new indoor box turtle enclousure

Here's my new turtle table. Its 4x4 x12" high. Its for an adult pair of florida box that I'm getting soon from a friend. It cost me 50 dollars in materials and I built it in half day. I'm gonna coast it with water proofing or use pond liner.

What should I use to protecct the wood from moistere.I plan on using a 24 inch by 12 shallow tray with filter for there water dish/swimming area. Would polyuerthen do the job to keep resistant. Whats everyone think of enclosire. Another thing is I'm going to put a 18-24 uvb light strip attaxhed inside enclosure. What size bulb for overhead heat. I'm going to run a basking uva bulb and a ceremic heat eminetter. Should I use 200 to 250 basking bulb and 200-250 che. I'm going to use 10 inch balco lamps with porcelean sockets. My floridas will be here next week. Any other heat source like heat tape?. Ty dave

It looks great. Personally we use black plastic sheeting stapled to the bottom and up the sides of the enclosure. This helps keeping moisture in and from spills getting out. The water area sounds good but you will find they will make a mess of the water source and the filter really wont be needed. You will end up cleaning and dumping out the water area more often then you might think. With the Mercury vapor bulb giving off heat along side the ceramic heat emitter you will not need any additional heat sources. Again your enclosure looks nice, add some picks when its all finished!

Ty for advice. I will defently post more pics when done. Do you think those size bulbs are to much heat the 250 watt. I figured since its pretty open need to really use a good size wattage. I'm in ct and my basement is 60 degrees I would say. I just payed off the pair and will be getting them shortly

Nice start. Can't wait to see more

Originally Posted by dragons4life

Nice start. Can't wait to see more

Ty I just put the second coat of polyerthune. It will be a nice water resistent enclousure when I'm done. I just ordered some reptile supplys and if the weather cooporates we just got 17 inches of snow here in ct I'll get my pair.

NICE Enclosure

Ty I just got my florida adults. I ended up gettimg a nice trio
I will post pics today. Waiting for ups to come with a big shipment of supplys. I got another female last second. He decided he no longet needed her so I got 1.2. She is a nice sub adult or just a small female not sure. There heavy as bricks. Coming from california I was worried but got here ok. Male already showed interest in small female he. Stuck his head all the way out at here's untill she went in shell. Send pics this afternoon or in am