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I use have Kellog organic garden soil topped with coco husk as my substrate and have done so for years, but this recent batch I have noticed small white balls in it, some are stiff like styrofoam and others are crumbly. I specifically use the soil I do because it lacks perlite but I am wondering...

So I recently moved houses and upgraded Freddy to a new enclosure double the size of his old one. It has been about two weeks and he has just been hiding an not eating. I`m worried about him not getting enough UVB since he isnt out basking and roaming. Is this normal? He has been in his old...

I woke up my 16 year old Russian from hibernation on the 16th and after a few days at 50-60 degrees put him back in his enclosure on the 20th. I have been giving him short soaks daily and offering food but he has really only eaten 3 or 4 times if that and still seems sluggish. This is his first...

I recently set up an outdoor enclosure for my russian and i have been finding white whispy mold in it. The substrate is cocco husk on top of organic soil, and on the parts with just soil near the water dishes i have found what looks like white mold clumping pieces of soil together. I typically...

I recently made an outdoor pen for my Russian out of a dog pool and i am very happy with how it turned out. I am concerned about large birds and 4 legged predators potentially harming my little guy and didnt know if any one had any suggestions. I have chicken wire laying around and was going to...

Several years back I tried to fix my tortoises diet from spring mix to more varied broad leafs, and got on a rotation of mainly collards and turnip greens with mustard greens as well. I was thinking I was doing well not realizing that collards ( his favorite) and mustards can cause iodine...

While changing my tortoise`s substrate, I noticed a spot of mold had formed under my plastic mats. I`m not worried about the structural integrity of the table, but wanted to make sure this mold isn`t harmful even under plastic and soil.

I recently decided to switch from a MVB to a T5HO for better temperature control, but had to make a new stand to hold it. I decided to make a pcv stand to hold the uvb hood, with the first attempt hanging on one side of the table. The pvc(1/2")wasn't strong enough not to bow, so I built a...

So I think I have decided to switch from my MVB to a T5 HO tube. My question is on what size fixture and tube to get. My Russians table is three feet wide, so would a 24" hood and 22" tube be appropriate, or should I go with a 36" fixture? Lastly, is 10% further away better for a Russian than a...

Firstly let me apologize if any of this has been covered in depth. I checked the stickied post and did a quick search of the forum but wanted to ask in case I missed something. With summer here and on the advise of some members, I have decided to switch from a 100 wtt MVB to a 75 watt normal...

Over the past week or two my Russian Tortoise has lost his appetite. He`ll peck at his food when I put it in his enclosure, but doesnt really eat much, and now I am starting to worry. He is active and I have seen him drink. His cool side is 80 and Hot spot is about 100, with temperatures varying...

For the past week or so, maybe two, I have noticed that Freddy seems a bit more peckish than is normal for him. He is active, and comes to the food when i give it to him, but after a couple bites he just wanders off. I`m starting to get worried because usually he is a very big eater. Temps vary...

I recently purchased a window ac unit to cool my room down during the summer, and the energy draw has caused minor shorts in my room. My mvb does not turn off,however it does momentarily change colors, before going back to normal. Is this dangerous? I know mvb should not be dimmed or on a...

I have been wanting to get my Russian some natural sun over the summer, but my dad has been treating the back yard. I had the idea to by a plastic tub and use that as a portable enclosure for out back porch, just to let Freddy get a couple hours of sun in the afternoon-evening. Has anyone had...

My ceiling fan on high setting causes my mvb fixture to sway somewhat. Is this dangerous? I know that mvbs should be vertical and movement can damage them.

Over the past week or so i`ve been finding little white bugs, lots of them, in my tortoises water dish when all the water has evaporated. I wash all of them out before refilling the dish, but I have no idea what they are or where the came from. Does anyone have any guesses?

I`ve had my powersun for about 3 months now, and didn`t have plans to replace it for 3 more. However I recently read a thread that said mvbs only last three months, not the one year claimed. Has there been any more tests done and should I look at a new bulb or wait it out.

I just sprayed bleach on my carpet to clean, and now my room smells faintly of bleach. Could the smell harm or irritate my tortoise? I know when bleaching supplies to rinse and dry till no smell remains, but i cant really do that to my carpet.

It`s getting hotter here as we move into the spring, and as such I am having to adjust my powersun 100 watt. Today, at about 18 in, it was around 97 degrees in my Russian`s basking area, with the hottest spot being 105 degrees. Right now i have it at about 20-21 inches, but i`m worried about...

Noticed Freddy digging today. In the past, he never really digged except in the corners, perhaps it wasn't deep enough.