Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the best eastern box turtle setup i can normal get for 100$. Its a hatchling about 3 months old now.

big piece of ply wood maybe 8 by 5 around 25 dollars
three 40 pound bags of topsoil total around 9 dollars
clamp lamp around 8 dollars
powersun uvb bulb around 33 dollars (if you know where to look online)
cement mixing tub small size 11 dollars
box of nails 3 dollars
hammer 12 dollars

total: 101 well then there's tax...can you borrow a hammer?

six hours of work (well don't pay yourself)
get it all at hardware store or lumber yard or home improvement store
except powersun light....i'd go with reptile direct myself but many online dealers sell if cheaply...avoid petstores which may sell if for 50 - 80 bucks. (oh also there' shipping on the powersun)

Get the hardware store to cut the board into five peices to make a rectangular box.(unless you have a saw) tip the guy who cuts it...five bucks
Get some scrap two by fours to hold the sides togther...super cheap in back of lumber yards and home improvemnet stores (soem times even free)
or even skip the ply wood and buy something thinner like peg board without the hoels 9what's theat stuff called?) 8 by 5 might be 15 dollars

or

go get two 55 gallon rubbermaid plastic storage boxes (12 bucks each)
buy one 10 foot two by four...6 bucks?
hammer
nails
soil
plastic paint tray 3 bucks
spray bottle 2 dollars
i bag play sand 4 bucks
i bag moss 6 bucks
1 razor cutter 99 cents to 10 dolalrs depending upon make
place side by side
10 square feet of screen 8 bucks
cut square holes in each so they align
build frame with two by fours around boxes to hold together
use left over two by fours on inside to increase structural integrity
powersun or westron bulb if you can get it
make one side "wet" with moss soil and water dish (paint tray)
make one side dry with soil and sand
two clamp lamps
1 regular 100 watt incandescent light bulb
use power sun on one side reg bulb on other
use screen to replace half of inside of cover of one rubbermaid box

in both cases go get logs from wood piles of neighbors and friends ...try not to rape woodlands if possible
clean in oven to kill bugs, mold spores etc... if desired

hmm if any left over buy some grass seed or some potted planst or go find your own wild plants decorate to provid many hiding spots
some combination of these will work and if you are a smart shopper you cna spend much less than i suggested...look around at prices of these things in hardware stores.

Really neat ideas here and I think it is great for a larger/older animal.
I have to ask though. How many people have honestly raised a hatchling anything in an enclosure this size?
This in not directed at any one person.
I think a smaller enclosure like a 10 gal tank (yes, you can use a fish tank with no problems if you give the same consideration as you would with any other container) or a rubbermaid sweaterbox would be better for the first year or 2 for easier control.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

GO TO THE PET STORE, GET A 10 GALLON AQUARIUM, A 2.0 UVB 18" FLOURESCENT LIGHT BULB, AND A 50-75 WATT HEAT BULB.

NEXT GO TO THE HARDWARE STORE, GET A BAG OF DIRT, A CLAMP LIGHT, AND A 18" FLOURESCENT LIGHT FIXTURE.

Assuming you'll be keeping your turtle in the $100 setup for more than just the short term, I suggest that you follow Bloomin's advice, and make it as large as you can.
A 10 gal tank isn't the best idea for a few reasons: it won't be big enough for long, turtles don't do well behind glass, and in terms of $$ per square foot, they are expensive.
Rubbermaid makes an assortment of storage containers that are very economical and provide adequate space for youngsters. They can also be re-used for other purposes, when your turtle outgrows them.
Spend your money on good lighting and heating accessories.
Just keep in mind that turtle hatchlings grow, and turtles need as much room as you can provide, so try and plan for that eventuality.
Stephanie

i do agree... 10 gal tank is a no. its not enough room. i was looking at rubbermaid stuff. I'm loving that idea of connect 2 rubbermaids together. Very good idea. i'm considering that at the moment. Well this setup would be his home for then next couple of years and i would like to get the most bang for my bucks. i'm looking for more suggestions so i can compare and contrast everything. keep the ideas coming plz.

I attached two rubbermaid containers, end to end, for my boxie. It works well!

I like Bed A Beast for the bedding.

It occurred to me that you could also look into buying a used tank: I'm on my way to my local reptile rescue organization to do just that.
You can purchase second-hand tanks cheaply, and tanks that are no longer water tight can be super cheap & still be useful as vivaria/terraria.
Check the classifieds in your local paper, pet store notice boards, local herp society or rescue organization.

If you do the plywood thing, then be prepared to put some kind of protectant on it, otherwise the soil will just rot the wood.

I think the "link a rubbermaid together" is great, but I have a better idea......

www.reptiletubs.com

The VE-175 series floor space is about 4ft by 18in or so.
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose

those are too small