Hello everyone from Liverpool England

[Puyol580]

Hi again.

How often are you away at work, and for how long a periods are you away?

I cud be away 2-3 days the most,it varies coz of my shift patterns....
Would u recommend me getting a habistat?......I wouldn't even know how to connect it up @ were it belongs?......Am so sorry to be piling all this on you.

 

[Puyol580]

Hi again.

How often are you away at work, and for how long a periods are you away?

I thought I had a habistat but it works out its a thermostat.....sorry:-(

 

[Anyfoot]

I cud be away 2-3 days the most,it varies coz of my shift patterns....
Would u recommend me getting a habistat?......I wouldn't even know how to connect it up @ were it belongs?......Am so sorry to be piling all this on you.

You need a thermostat to control your heat levels.
When you are away for upto 3 days at a time, is there someone looking after your Tortoise?

 

[Puyol580]

You need a thermostat to control your heat levels.
When you are away for upto 3 days at a time, is there someone looking after your Tortoise?

No 1 is looking after him when am in work....were wud u recommend buying a thermostat from?....,How much?...

 

[Puyol580]

I work full time too I leave before 8 in the morning and don't get home until about 4.30 - 5 pm
I just have to be more organised than I used to be.
My routine for Lola is that every night I prepare his food in a big food storage box and pop it in the fridge overnight.
Food dishes are washed and ready so that in the morning all I have to do is add the food, and leave in different places around his room.
His CHE is switched off and the MVB on,( if its particularly cold in his room I may leave both on as it is quite a big space - although he also has a radiator on in there.)
He is usually still in his hide when I leave but I can hear him starting to move.
When I get home Lola has a warm soak everyday so I can make sure he's OK and hydrated because I don't see him drink and while he is in that I clean up any mess in his room, change his water etc.
Lola has a bit more food and then takes himself off to his hide.
When I know he is unlikely to surface again I turn the MVB off and the CHE on.
Some people use timers to switch things on and off at certain times.

I hated leaving him when I first got him - I worried constantly but finally accepted that they don't mind being alone, as long as they have all their needs met and no hazards which could cause flipping etc. As with any pet you always have to be mindful that torts need attention.

Hi again Lyn yeah I do the same,I am organised with Pig regarding his food & water etc before leaving for work....but just worry coz I do 12-14-16 hour shifts & 2 to 3 sleeps per wk sometimes...my shift patterns stagger..... His needs are always met and no hazards...its just I have my lights on a timer but get really worried at nite when am at work when temp drops coz I leave the glass window quarter the way open to allow air to circulate around his viv coz I get really worried about the tank getting too hot @ humid in the day especially if closed.....I don't wanna give him respiratory problems...... Am desperately in need for a decent enclosure.

 

[Puyol580]

Hi again Lyn yeah I do the same,I am organised with Pig regarding his food & water etc before leaving for work....but just worry coz I do 12-14-16 hour shifts & 2 to 3 sleeps per wk sometimes...my shift patterns stagger..... His needs are always met and no hazards...its just I have my lights on a timer but get really worried at nite when am at work when temp drops coz I leave the glass window quarter the way open to allow air to circulate around his viv coz I get really worried about the tank getting too hot @ humid in the day especially if closed.....I don't wanna give him respiratory problems...... Am desperately in need for a decent enclosure.

Also do u think that CHE bulb wud fit my bracket?.....it is for stew in bulbs...am sorry if I sound slow? Hahaha... But am a proper novice at this. We're did ya buy it from again sorry?......How much?...

 

[Anyfoot]

No 1 is looking after him when am in work....were wud u recommend buying a thermostat from?....,How much?...

I change my Tortoises water(that they bathe and drink) every day, I also feed and clean up old food and stool every day.
How are you able to do this if your away for 3 days at a time on a regular basis?
I not sure what others think, but I personally don't think a juvenile that is reliant on human intervention for care should be left alone for so long on regular periods. That's just me.
If they were more self sufficient, like living outdoors then maybe. Yours has to be in an indoor enclosure and relies on your help for food and water daily.
Can't you get someone else to look after it when your not there?

 

[Anyfoot]

This is what I use. You can get them with a 2nd setting system so it automatically drops for night temps.
There are cheaper stats on the market, but these seem to hold temps quite accurate.

I don't know if your species requires a drop in temp at night.

 

[Anyfoot]

This is what I use. You can get them with a 2nd setting system so it automatically drops for night temps.
There are cheaper stats on the market, but these seem to hold temps quite accurate.

I don't know if your species requires a drop in temp at night.
View attachment 155307

 

[JoesMum]

Hi i am from liverpool england and i am getting my tortoise tomorrow i have most of the stuff i need. I am just wondering if anyone in my area knows where i buy there lettus and other plant foods from as i have been told not to buy it from the supermarkets. Can anyone help!!

Hi @Jenanprid and welcome from Kent, UK

What kind of tortoise are you getting? Then we can advise you better.

 

[Jenanprid]

Hi @Jenanprid and welcome from Kent, UK

What kind of tortoise are you getting? Then we can advise you better.

Hi, it is a horsefield tortoise.

 

[JoesMum]

Hi, it is a horsefield tortoise.

Your Horsfield is also known as a Russian.

It's diet is weedy leafy greens. It cannot digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so fruit, carrot, pepper and tomato should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally - if at all.

Supermarket greens are fine as part of a varied diet, few of us in the UK manage without them in winter, but lettuce alone is not as it contains very little fibre and nutrients.

Supplementing with a good quality pelleted food like Komodo, which you soften in water, when weeds are in short supply is also fine.

Write a list of the greens that you can buy and those thar grow around you and check them out on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

This handy website has an android app and a plant booklet you can download to help you identify healthy foods for your tort.

