Tortoise Vivarium

Hello!!!! This is a simple vivarium for your little tortoises. I had to build it because the hot season is ending, and I need to move my little hermanni tortoise in my home. As it's a bit young I don't want to let it falls in letarge now, so I built a vivarium to keep it safe and cozy in my home during the winter.

It's kind of modular, so the cover can be placed on top of vivarium and removed when needed.

The ground is basically divided in two areas, at left, I there is a deeper area, tfilled with expanded clay and bark (or straw). I can also pit a cutted plastic bottle in the clay, so it will work good as placeholder for your plants and pots.. so you don't need to dig each time when you'll change the plant pots.

On the other side I retrieved enough space for a drawer which can contains some utils for my tortoise. I reserved also a little of space behind the drawer to insert an arduino board which controls light scheduling and ceramic lamp to keep stable the temperature (see my Datura 6 relays automation project to get the idea.. yes that one is bigger, but same concept. Here I used an arduino pro micro, a dht22 temperature sensor, a couple of relays, and ds1307 clock).

I used a small 26W 5% UVB lamp on top and a 60W ceramic lamp to heat.

A small swimming pool can be placed in expanded clay to keep topsoil leveled as tortoise use to do their needs in water. Then you can place also a jar cap in the right side to let the tortoise drinks clean water.

Then you can choose a cozy shelter such a cutted coconut or whatever you want.

Step 1: Part List and Building It Up

Most of the pieces are 1cm thick plywood.

The assembling is very simple. Just use tiny 2cm nails and follow the drawings. Just be careful at your fingers when using the hammer.

HINTS

Be patient when you cut the frontal panel, as in the right side it's easy to break the wood, as you have to cut at 1cm from border (see picture)

Mind that the two areas divider is 2cm thick (as all other pieces are all 1cm).

To fasten the upper cover to the vivarium you can use some hangers and few screws.

if you plan to insert a time scheduler behind the drawer, drill a 1cm hole to insert the electric wire.

So, if you liked my project, please VOTE ME AT winterize contest remix contest, THANKS!

(link of remixed project is https://www.instructables.com/id/Luxury-tortoises-house/ )