A Fun DIY Project Converting A Raised Garden Bed Into A Tortoise Table
If you're looking for an affordable way to build a spacious tortoise table for a young or smaller tortoise, there is an option you may not have considered: a raised garden bed................. As an Amazon associate, I earn on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Charlie Townsend
8/23/20266 min read
How to Turn a Raised Garden Bed Into a Tortoise Table: An Easy DIY Enclosure for Young Tortoises
If you're looking for an affordable way to build a spacious tortoise table for a young or smaller tortoise, there is an option you may not have considered: a raised garden bed.
Raised garden beds make surprisingly good tortoise tables because they already provide the basic structure you need—a large rectangular enclosure with solid sides. With a few modifications, you can turn one into a comfortable tortoise habitat complete with a waterproof liner, natural substrate, hiding areas, a feeding station, UVB lighting, basking heat and a secure top.
I've also seen other tortoise keepers successfully repurpose raised garden beds into temporary homes for young tortoises. One DIY project specifically converted a raised garden bed into a protected tortoise table for hatchlings, including a secure cover and heated area.
The biggest advantage is that you don't have to build the entire enclosure from scratch.
Why Use a Raised Garden Bed as a Tortoise Table?
A good tortoise enclosure needs floor space more than it needs height.
That makes many rectangular raised garden beds an interesting starting point.
A 2-by-4-foot raised bed gives you approximately 8 square feet of floor space, while a 4-by-8-foot bed gives you 32 square feet.
And remember: bigger is generally better when it comes to tortoise housing.
The Tortoise Table recommends at least a 3-by-2-foot table for a hatchling, with larger housing for juveniles, while other care guides recommend considerably larger enclosures as the tortoise grows.
Important: This Is a Growing Tortoise Solution
A raised-bed tortoise table shouldn't be viewed as a permanent enclosure for a large adult tortoise.
This idea works particularly well for:
Hatchling tortoises
Young Sulcata tortoises
Young Russian tortoises
Young Hermann's tortoises
Young Greek tortoises
Other smaller tortoise species
Sulcatas are especially important to plan for because they grow rapidly. A setup that looks enormous for a hatchling can become much too small surprisingly quickly. indoor housing is primarily practical for young Sulcatas and that larger Sulcatas eventually require much space.
What Kind of Raised Garden Bed Works Best?
Not every raised bed makes a good tortoise table.
When shopping, look for:
A rectangular shape
Plenty of floor space
Solid sides
Smooth or rounded edges
No sharp exposed metal
Enough depth for substrate
A design that can accept a protective top, if using outdoors.
Durable outdoor materials
My Favorite Size: 2 x 4 Feet
A 2 x 4-foot raised garden bed is a convenient size for a smaller tortoise table.
It gives you 8 square feet of floor space without taking up an enormous amount of room.
For example, you can look for:
Larger Is Even Better
If you have the room, consider going larger.
An 8 x 4-foot raised bed provides a huge improvement in usable floor space compared with a 2 x 4-foot model.
Step 1: Choose the Location
Before assembling your tortoise table, decide where it will live.
If you're building an indoor tortoise table, choose an area that has:
Easy access to electricity
Good ventilation
Protection from household pets
Enough room for lighting equipment
Enough room to work around the enclosure
For an outdoor setup, choose an area that provides appropriate sunlight and shade while allowing you to protect the tortoise from predators.
Remember that an outdoor enclosure can become dangerously hot in direct summer sun, so the tortoise must always have access to shade and a suitable retreat.
Step 2: Protect the Inside With a Waterproof Liner
This is one of the modifications I would strongly recommend.
Garden beds are designed to hold soil, but tortoise tables hold substrate, water and animal waste.
A waterproof liner makes cleaning much easier and helps protect a wooden enclosure from moisture.
Possible materials include:
Heavy-duty plastic liner
Waterproof enclosure liner
The liner should cover the bottom and extend several inches up the sides.
Step 3: Check the Height of the Sides
One potential problem with raised garden beds is that some models have relatively short sides.
Your tortoise shouldn't be able to easily climb out.
You also don't want the tortoise constantly seeing through the walls and attempting to escape.
If necessary, add additional height using untreated lumber or another appropriate material.
For young tortoises, I like having enough solid wall height that the tortoise cannot see over the edge easily.
