2 Tier Tortoise Table

[Ozric Jonathan]

I'm really interested in what NDevon is up to! A 50 foot barn with multiple levels for tortoises sounds like quite a set-up.

My limited personal experience with trying anything like it is that tortoises just don't get the concept at all.

My belief is that when faced with a multi-level habitat the tortoise might end up using the different levels and might even look as though they are doing so deliberately but in fact would just be doing the tortoise-wandering thing.

[NDevon]

Nope no Horrsfields, Redfoots at the moment until I've done the work then there will be other species - still no Horsfields though.

I think you misunderstood what I meant with the ramp, there is no side to go over, you build a wall so it's fully enclosed. Imagine a staircase in a house with a wall to each side, no stair rail to look over or climb on, then there isn't anything to fall over. I wouldn't have a ramp with an open side for any tortoise as I wouldn't trust any to not have a go at climbing.

My current indoor enclosure is fully lined with pond liner, but I'm experimenting with a few small enclosures at the moment and they are all wooden, I'm not going to use pond liner except in a section that will hold a lot of water, the rest is sealed wood. With several layers of waterproof varnish and all joints silicone the wood can't rot. I'm also experimenting with bioactive substrates so there shouldn't be any mould or fungus build up. Mine couldn't move their water dish but even if they could the water would just be soaked into the substrate, obviously in a warm humid closed chamber that isn't an issue, it would make a mess in an open table I'm sure!

[NDevon]

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

I'm really interested in what NDevon is up to! A 50 foot barn with multiple levels for tortoises sounds like quite a set-up.

My limited personal experience with trying anything like it is that tortoises just don't get the concept at all.

My belief is that when faced with a multi-level habitat the tortoise might end up using the different levels and might even look as though they are doing so deliberately but in fact would just be doing the tortoise-wandering thing.

No idea how it will work on a large scale, it works in a small enclosure but will it scale up - not sure! To be honest once I've done the build I may just fill it with soil and shove them in, see how much energy and excitement I still have by then!

I'm making an L-shape multi level enclosure for my daughter at the moment, I'll put some pics up when it's all done but it's a bit frustrating at the moment as everything I post takes days to show up in here, so it's hard to check for mistakes - hence I posted twice, I thought the first one didn't work, I didn't realise I was being monitored!

This small enclosure will have 2 ramps, one to get to the first floor and then another to get to a coldframe / mini greenhouse with a door to the side that can be opened up so they have a sort of open top table as well. It was her idea for a tortoise palace, I'm trying to make it work! What I will do is have food, water and hides in each section, he enclosed areas are like 4 vivariums so there's a lot of space for them not to explore.

It's costing a fortune, I need heat and light in each section, so that's meant 5 thermostats, 5 thermometers and hygrometer, and I'm adding a fog system too for humidity so I needed a hygrostat too. Just my luck they will just stay in one small section the whole time!

I'm hoping they will get the hang of it, I experimented with a temporary second level in their enclosure and they all went up and down, but obviously it's a smaller space. I'll add pics and more info on it when I'm done if people want to see but I'm not getting into a debate about closed chambers for Redfoots!

[Ozric Jonathan]

Thanks for the extra info - sounds like a really interesting project. I don't know anything about redfoots so no worries about debates there!

My expereince with hermanns is that they are natural wanderers and sooner or later will explore anything and anywhere that they can gain access to. So I think the redfoots will use other levels but not perhaps in a planned way.

I've found with every enclsoure that I've made - indoors and out - that it never works out the way I planned it. This might be due to my rubbish planning! But another factor is that many probelms are only obvious once the tortoises are introduced to it.

Like you I've found that wood selaed with tough varnish is quite good at keeping rot at bay for a few years but for the floor of my indoors enclsoures I went the next step and glued floor tiles down too.

[emma_mcraf]

Originally Posted by NDevon

No idea how it will work on a large scale, it works in a small enclosure but will it scale up - not sure! To be honest once I've done the build I may just fill it with soil and shove them in, see how much energy and excitement I still have by then!

