I’m a newer member here soaking up the knowledge; thank you all for sharing 
For those that don’t know me yet, you can read more about my background and why I’m here at this post, but I’m here looking to get a tortoise for my wife, and doing my best to research first.
After much research, and after getting in touch with TF.org member Tom, I’m really interested in one or three of his Burmese Star Tortoises; they sound like a nearly perfect species for us.
Please know that while we are challenged for space inside, and we live in chilly Upstate New York, we would also provide a large outdoor enclosure for use in the warmer months of the year
I’ve been told by Tom that I can keep one or three (but never two!) Burmese Stars in a 4’x8′ enclosure, and I’m looking for some help designing and building a DIY enclosure that fits their needs. Tom has told me that wooden enclosures have fallen out of fashion because they quickly deteriorate from the higher humidity needed for these torts, and he’s said he’s tried all varieties of boat epoxies and things like Pond Shield that fail sooner than later. He has suggested that I go for a PVC enclosure, but the ones I see from Toad Ranch are well above our budget for an enclosure. I’m an avid woodworker, I’ve built enclosures for other reptiles, and as a life long aquarium keeper I’ve seen people build aquariums out of plywood; I’m determined to come up with a solid DIY enclosure that’s both large enough and safe for our new guy(s), but will not throw me into instant divorce because of the price tag
My current idea for a DIY enclosure would be to basically use wood to build the 4’x8’x24″-30″ enclosure, then on the inside of the enclosure I would line the wood fully with XPS foam board that is very water resistant, and would go a long way towards thermal efficiency. Then, I’d caulk every seam and corner of the foam on the inside of the enclosure, and please know that I can seal old aquaria so that they are water tight once more, so I know I can do this Once sealed, I would paint the foam board with something like dry-lock masonry paint, possibly sculpted and painted to look like fake rock walls (I did this years ago for a bearded dragon setup). And last, over the Dry-Lock painted foam I would place vinyl flooring over the full floor of the enclosure as well as up the walls about 8″ or so to prevent their shells from eroding the foam walls, and I’d silicon all these seams too….
Does this sound like a decent plan?
I have a question about UVB lighting. I hope to use the Acadia 12% T5 bulbs, and they seem to come in 24″ or 36″ lengths. What size and/or how may of these would be needed for a 4’x8′ enclosure? I believe I need the UVB to be above the basking site, but what would you guys suggest for size, number, and placement of these UVB bulbs in a 4’x8′ enclosure?
Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated! I’d love to see examples of what other members have done for DIY enclosures, especially for Burmese Stars and others with similar requirements.
Thank you very much for your help and replies!
