would this hold moisture well?

[cvalda]

Still looking at indoor options for housing the four RF girls... I know they can't be housed together yet, but I want to get something ready for them now and I can put Shuto and Ashi in it now and just move the others in as they are all ready.

I am wondering if using the cement cinderblocks that I used for the Russian enclosure would hold moisture well, because this would be really cost effective for me? I could also LINE the blocks on the inside of the enclosure with clear vinyl sheeting.

I am looking at making one part of the enclosure about 46 inches by 20 inches, so that I can lay a 2' x 4' sheet of plywood or particle board over the top, so it is DARK and can hold moisture... IF those cinderblocks WILL hold moisture.

What do you think? The other side would be about 28" by 64 " and I could cover it with something that is see-through - I saw some sheets of clear plastic that was solid enough... Or I could even drape a clear shower curtain over that section...

 

[Itort]

I believe the the blocks would hold moisture well and also heat especially with plastic liner. Of course the blocks would be thoroughly disinfected with chlorox.

 

[cvalda]

Okay I've FINALLY figured out what I'm going to do for them.

I was at Farm & Fleet and they had a "portable greenhouse" for $30 - 4' x 7'. So I got it and set it up in my basement. Wow does it hold heat well, LOL, and if I turn on a small warm humidifier in there an hour a day or so I think it will stay a perfect atmosphere. I set it up on a tarp. And I'll reinforce the sides obviously, so that it's not just see through vinyl! LOL! In the back of it I'll through a line of cinderblocks down and cover it with a sheet of 2x4 plywood so they have an absolutely dark place to go, with appropriately heighted hides (yes I think I made up a word just there). What's cool is on top of that, is I can set one of the rubbermaid tree totes up there and have anyone who's still on quarantine or not big enough to be with the group in it, and they can still benefit from the humidity. Also it has two built in shelves on one side, so I can try my hand at killing... er, I mean growing some plants for them.

I'll post a "walk through" video when I'm done!

 

[cvalda]

Oh and since it's "portable", I can just move it outside in the summer and not have to worry about those dang hawks so much!

And really, I could put ANY type of enclosure inside this, it's really just going to serve to help me have a nice humid environment.

Hey, does anyone just use tap water for misting? Because since it's in the basement, I can hook a hose up to the sink, throw a sprayer at the end, and QUICK AND EASY misting.

 

[JustAnja]

Sounds great Kelly, I cant wait to see it all setup. I do use my tap water for misting my torts and my snakes, which is softened well water. I use bottled water for water bowls. I worry about the salt content of the softened water for the herps.

 

[cvalda]

Yah I'm on a well, too... but I have to remember to add some salt to the softener! I really should start using bottled water for ALL the torts water bowls, methinks. I hadn't thought of doing that and still using tap for the misting. DOI! In all my thinking, I'm slow sometimes! LOL!

I'm excited about the area for the Red-Foots. Of course I'll only be able to put Shuto and Ashi in there for now. I am sure Makidach is healthy but I haven't had Shuto and Ashi long enough to be able to state that for sure on them... though I'd say they've had 10 months of "quarantine" at the petstore (aside from crappy conditions, at least they probably don't have anything they've gotten from other RFs). And Sasoi... I'm just going to leave her be for now until we establish a really good eating routine. So Ashi and Shuto will be rolling in the space for awhile!

Plus I've been offered an AWESOME 6" male, which will ship this Spring, so YAY I'm set up now!

I still think Buckleberry might need a little buddy, though! LOL!

 

[cvalda]

I got most of "Club Red" done today and two Red-foots moved in! I didn't take an outside pic of the Greenhouse (because of the mess around it in my basement) and the inside pics don't look too spectacular, but it's really nice for them I think! I got a warm mist humidifier (non bacteria kind) to keep it humid and warm, and I'll run it during the days but turn it off overnight. Man it feels like a sauna in there!

This is the front section of it, which is about 4.5' x 4'... I need to get a plant to put in the middle of that, a real plant I mean... (That's Ashi exploring! Then I started taking pics and she headed for the hide!)

The back section isn't too pretty but very nice for them... I used cinderblocks to build up a wall and on top of that I have a 2' x 4' piece of plywood so they have a very dark "hide" (which is 2' x 4', of course). The "entrance" on the left is what Deontay and I built - he cut the wood and I nailed them together! I throw a towel over the opening above that just to block out the light. You can sort of see along the left, there are shelves along the length of it. I can actually grow some plants or something... we need to grow dandelion! And I have the humidifier set up on the shelves there, too (which you can't see). Oh I did stick in a UVB light for now... I just happened to have it handy and needed some light. I may change that in the future. Or if I get a nice plant in there I might leave it for the plant, and it'll kinda be like sunlight trickling through the leaves to the forest floor! LOL!

Inside the dark hide, I have two heat emitters so that it stays nice and toasty warm. Then I have the floor lined with cypress mulch, and on top of that is damp moss that they can burrow in, so they feel like they're right at home in the rainforest! I couldn't get a good picture of inside there, but you can see the moss in this pic (along with Shuto), although it's much deeper than it appears in this picture:

So that's that! Even though it's not a real pretty looking thing, nor real fancy, I'm excited to be able to provide a similar atmosphere to what they would experience in the wild (as far as I understand it)!

Now to see how feeding these two goes tomorrow! Hopefully they're new surroundings won't throw them off schedule! And I can't wait to be able to move the other two (and the upcoming male) in at some point!

 

[JustAnja]

Looks pretty nice Kelly, they should enjoy it allot.

 

[cvalda]

There was one corner of the dark hiding area that was just Bed-a-Beast (whereas the rest is cypress mulch and moss). Of course Shuto LOVES to bury herself in that Bed-a-Beast corner! LOL! These two had been with each other for at least ten months in the petstore, then I seperated them for the time I had them to monitor their eating. They actually seemed pleased to be back together again!

 

[Jacqui]

I would not have thought of the moveable greenhouse. Duh I can be so thick sometimes, especially since I keep telling Jeff we need to build a greenhouse for the RF group.

Can't wait to see how you do with growing plants!

 

[cvalda]

i'll probably do really horrible with plants, but will give it a shot. every other plant to ever enter my house has died pretty quickly. honestly, i hate plants! but it'll be nice for the torts to be able to nibble on something nice!

 

[Jacqui]

You sound like me. I can't keep most plants in the house and never grow things from seeds, but outside, well there I seem to manage pretty well.