Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, I recently built a new tortoise table and just wanted to share with everyone. Below and not visible is a slider pond. The top seen in the picture is approx. 4 feet by 6 feet. I used a rubber deck sealant and so far it's done great resisting the vigours of tortoise life. I realize a hide box would be nice but so far they seem to enjoy just digging in the shavings. The coolside has a min/max humidity of 40% and 76% which should do the trick. I realize these are desert species (31/2year old G.sulcata and an old rescue T.horsfeildi) and the majority of the space has a very low humidity. Temps range from 88F to 110F and dip down to 81F at night. The herp room is controlled at 83F give or take a few degrees.
So anyone with lots of experience with these species please feel free to critique my setup and suggest any improvements
I definately admit that although experienced, I am no expert.

how is it applied, what brand, be specific as it sounds pretty interesting.....

-Ian

I do not know if this is the same stuff but a Goggle search brought up www.pro-tect.com/watershield.shtml
Link

I used Ducan brand selant. It's made in Canada but may be available in the USA since I bought it at Home Depot. They have a website but I have forgotten it; you should be able to find it at a search engine. The only draw back is the application. The fumes are horrible and I'll never do it inside during the winter again. After 14 days the stuff is fully finished and the tort's can go in.

The product itself has 3 steps. First the enclosure is filled with the ducan filler, and cracks are taped with this white stuff also made by ducan. Finally a primer, and then the sealer is put on. It is very easy to clean, has a granular surface so supplies traction, and is very wear resistant.

Is this stuff totally tortoise safe if the fumes are that bad? What chemicals are in it? Can the torts bite into it and swallow any of it? Sounds great if it is totally safe and water based.
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Michael
http://turtletracker.com

I contacted the company and was recommended the 14 day waiting period before putting the animals in . After this, the material is fully curred and completely inert.

Cool, sounds like good stuff!

Looks good, though I'd wonder about the UVB available in the enclosure. Is that 18" fixture the only fluorescent lighting you have? Be sure to get at least a 5.0 UV bulb. Unfortunately, the incadescent basking lamps are great for providing heat, but don't give off any UV, which the deserts especially rely on for D3 synthesis.

...make sure it doesn't fell off and caught fire after all that ramming...
(i said it again) me no advocate for indoor shack...hope this is only a winter vacation motel...

Unfortunatly this is a year long enlosure. The summers are rather short this far north and there is rarely more 7 days in a row that would constitute tortoise friendly. They do go outside for grazing and sunlight as much as possible however.

The UV bulb is placed above the food because that is where they spend alot of time Thanks for the suggestion though, and I will add more and longer tubes soon.

What about the temps? Are they okay? I am a little worried I might not have the cool side cool enough, especially for the russian.

Cool temps of 81 will be ok for the russian, though they can tolerate lower temps. as long as there is at least a 10 degree gradient they can choose from, you'll be fine. make sure they stay hydrated, and the cool temps are cool enough.