I'm making an L-shape multi level enclosure for my daughter at the moment, I'll put some pics up when it's all done but it's a bit frustrating at the moment as everything I post takes days to show up in here, so it's hard to check for mistakes - hence I posted twice, I thought the first one didn't work, I didn't realise I was being monitored!

This small enclosure will have 2 ramps, one to get to the first floor and then another to get to a coldframe / mini greenhouse with a door to the side that can be opened up so they have a sort of open top table as well. It was her idea for a tortoise palace, I'm trying to make it work! What I will do is have food, water and hides in each section, he enclosed areas are like 4 vivariums so there's a lot of space for them not to explore.

It's costing a fortune, I need heat and light in each section, so that's meant 5 thermostats, 5 thermometers and hygrometer, and I'm adding a fog system too for humidity so I needed a hygrostat too. Just my luck they will just stay in one small section the whole time!

I'm hoping they will get the hang of it, I experimented with a temporary second level in their enclosure and they all went up and down, but obviously it's a smaller space. I'll add pics and more info on it when I'm done if people want to see but I'm not getting into a debate about closed chambers for Redfoots!

It sounds very complex! Certainly a project to keep you busy. I'd love to see photos when it's done.

[Jan W]

I can't wait to see the photos.

Now that you have had 5 posts you will probably find your posts appear straight away.

[CherryBrandy]

oh redfoots ! lets have a debate about closed chambers Americans have them all the time ! Sounds terrific, and a little palatial in a barn. I wish I could live in a barn sometimes. Good luck and be very interested in photographs. CB

[Lucozade]

Originally Posted by NDevon

Nope no Horrsfields, Redfoots at the moment until I've done the work then there will be other species - still no Horsfields though.

I think you misunderstood what I meant with the ramp, there is no side to go over, you build a wall so it's fully enclosed. Imagine a staircase in a house with a wall to each side, no stair rail to look over or climb on, then there isn't anything to fall over. I wouldn't have a ramp with an open side for any tortoise as I wouldn't trust any to not have a go at climbing.

My current indoor enclosure is fully lined with pond liner, but I'm experimenting with a few small enclosures at the moment and they are all wooden, I'm not going to use pond liner except in a section that will hold a lot of water, the rest is sealed wood. With several layers of waterproof varnish and all joints silicone the wood can't rot. I'm also experimenting with bioactive substrates so there shouldn't be any mould or fungus build up. Mine couldn't move their water dish but even if they could the water would just be soaked into the substrate, obviously in a warm humid closed chamber that isn't an issue, it would make a mess in an open table I'm sure!

Erm, sorry to break it to you, but if you think Silicone is tortoise proof, you'd better think again lol.
Mine has pulled the silicone away from the side of his housey twice now and I've had to temporarily put him somewhere else while I re-sealed it and it fully set.

[NDevon]

Originally Posted by CherryBrandy

oh redfoots ! lets have a debate about closed chambers Americans have them all the time ! Sounds terrific, and a little palatial in a barn. I wish I could live in a barn sometimes. Good luck and be very interested in photographs. CB

As soon as things start I will start a thread, I'm not allowed to spend any money until after next May as we are getting married, however some stuff will happen before I'm sure, I need to make a start on it!

Originally Posted by Lucozade

Erm, sorry to break it to you, but if you think Silicone is tortoise proof, you'd better think again lol.
Mine has pulled the silicone away from the side of his housey twice now and I've had to temporarily put him somewhere else while I re-sealed it and it fully set.

Well if they can get out of the vivarium, find a screwdriver and take the whole thing apart then I suppose they could get to the silicone in the joins and pull on it, otherwise I'm not sure how they could get to it!

[CherryBrandy]

[QUOTE=NDevon;664530]As soon as things start I will start a thread, I'm not allowed to spend any money until after next May as we are getting married, however some stuff will happen before I'm sure, I need to make a start on it!

I am not sure you have your priorities right !

Keep posting wont you. We will want updates. (on the wedding also!).