 

[JoesMum]

I am also going to direct you to a couple of care sheets that I recommend you read as soon as possible if you haven't already.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

As you are in the UK, I am guessing you are getting a young captive bred tort so ...
Care of young Russians
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Finally, we are happy to look over photos of your enclosure and lighting to check it out for you. And we love seeing pictures of torts in any case

There are apps for both android and apple phones which make photo uploads easier than using the browser.

 

[Jenanprid]

Your Horsfield is also known as a Russian.

It's diet is weedy leafy greens. It cannot digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so fruit, carrot, pepper and tomato should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally - if at all.

Supermarket greens are fine as part of a varied diet, few of us in the UK manage without them in winter, but lettuce alone is not as it contains very little fibre and nutrients.

Supplementing with a good quality pelleted food like Komodo, which you soften in water, when weeds are in short supply is also fine.

Write a list of the greens that you can buy and those thar grow around you and check them out on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

This handy website has an android app and a plant booklet you can download to help you identify healthy foods for your tort.

Thank you for your help

 

[Jenanprid]

I am also going to direct you to a couple of care sheets that I recommend you read as soon as possible if you haven't already.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

As you are in the UK, I am guessing you are getting a young captive bred tort so ...
Care of young Russians
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

Finally, we are happy to look over photos of your enclosure and lighting to check it out for you. And we love seeing pictures of torts in any case

There are apps for both android and apple phones which make photo uploads easier than using the browser.

Hi i am receiving my carer pack today so i will give it a read. Ive been studying it a lot, i just needed to know where i could get the greens from. I will send pics once i have set it all up. It should b arriving around 1pm. Thank you for all your help though

 

[JoesMum]

Hi i am receiving my carer pack today so i will give it a read. Ive been studying it a lot, i just needed to know where i could get the greens from. I will send pics once i have set it all up. It should b arriving around 1pm. Thank you for all your help though

Be careful not to be sold stuff that you don't need or is actually bad for your tort. Pet shops rarely have in store expertise on tortoise care; they're just in the business of selling "stuff"

- Avoid compact, coil type, UVB bulbs which we see causing eye problems in tortoises; they look like low energy light bulbs. Get a Mercury Vapour Bulb (combined UVB and basking in one bulb) or separate UVB tube and basking bulb.

- Avoid coloured heat bulbs. These are not suitable for basking and your tort needs complete darkness at night. Night heat should be provided by a Ceramic Heat Emitter on a thermostat.

- You do not need a thermostat for the basking bulb, but a timer is handy. Get the timer from B&Q or a larger supermarket.

- Analogue thermometers and hygrometers (measure humidity) and those that stick to the wall of the enclosure don't do either job well. A probe type digital hygrometer and a temperature gun type thermometer like this are what you need.

- tortoise tables are not suitable for young Russians. They need a closed chamber/large viv

- Avoid reptile food/water bowls as they're all a tipping hazard and hard for a tort to use. A terracotta plant saucer makes a good, safe water bowl and a piece of flat rock or slate, or even the wring side of a wall tile, makes a good food plate that helps to keep the beak in shape.

 

[Jenanprid]

Be careful not to be sold stuff that you don't need or is actually bad for your tort. Pet shops rarely have in store expertise on tortoise care; they're just in the business of selling "stuff"

- Avoid compact, coil type, UVB bulbs which we see causing eye problems in tortoises; they look like low energy light bulbs. Get a Mercury Vapour Bulb (combined UVB and basking in one bulb) or separate UVB tube and basking bulb.

- Avoid coloured heat bulbs. These are not suitable for basking and your tort needs complete darkness at night. Night heat should be provided by a Ceramic Heat Emitter on a thermostat.

- You do not need a thermostat for the basking bulb, but a timer is handy. Get the timer from B&Q or a larger supermarket.

- Analogue thermometers and hygrometers (measure humidity) and those that stick to the wall of the enclosure don't do either job well. A probe type digital hygrometer and a temperature gun type thermometer like this are what you need.

- tortoise tables are not suitable for young Russians. They need a closed chamber/large viv

- Avoid reptile food/water bowls as they're all a tipping hazard and hard for a tort to use. A terracotta plant saucer makes a good, safe water bowl and a piece of flat rock or slate, or even the wring side of a wall tile, makes a good food plate that helps to keep the beak in shape.

Am not getting it from a pet shop and im not going to put it in a fish tank type home. They get stressed being in one of them. I am getting mine from happy tortoise. They have been doing it for years and years and the reviews are great. If i need you i shal message u. I will go the pet shop today and get a lid for the cage.

 

[Jenanprid]

Is it ok to leave the heat light on over night. I dont want to harm the horsefield tortoise. I am going to buy a uvb light tomorrow and how often do they drink water?

 

[JoesMum]

Is it ok to leave the heat light on over night. I dont want to harm the horsefield tortoise. I am going to buy a uvb light tomorrow and how often do they drink water?

Hi @Jenanprid

Sorry for the delay. I typed a reply and then the forum crashed so it never posted

How are you getting on?

Let's try again!

Your tort needs complete darkness at night. If you have a baby, use a Ceramic Heat Emitter and thermostat to make sure temperatures don't drop below 18C day or night; a CHE only gives heat not light.

You should soak babies daily for at least 20 minutes to keep them hydrated. I find it most successful done first thing in the morning before the tort has warmed up properly.

Use a large flat-bottomed, high sided bowl like a washing up bowl that your tort can't see over or through.

The water should be baby bath warm, not hot, and be deep enough to come just up over the join between the shell and the plastron (undershell)

If the water goes cool then change it. Don't panic if your tort pees or poops in the soak water; it's entirely normal.