• 100+ Gallon humidity proof Enclosure with an emphasis on floor space
• Infrared, UVA, and UVB Lighting on a Timer
• Overhead Heating on a Thermostat
• Substrate
• Hide, Basking Feature, Food/Water Bowls
• Dechlorinator, Optional UVB Meter

We discourage using slide top enclosures. The hot lighting/heating tends to burn your hands and the edge of the enclosure when you open the top. It ends up being very inconvenient.

(Best Reccomendation)  Zen Habitats 48"x24"x16" Original PVC Reptile Enclosure

Most front opening PVC enclosures measure at 4'x2'x2' which is roughly 120 gallons, however some produce enclosures that are not as tall which are much better suited for turtles. PVC retains heat very well and is best suited for higher humidty. They are mostly sold online and shipped dissasembled however assembly is usually pretty easy. Brands like Dubia Roaches, Zen Habbitat, and Symton have screen top front openers. Due to the size of these enclosures, compact flourescent bulbs are not advised. Instead run T5 tube flourescents of 24-36". Undertank heaters cannot be used with PVC so an additional infrared heat emitter like a deep heat projector with a thermstat will need to be added to the lighting. Prices vary from $200-$600

*Not all PVC enclosures have screen tops which can make the enclosure too warm and nearly impossible to get a wide thermal gradiant without heavy modification. This includes adding a lot of additional vents, mounting internal light fixtures, and caging off all the lights so the dragon cannot burn themselves. This will require extra scrutiny to ensure you can create a thermal gradient and hot items are protected.   

(not recommended)

Most front opening melamine enclosures measure at 4'x2'x2' which is roughly 120 gallons. Wood retains heat very well, almost too well. Wood typical does not do well with high humidity requirements The are mostly sold at specialy reptile stores. Undertank heaters cannot be used with melamines so an additional infrared heat emitter with thermstat will need to be added to the lighting. 

*Most melemine enclosures do not have screen tops which can make the enclosure too warm and nearly impossible to get a wide thermal gradiant without heavy modification. This includes adding a screen top or adding lot of additional vents, mounting internal light fixtures, and caging off all the lights so the dragon cannot burn themselves. This will require extra scrutiny to ensure you can create a thermal gradient and hot items are protected. 

Enclosure Top Screens - The screens on top of the enclosures play a big role in the safety of your animal from other animals like cats that may also live in your house. However, they can also complicate the Infrared, UVA, and UVB lighting by blocking a substantial amount of incoming light. The punched screen top of the Thrive enclosure, while offering the best protection, also blocks the most light so is not suitable for compact flourescent bulbs. You must use a T5 linear flourescent fixture of at least 36 inches long. Additionally, you will need a 75 watt Halogen in a dimmable fixture to tailor the infrared and UVA light. 

Lighting - You are going to want strong UVB lighting with strong UVA lighting. We have found that a combination of fluorescent UVB and halogen UVA lamps work the best to recreate natural sunlight. The combination of these two generates a manageable basking area easily without the complications and risks of overheating that can happen when using a single mercury vapor bulb or underheating/flash heating when using a ceramic heat emitter. Note that not all halogen lights are safe for your reptiles, some have internal reflectors that do not diffuse light well, so they create intense hot spots light a magnifying glass even at a distance.

• A large doubledome light fixture appropriate for 150 watt bulbs. This will be used for both the halogen light and the deep heat projector heat light.
• A 36" to 48" linear t5 light fixture and apropriate forest uvb light.

• A halogen light fixture which points the light downward and is equipped with a dimmer switch or add on dimmer
• A minimum for 75 watt Halogen light made for reptiles. This will provide daytime heat in addition to strong UVA lighting (Non reptile halogen lights can create hot spots and burn your reptile)

Best Lighting Options (most healthy for your box turtle):

• Arcadia Reptile 36" ProT5  w/ Arcadia D3 6% UVB T5 Bulb - 34" Provides strong UVB light that can peneatrate deep past dense screens.
• Arcadia Reptile 75w or 100w Halogen Lamp - Must be used with a dimming deep dome light fixture. This is suitable for denser top screens
  

Accessories:

• UL Listed Plug in Dimmer Switch - Used to convert non dimmable light fixtures to dimmable
• Basic Light Timer - A basic 120v timer that has two 3 prong switched outlets to support UVB light and halogen light in one unit and provides a 12hr on/off cycle

Heating

• A 80 Watt Deap Heat Projector is a great heating option, works far better than a ceramic heat emitter.
• REPTIZOO Reptile Dimming Thermostat Heat Lamp Temperature Controller - This is a new dimming thermostat that keeps the temp constant rather than turning on/off like the cheaper ones. This is a feature usually only available in higher end and far more expensive thermostats. 
  

Substrate

• Substrate which is safe from impaction and promotes good husbandry

     Options:

• Kellog Organic Topsoil / playsand mix
• Reptisoil – specifically made for reptiles – you may need a bigger bag or a few bags.
• Eco Earth – to help retain humidity
• Sphagnum moss – if humidity is low or a struggle
• ReptiBark – for texture
  

Hide / Basking

• We are flexible when it comes to the hide as long as it is safe for the turtle and large enough for them to hide inside completely. Be careful when using fish decorations as hides as they may have sharp edges or passages the turtle can get up and into where they can get stuck.
  

Our Minimum Recommendation:  Thrive Wood hide Reptile Decor 

We prefer the non-wood hides like these as they are easier to sanitize. 

Water Bowl

• We are flexible when it comes to the water bowl as long as it is safe and large enough for your turtle to soak in but shallow enough they cant drown and easy to get in and out of.