Crush & Ashley :)

[tiffanyluvstorts]

Hi ya'll! I'm new to write here but not new to read posts. We bought two female Russians about 3 weeks ago and at the pet store they told me to feed them this dry vegetable stuff. Well after several days in their new habitat and taking time to adjust they wouldn't touch that stuff. I started trying Kale, Romaine, spring mix, etc and they ate but def aren't making pigs of themselves. I was told to leave their separate bowls in there for no more than 30 minutes or they would graze all day and after dark they could not digest their food. Well, sometimes they won't touch their food at all. Just wondering if this is normal behavior for a russian. I finally found a reptile vet close to our area and will be taking them soon for a fecal to make certain they are parasite
Free. I'm just scared they aren't eating enough! Thoughts?

 

[wellington]

Most of the stuff the pet store told you is wrong. Toss that out of your head and follow the advice on here. Leave the food in all day. Not sure what food they told you too use, but they need a much wider variety then just pellets anyway. You can remove the food once they go to bed, they won't munch at night anyway.
Now, what kind of substrate, lighting, heating, humdity, temps, post a pic of their enclosure and give us the answers to above questions and we can help you do better then the store told you to do.

 

[tiffanyluvstorts]

Lets see if I can remember to answer each question. I have a UVA.light and a UVB light about 10 inches from the substrate. The substrate is a mix of organic peat moss and cypress mulch. Their hot side stays about 90 and their cooler side at around 75 I think. Will have to recheck that to be sure. Lights are on from 7-7. Let me see what pics I have to post of their enclosure. . The last pic is of under the ramp where they sleep. So it's ok to leave the food in all day? It won't ruin or anything? Oh and we do sprinkle food with calcium source. Hope the pics worked.

---

I had tried to delete that bottom one. That was before we were finished with it

 

[mike taylor]

That is what a tortoise does in the wild they graze . Then they poop and graze some more maybe find a mud hole . Then they graze and take a nap . So after a month or two you will see what they like and don't like . Then you hide what they don't like in the stuff they do like . I like to keep track of daily feedings by measuring out feedings. But like to make sure they don't eat it all . Every night I clean there dish and have it ready for the morning. You can add plants to the enclosure for them to have a snack on too. But with my reds they really don't munch on there plants . It's like they know if they eat it all the plant will die. You got to give the tortoise some credit they will stop eating when they are full .
Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app

 

[torilovestorts]

I love that enclosure!

 

[thatrebecca]

Really darling enclosure! I love it! I don't see a water dish. Is there one in there level with the substrate? How do they do on that ramp? I bet they love climbing it.

 

[tiffanyluvstorts]

Thanks guys!!! This makes me feel
Better. I will leave their bowls
Of Food In
There
Until
Bedtime!! Yay! Love
This
Forum. My phone has a mind of its own
Lol. Sorry[TURTLE]

---

Yes the water
Fish is
On
The
Second
Level. I
Don't
Have it
Level
With the
Substrate
Tho so
I
Will have
To
Change
That tomorrow
They
Do
Great on
The
Ramp!

 

[luvpetz27]

Love their enclosure!!
They are very lucky!

 

[Jabuticaba]

Welcome! Pretty torts and cool enclosure!


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Darwin[TURTLE] & Wallace[TURTLE]
Winnipeg, Canada

 

[Teodora'sDAD]

I hope I dont sound dumb saying this but- are you worried they might fall off the side of that ramp? seems like they could crawl over that silk ivy. Otherwise Its a VERY creative enclosure! Looks like you had a lot of fun making it!

 

[tiffanyluvstorts]

Yes. I have thought of that and we are going to add some plexi or some trim to the sides to make me feel better. We also have built up the sides se with the substrate so if they were to go crooked they would just step off to dirt mostly. We had tons of fun making this and it really wasn't too costly. Right now during the summer, my boys are home and keep an eye on them very well prior to making that change to the ramp. So far they seem to know to go straight up the middle but id worry when we arent home. Thanks for the tip!!