32 sq ft is plenty of room for two russians. If they are a male/female pair, you should try to put in some objects that'll block the line of sight. In other words, create places where the female can get away from the male. Heck, that's a good idea even if you have two females. Sometimes they get on each other's nerves.

I don't know about the construction process. I live in Missouri and the soil is heavy with clay and doesn't drain well. I tried mixing some sand into the soil, but that doesn't help much. But my torts don't seem all that sensitive to the sometimes damp soil and high humidity. There are flat rocks in the pen where they can bask in complete dryness, and their tort house has a floor of bricks sunk into the soil that allows them to sleep in a dry area.

I used to live in Galveston and know how much rain you can get down there. Maybe a trip to a hardware store will give you some ideas. From watching home-repair shows it seems there are all kinds of moisture-blocking and drainage materials that could be placed atop the gravel. I've used the weed-blocking material for weed-blocking, and it does hold up. Not sure what would happen under a layer of soil.

[ Show Entire Thread ]