Many recommend solid sides at least about 8 inches above the substrate for hatchlings and emphasizes that larger tables can be beneficial.
Step 4: Build a Secure Top
This is especially important for young tortoises.
A small tortoise may look safe inside an open enclosure, but predators can be a serious concern if the table is outdoors.
Birds, cats, dogs, raccoons and other animals can pose a threat.
One of the easiest solutions is to build a removable framed lid.
What You'll Need
You can build a simple frame using:
lumber
Exterior screws
Corner brackets
Hinges
Latches
Galvanized hardware cloth
Wire cutters
Staple gun
Stretch the hardware cloth across the wooden frame and secure it tightly.
Amazon list for everything you will need
Step 5: Add the Right Substrate
Once the enclosure is waterproofed, you can add the appropriate substrate for your tortoise species.
Don't simply fill the enclosure with ordinary garden soil without considering what could be in it.
Avoid soil containing:
Fertilizers
Pesticides
Herbicides
Chemicals
Perlite
Vermiculite
Other materials that could be dangerous if accidentally eaten
The correct substrate depends on the tortoise species and the environmental conditions you are trying to maintain.
The important thing is that the tortoise should have enough substrate to behave naturally, including digging and hiding.
Check out different substrates here!
Step 6: Create a Warm Basking Area
This is where your raised garden bed starts becoming a true tortoise table.
Put the basking area toward one end.
The opposite end should remain cooler so the tortoise can move away from the heat.
Tortoises are ectothermic, meaning they rely on environmental temperatures and move between warmer and cooler areas to regulate their body temperature.
Don't put the heat source in the center.
Instead, create a temperature gradient.
Products I Reccomend
Step 7: Add UVB Lighting
If your tortoise is being kept indoors, don't forget about UVB.
Heat and UVB are two different things.
A normal household heat bulb does not automatically provide the appropriate UVB exposure.
UVB is important because it supports vitamin D3 production and calcium metabolism.
The Tortoise Table recommends artificial UVB when natural sunlight isn't available and recommends appropriate UVB lighting for tortoise tables.
For a larger raised-bed tortoise table, a linear T5 HO UVB fixture can be particularly useful because it can cover a substantial portion of the enclosure rather than concentrating UVB in one tiny spot
Step 8: Use a Thermostat and Thermometers
This is an area where I would never recommend guessing.
The enclosure should be monitored with thermometers, so you know what temperatures your tortoise is actually experiencing.
A temperature gun can also be extremely useful for checking the basking surface.
checking basking temperatures at the height of the tortoise's shell rather than relying solely on a thermometer mounted somewhere on the enclosure wall.
Heating control
Step 9: Add a Hide
Every tortoise table should have a place where the tortoise can retreat.
You don't need to spend a fortune.
You can use:
Commercial tortoise hides
Wooden hides
DIY wooden shelters
For a young tortoise, I like creating a hide toward the cooler end and, depending on species and humidity requirements, providing an appropriate humid microclimate.
Step 10: Add a Shallow Water Dish
Choose a sturdy, shallow dish that the tortoise can easily enter and exit.
Avoid deep containers that create a drowning hazard.
A heavy ceramic or reptile water dish can help prevent the tortoise from tipping it over.
Shop tortoise water, and feed dishes.
Step 11: Add Natural Enrichment
This is where you can make your raised-bed tortoise table look fantastic.
Instead of making it nothing more than a box filled with substrate, create different areas.
Consider adding:
A Digging Area
Give the tortoise substrate deep enough to dig.
A Hide
Create a dark, secure retreat.
Flat Rocks
Flat rocks can provide texture and may help wear down nails naturally.
Cork Bark
Cork bark makes an excellent natural-looking addition for climbing and hiding.
Safe Plants
Depending on your tortoise species, you can add tortoise-safe plants that provide shade, cover and enrichment.
Feeding Area
A designated feeding area makes cleanup easier.
Here are a Few Ideas for how to setup the tortoise table and door ideas
Final Thoughts
If you're raising a young or smaller tortoise and want something more spacious than a traditional aquarium or small plastic enclosure, I think a raised garden bed is worth considering.
Start with the largest practical size you can accommodate, waterproof it, make sure the walls are high enough, add a secure lid when necessary, and then build the habitat around the needs of your particular tortoise species.
And don't forget to plan ahead.
Your baby tortoise won't stay a baby forever!
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