Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Looking for ideas/ pictures of what people are using for indoor housing for a tort 8 inches or less . Below is one I like but I cant figure out what the overhead tube light is.

Anyone else have any good pics of indoor housing you use or anyone you have come accross? Post em if ya got em !

Don't have any pictures, but what I use is laminated bookcases laid on their backs. I seal the inner seams with aquarium sealant, and they make great easy-to-clean enclosures (plus, you can always convert them back to bookcases if need be, lol). I got mine (approx 3' x 4') at Scandanavian Designs for $39 apiece. You could build something for less, but if your time is limited, it's not a bad price. They come in larger sizes as well. I hang my lights on those ZooMed stands (those are expensive, but I don't trust clamp lamps since I had one fall into one of my enclosures), but you could build a modified one pretty easily.

Hope this helps!
-----
Sohni

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise
0.0.1 Marginated Tortoise
1.0 3 Toed Box Turtle (rescued)
plus my kids' herps:
0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Ok..

If you were to make one out of wook like the one I posted , what can you paint the inside with that will be safe for the tort?

You can use any paint, polyurathane, laminate. Those would all work.

Here is another idea that I'm playing with. They now have this composite 'wood' that is made of recycled plastic. It would last forever but it is very expensive.

My outdood pens are made with chain link fencing. If this 'wood' was available I'd of used that.

For indoor I still think plywood is the best. I believe they person that put that setup together had the wood cut a home depot or someplace like tht and put it together himself.

I really like the idea of the strip lamp hanger but I use the mercury vapor lamps so I don't think the flourescent lamps are necessary.

Ed
-----
Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

"Here is another idea that I'm playing with. They now have this composite 'wood' that is made of recycled plastic. It would last forever but it is very expensive."

This summer I tested the composite recycled plastic 'wood' material. Because it was just a test, I didn't cement in the posts and only made the pen 10' by 10'. The material looks like cherrywood and looks good overall. One problem to watch out for is the plastic tends to flex or bow out when the sun warms one side more than the other. I have flexing from 1-2 inches. Next summer, I plan to put in post supports every 5 feet instead of every 10 feet. I have a picture, but havn't taken the time to figure out how to post pictures on the forum yet. Contact directly if interested.
jbly

no offend (assuming you didn't have their permissions! I sure hope mr. JL doesn't mind if he found out) but please becareful when using other people's picture as some will have zero tolerrance about this issue.

back to your topic:

I'm not an advocate for indoor housing but I guess some would not want to have their prized animals stick out at risk, i would suggest if you could have it build "half and half" meaning the other half allows your animals access to real UV rays (a FREE service from Mother Nature!) get the picture? here's the run down:

_the basic "tort-table" blueprint by Dr. Fitzpatrick can be found on www.tortoise.org so take it from there and make your own.

_for heat/light and fake UVBs, there's a discussion a few posts down below about the compact bulb you might want to try out yourself.

_composite plastics: could be your best bet, (unless you are one of those who loves to change they cars more often than they underpants, in that case: wood is your chance!).
there are 3 brands of composite plastics manufactures that I'm aware of:
1_Fiberon/Veranda: their standard stocks are heavy (approx. 1" thick, 6" wide, 8'-12' or 16' long) you can build a tank out of it (battle-tank that is), the problem is most Home Depot /Lowe's only stock the "PINK" colour...Hmmm...unless you keep a PANTHER that'll be perfect...
2_TREX: I think they only interested in those who build a giant fortress by the cliff by looking @ their ad...not much into the little guys...
3_ION (Canadian) _ THIS IS THE BANGFOR THEBUCKPERSQUAREEINCH: I got some sidings from Home Depots through special order last year (1/4" thick, NINE INCH WIDE! 16' lenght) for about $20 a piece. the deep sandstone colour are exellence, your mediterraniance or russians just blends in like magic.(I still had to buy the 1"x1" Fiberon stocks to make the frame, though!)
BE CAUTIOUS about composite plastic or any inflamable materials when you installs the heating elements, try to shield the "HOT" zone with sheet metal/alloy...to give it a good SAFE radius.

Happy Cranking