# Oreos new enclosure



## VenusAndSaturn (Jul 12, 2018)

She finally has her new enclosure... Although not really what I planned It appears to work great so far and she seems happy.
After several attempts to go and get the supplies for a wooden enclosure, I figured might as well see if I can house her in something larger for a bit until we can get everything together and build it.

Well during this process of finding a temporary enclosure I stumbled across grow tents, looked at a few sizes after researching as much as I could about them being used as a lizard enclosure and then saw that there was a grow tent that was basically the perfect size, 8x4x6.
After doing more research and talking to my parents I decided to get it.

So far we've had it up for a day and a half. It seems to hold the temps and humidity pretty well.
It's not the prettiest thing but it works and I like it, although there is still much more that needs to be done.
Not being able to really see her unless I open the doors sucks but I plan to get some sort of camera that I can put in the corner of the tent so that I can watch her.

Other than adding a camera inside the tent I'm going to get a 46" Arcadia 14% UVB bulb and hang it inside on the cool side, possibly some large ferns, more logs, a larger water bowl so she can also soak if she wants, and maybe a humidifier if I need one.
Also going to be rearranging the basking lights today (which consist of two halogen bulbs and a megaray).





















Also heres a link to a video of her exploring the enclosure.


----------



## Gary (Jul 12, 2018)

Looks great! Do the walls feel durable enough to prevent Oreo from clawing through over the course of weeks? Love all the rocks and logs!


----------



## VenusAndSaturn (Jul 12, 2018)

I'd say probably so. I mean it feels pretty durable and so far even though she has clawed at the walls and even at the vents she hasn't really done any damage to it. Time will tell if it does really hold up though.


----------



## EnjoysWine (Jul 14, 2018)

Interesting idea for enclosure. Let us know how it holds up in the long term.


----------



## VenusAndSaturn (Jul 14, 2018)

Definitely will. So far all is good...except the hostas. I thought they may be able to withstand her but I was wrong.


----------



## VenusAndSaturn (Oct 4, 2018)

The tent has been great for the most part, humidity and temps are very easy to maintain so far. Even with winter coming the humidity never drops below 60%. Although humidity for the other enclosures are definitely starting to be a pain. The tent is really holding up to Oreos claws still, mice however not so much. I had one put a hole in it and then little pieces of artificial feathers, plastic and paper slowly started showing up in the substrate. Put some duct tape on it and thought I fixed the problem but today as I was giving Oreo her food I noticed she wasnt in her tent. We checked the closet (where she normally hides when she escapes) but she wasn't there, checked the rest of the room and my mom found her stuck behind the tent and the wall. Took us a bit but we eventually got her out and she doesn't seem harmed luckily. I decided to put more duct tape over the area she escaped from and later I'll probably put even more.

I've also given up on plants being a part of her enclosure for now, she kills them to fast. The longest time a plant has ever survived her has been about 2 weeks. Although I may try some pothos or an arrowhead vine if I have any left over.

And here are some pictures of the enclosure, in the back behind the white pole is where the hole is that is currently being covered by duct tape.


----------



## Walter1 (Oct 4, 2018)

VenusAndSaturn said:


> The tent has been great for the most part, humidity and temps are very easy to maintain so far. Even with winter coming the humidity never drops below 60%. Although humidity for the other enclosures are definitely starting to be a pain. The tent is really holding up to Oreos claws still, mice however not so much. I had one put a hole in it and then little pieces of artificial feathers, plastic and paper slowly started showing up in the substrate. Put some duct tape on it and thought I fixed the problem but today as I was giving Oreo her food I noticed she wasnt in her tent. We checked the closet (where she normally hides when she escapes) but she wasn't there, checked the rest of the room and my mom found her stuck behind the tent and the wall. Took us a bit but we eventually got her out and she doesn't seem harmed luckily. I decided to put more duct tape over the area she escaped from and later I'll probably put even more.
> 
> I've also given up on plants being a part of her enclosure for now, she kills them to fast. The longest time a plant has ever survived her has been about 2 weeks. Although I may try some pothos or an arrowhead vine if I have any left over.
> 
> And here are some pictures of the enclosure, in the back behind the white pole is where the hole is that is currently being covered by duct tape.


Nice going. I hadn't responded earlier because I flat didn't know what to make of it. The measure is Venus, and Venus looks great.


----------



## VenusAndSaturn (Oct 4, 2018)

I'm hoping now that the mouse hole problem has been solved she wont escape again for at least a few months, although not escaping at all would be nice but I'm sure with her persistence she'll find another way. Currently, she's jumping up at the walls trying to find a way out again.
Also as I was going through her enclosure trying to find her I found a whole bunch of isopods and superworm beetles along with quite a few springtails so I can confirm her enclosure is actually bioactive now. I was a bit scared that all the bugs I had put in there were dead.


----------



## EnjoysWine (Oct 8, 2018)

VenusAndSaturn said:


> The tent has been great for the most part, humidity and temps are very easy to maintain so far. Even with winter coming the humidity never drops below 60%. Although humidity for the other enclosures are definitely starting to be a pain. The tent is really holding up to Oreos claws still, mice however not so much. I had one put a hole in it and then little pieces of artificial feathers, plastic and paper slowly started showing up in the substrate. Put some duct tape on it and thought I fixed the problem but today as I was giving Oreo her food I noticed she wasnt in her tent. We checked the closet (where she normally hides when she escapes) but she wasn't there, checked the rest of the room and my mom found her stuck behind the tent and the wall. Took us a bit but we eventually got her out and she doesn't seem harmed luckily. I decided to put more duct tape over the area she escaped from and later I'll probably put even more.
> 
> I've also given up on plants being a part of her enclosure for now, she kills them to fast. The longest time a plant has ever survived her has been about 2 weeks. Although I may try some pothos or an arrowhead vine if I have any left over.
> 
> And here are some pictures of the enclosure, in the back behind the white pole is where the hole is that is currently being covered by duct tape.



You let live mice run around the enclosure? I've never heard of anyone doing that. I'd be worried about the mice attacking the Tegu.


----------



## VenusAndSaturn (Oct 9, 2018)

EnjoysWine said:


> You let live mice run around the enclosure? I've never heard of anyone doing that. I'd be worried about the mice attacking the Tegu.


No, we have a mouse problem currently and one got behind her tent and chewed a hole in the side. I'd never let live mice near her unless they were pinkies or fuzzies.


----------



## Yogamum (Oct 11, 2018)

We named our black and white Oreo as well!!


----------

