is a matching oak lighting fixture for (2) fluorescent tubes which is not done yet.

 

[Torty Mom]

Woo hoo that is awesome!! You did a fantastic job! I love it!!!

 

[pdrobber]

nice. is it controllable by sections or a whole?
what are you using under the tiles to heat it? mats? tape? is it removable or are they permanent in there?

just curious haha always looking to add new things/improve mine.

 

[Yvonne G]

Wow! First class all the way. Can't wait to see pictures when its planted and inhabited!

 

[coreyc]

Nice job what are you putting in there redfoots?

 

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

a redfoot. it is like 6 by 3 foot only big enough for one probably.A cherryhead. The whole thing is heated, not in sections... There is a heat mat underneath it, not removable. The thermostat is installed underneath.

I am going to cover at least half of the top with glass pieces probably, I was thinking the radiant heat from below constantly on plus humidity would raise the temp up even more much like if it was a glass aquarium... hopefully those tiles etc. hold up. There is this waterproof paint (made for tile) painted onto the plywood and waterproofing stuff on the grout. I won't get the tort until early march tho, I am getting it from Vicki anyhow. I am pretty sure it is waterproof enough for my application. I wouldn't trust it as a aquarium though thats for sure. You can go to tortoiseyard.com and look at the tortoises for sale section, mine is the cherryhead one reserved for me, Adam.

 

[Tom]

Really nice. I love the tile idea. Water proof and dissipates the heat very well. More pics please. I really want to see how it works out for you in use too.

 

[Balboa]

Great Job Dark!
That's looking top notch!
As you know I'm excited by this and can't wait to see how well it all works out. I've been kicking around my own design similiar to yours in my head for a while now, but won't be able to "break ground" on it until spring.

 

[pdrobber]

awesome. i wish i were handy enough to do tile work. i would kill myself trying to do those partial ones on the sides. it's gonna look so good with everything in it!

 

[kbaker]

I am looking forward to seeing how this works out, too. A few things that have bothered me with this type of set up...The smooth tile is - well, smooth which is not good in general for tortoises to walk on. If you add any substrate, it will insulate the heat. So, the enclosure will not heat. With the thermostat, the floor should not over heat, but if you adjust it to compensate for the cooler encloser the floor could get hot in spots. And then when the tortoise digs, it could rest on a hot spot.

I have tried this on a smaller scale without a thermostat. It takes about two inches of dirt to totally insulate the heat. Long term, the dirt right above the heat element bakes like crispy burnt cookies.

Keep us posted!

 

[schribby24]

That is very nice.
I applaud your creativity.
That must have cost a fortune.
-Schribby

 

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

yeah it cost over $500 I think. My dad paid for part of it, he has a tile saw and knows how to cut tile, or else I wouldn't have done tile... the most expensive single element was the heating mat, over $250.

kbaker- I wasn't going to have tile as the enclosure's floor. I am going to put cypress mulch down.
I think even with a thin layer of substrate, or moderate; that the under floor heating system will be beneficial. I don't think it will "bake" the substrate if the enclosure is kept moist, which I plan to do with one of those "repti-fogger" type machines.

This is a learning process for me too, and if one thing doesn't work out like I wanted it to, I will try something else to try to get it to work better.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

I think that's great. I hope the tile works great and it sounds like it will be just about perfect for you. The heating pad probably won't heat up the enclosure much, but in my mind the really beneficial part comes from the fact that it will heat up the bottom of the substrate where water gathers the most and create some enclosure wide humidity for you. If you didn't have it it would just sit there and get clammy.

All that tile work must have taken forever! Good on you for taking the time to make exactly what you want in an enclosure. You should post some more pics when there's a bit more light

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Piece of art, very nice.

 

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

Thanks, I will get more pix up when I find the camera.

 

[Neal]

What are you using to generate the heat underneath?

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Just read your previous posts, I'd like to look into that a little more.

 

[Kristina]

Looks fantastic!

Oh, and here is a pic of Adam's baby, the future inhabitant Gorgeous little baby.

 

[Neal]

Put that tortoise out, he's on fire!!!!

 

[Sweetpea]

so cute & colorful!!