MustangClaire

Thanks everyone.  I've started in earnest on his outdoor enclosure.  We've taken down the raised beds we had, at the end of the garden, where the sunniest spot is.  The 1.5 metre "sand pit" frame is here.  We've leveled some soil (top soil) and put the frame down.  We've got an old wooden box, so have cut a hole in that and married it up with a hole we've cut in the frame of the sand pit and will put some hemp in the box, (ordered today) so Carlos can go in and out so to speak.  I've also ordered a glass cloche (which you can have open one end) that he will be able to go in and out of, to put in the sandpit frame.  I'm planting some lambs lettuce in the frame too, and lookng out for some grasses to plant in there too.  I've got some old roof slates that I've dug into the earth, with the top edge resting against the side, making a "tunnel" type thing for him to go in.  I will look for a larger water dish to dig in as well.  We popped him in for a bit yesterday afternoon and he dug straight down until the top of his shell was showing.

I noticed a few ants in there (and woodlice) but after reading on here last night I'm not unduly worried about the ants.    Does this sound ok?? 

This is what I did. Heat lamp and frost heater with thermostat in little hut on patio, I dug up the paving slabs in places and dug up plantain, garlic mustard geranium etc to put in. She's out there till hibernation. Glad you're choosing outdoors. This set up is great for us cis i can sit and watch her from the conservatory. The glass shelter is an old shower screen, I've put an outdoor light on a timer under it and she uses it on cloudy days. I've fenced it with stud timber from wickes, put some pond netting over it all. Just to give you an idea.

That's really helpful, thank you!  Thank you everyone!  I had a good look at my friends set up.  Was really happy to see how easy the "table top" method seemed if you wanted to bring them in in the Winter and not hibernate them (they'd happily hibernated theirs for years but lost one last year so are nervous about doing it again).  Thank you everyone, you've made me go from panic mode to "I can do this" mode   

P.S I'm thinking we will hibernate him in the winter.  

Ooh fab, thanks Karen.  I've reached out to a friend who has 3 Hermanns, and am bobbing up there after work to see her set up.  Think that will really clear my mind up too.  I can get some chicken wire from work to put across the top.  I was also going to fix some clear material (glass/perspex) over a portion of it, to make one area much warmer too.   

That is so kind of you to welcome me like that, thank you :-)  I'm ashamed to say I took Carlos on (he was teeny) and because he came from a friend who keeps animals as a rule anyway, and figured she knew what she was doing, we looked at his Vivarium and just thought wow, lovely little set up etc, and I didn't start to research until he started getting bigger, hence me being on here!

We have been feeding him Lambs Lettuce (I started growing my own this summer, to feed him) and have been picking him dandelion leaves.  I'm now thinking I'm going to have a bed of mixed seeds growing soon, (after reading on here) so he gets a more varied diet.  I'm actually trying to have a think now.  I know everyone has said they thrive much better outdoors.  By our back door we have a patio area.  I'm wondering whether to put the sand pit there, and get hubs to drill a hole through the wall, (out of the utility room) so we can run a plug and use a heater...  Instead of cutting the base out, I'd keep it, and fill the sand pit with soil etc.  My problem with having the sandpit indoors and using it as a "table top" method is I live in a Victorian Cottage, not much space, and not enough to have a 1.5mtr sand pit in it.....And I've become fixated with him getting fresh air.  Blimey, I'm confusing myself now!