So what is the biggest tank needed for a tortoise. I started with a 29 gallon and then now I’m hearing 40 gallon. I just feel I wasted so much money but then again right not he is adjusting and not moving around and he will be inside not outside.
What's the Biggest Size Tank for a Tortoise?
- Thread starter RaeLee
- Start date
What species? If we’re talking about an adult Russian, there is no tank big enough. You need to build an 8x4 foot minimum indoor enclosure or outdoor pen.
Hatchlings of any species should be started in no less than a 40 gallon, but that won’t last long.
No tank is really big enough for any full grown tortoise. Unfortunately this is what's sold at chain pet shops. I call it "The Terrible Tortoise Tank starter kit" It's not about the animal to them it's about the profit.
I have a small Redfoot tortoise. I was reading everyone’s messages and new the forum and I feel like I did everything wrong
but I’m making sure he has what he needsRedfoot tortoise
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One of those GIANT, plastic totes/bins with a lid that you see at Home Depot, Lowes or Walmart are a common choice.
They have a large surface area. They're inexpensive and they can easily become a "closed chamber" enclosure.
But this won't be large enough for even a sub adult.
They have a large surface area. They're inexpensive and they can easily become a "closed chamber" enclosure.
But this won't be large enough for even a sub adult.
There are two routes to go, and this first one is the one we most often travel. Get a tort - often spur-of-the-moment - then panic about setting up housing. Buy something under considerable duress - usually too small, uncovered, and totally inadequate - place tortoise inside and THEN start seeking advice from knowledgeable people. Discover the set-up will never work, money and time have been wasted, then start assembling a correct enclosure. But since money has been wasted, the 2nd set-up is done on a shoe-string budget, and even though it is now a good, healthy enclosure, it is much too small for anything more than the first year of life. Then, plans for a larger, nicer enclosure begin in earnest. Rinse & repeat every year for a half-decade, or until the tortoise can be moved outside. That opens up another can of worms...
Route #2: Consider buying a tortoise. Spend a year studying the species you are interested in, learning everything you could possibly need to know, and carefully building a perfect enclosure that will last the lifetime of the tortoise you desire to keep, with all the correct lighting, humidification, substrate, thermometers, etc. that will maintain a perfect environment. Carefully consider a host of reputable breeders, consult previous customers, and THEN buy the tortoise you have your heart set on, now that the habitat is up and running correctly.
I've never met a traveler of Route #2...
Route #2: Consider buying a tortoise. Spend a year studying the species you are interested in, learning everything you could possibly need to know, and carefully building a perfect enclosure that will last the lifetime of the tortoise you desire to keep, with all the correct lighting, humidification, substrate, thermometers, etc. that will maintain a perfect environment. Carefully consider a host of reputable breeders, consult previous customers, and THEN buy the tortoise you have your heart set on, now that the habitat is up and running correctly.
I've never met a traveler of Route #2...
