I've decided it's time for Ralph to have a new home and have seen a very nice table on eBay, it comes with lots of extras including something called Readi Grass, what's your opinion of this as it seems to be suitable for bedding and eating which seems a bit strange to me, I use half and half soil/sand for Ralph, it also comes with wood shavings I think and a few more other bits and bobs.  It costs £69 or thereabouts. What do you all think?

make your own its cheeper

if you live near n/wales ill make you one alot cheeper an better

Thanks for the advice, but am so ham fisted I wouldn't know where to start to make one and unfortunately I don't live near you, am in Nottinghamshire.

Hi

If you give us an item number we can have a look, there are some good ones on ebay, along with some not so good!

atb

Arlene TPG

Hello Arlene,

Thanks for replying, the number on eBay is 220564793594.  Also could you estimate how old Ralph is likely to be as he's approx. 91/2cms long and 230g.  I had conflicting information about this when I bought him in August last year when he was 120g, one assistant at the garden centre where he was told me Ralph was 5 months, another told me he was 15months!

 Ralph

dont know his age but have you tried adding topsoil to the play sand i think it would be better for you

Hello Jack,

Yes, I already do, half and half topsoil and sand, this is an early picture when I first had Ralph.

Cheers.

Hi

Not a bad table - my only cricisism is that it is a little shallow - at 6" deep by the time you have a couple of inches of substrate in the bottom, this means the sides are only 4" high, so not too much of a challenge to a determined russian!!

You would need somewhere to fix your uv light to as well.  I would say that at 120g when you got him, Ralph was probably closer to 15 months than 5, but it all depends on how fast he has been grown.

atb

Arlene TPG

Thanks Arlene, I see what you mean about the sides, I'll keep on looking.

I think the TPG does a very good job, I've learned so much by reading stuff on the site. Thanks.

Cheers.

Thank you

You dont need to be a DIY expert to make a good table - have a look at the Miami Tall Wide bookcases in B&Q - they are just over £40, and laid on the back with the shelves removed, this would make a really good sized tortoise table.  You could use a clip on spot fitting for the basking light, or a bendy desk lamp angled over the side (Argos do some for less than £5), and it would be easy to fit a uv tube.  Or, if you use the combined uv lights, ZooMed do a really good sturdy adjustable metal stand.  Another alternative is one of the large rabbit cages, a lot of people use these very sucessfully, and the lights can be clipped onto the wire top :)

atb

Arlene

Thanks for the information about B & Q and Argos Arlene, I'll nip in and have a look at the bookcases, it sounds like a good idea and a lot less expensive.

Cheers.

Jennifer.