How long is a good soak?

[sheilae04]

I'm wondering how long is a"good soak" for my Russian tort? He's been eating fine -spring mix, romaine, wheat grass-but I'm noticing he's starting to eat substrate too. I use coconut coir mixed with repti bark. I've been reading to soak daily so he doesn't get constipated. How long would you recommend?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

20 to 30 minutes. Checking to make sure the water stays warm.

 

[dmmj]

you want to try to stop a meeting his substrate. is he eating and accidentally while eating his food or is he ingesting it on purpose?

 

[sheilae04]

Zero pilot, thank you. I've been doing about 10 minutes, so I'll up it to 20-30. Dmmj, I think it's on purpose. I just realized his cuttlebone is missing. I'll replace it and see if that makes a difference. Also, I had put a grass plant in there, thinking he might like to nibble. But, he pretty much showed me who was boss! He had that uprooted and trampled in no time. Also, he was pacing around and not eating until I removed it. All good after that. Ha ha!

 

[dmmj]

there is a product called miner-all that is supposed to stop substrate eaters from doing so. Russians are not big grass eaters

 

[Tom]

I'm wondering how long is a"good soak" for my Russian tort? He's been eating fine -spring mix, romaine, wheat grass-but I'm noticing he's starting to eat substrate too. I use coconut coir mixed with repti bark. I've been reading to soak daily so he doesn't get constipated. How long would you recommend?

Part of your problem is the diet. Russians need broadleaf weeds. Romaine and spring mix are lacking in fiber and the calcium to phosphorous ratio is off. The grass isn't harmful, but russians are not grass eaters.

Your tortoise is likely eating substrate due to a lack of fiber, or a nutrient imbalance. Sooooooo, what to do? Glad you asked.
1. Add much more variety and favor endive and escarole if you must use grocery store foods. Look for turnip, collard and mustard greens, cilantro, kale, carrot tops, celery tops, squash leaves and blooms, etc...
2. Learn your local weeds and which ones to feed out. This is the best possible diet and its FREE!
3. Get and use the MinerAll that David mentioned.
4. Add fiber to your grocery store greens by thoroughly mixing in soaked ZooMed Grassland pellets, blended grass hay, or herbal hay. Better yet, alternate through all three.
5. If there is a mineral imbalance, adding calcium carbonate will make it worse.
6. What sort of lights are you using? UV? Colored bulbs?
7. In spring and summer feed lots of mulberry leaves, hibiscus leaves, grape leaves, spineless opuntia cactus pads, gazania flowers, sunflower leaves, etc... Have some fun growing your own. Plant pumpkin seeds and feed out the leaves and blooms. Get some hollyhocks, pansies and geraniums. Order some African Hibiscus seeds. Plant some green beans and feed out the leaves and the pods, etc... You can't beat the "Testudo Seed Mix" from Tortoisesupply.com.

 

[sheilae04]

Thank you! I'll get to work! Also, the long uv tube lighting and no colored lights is what I I'm currently using, along with a heat lamp of course during the day.

 

[sheilae04]

Started with the longer soaks today. I'm going to visit a greenery tonight and see what I can come up with for some of the weeds and flowers you mentioned because I'm having a hard time finding them in our local organic coop. I'm going to order the minerall and mazuri online. His former owners told me that the UV light might need to be changed soon. It's not out, but I can get a new bulb tonight. He's been restless today and digging under his tarp that I have under his bedding. This is making me nervous. Anything I forgot? I'll keep you updated.

 

[sheilae04]

Saturn is much more active now. Yay! Added celery leaves, mazuri to his diet today, and added a basking rock that heats up to 100 degrees when I measured today. He loves it! Been giving him long soaks. Havent noticed him eating substrate or crawling under tarp anymore. He's still ready to go to sleep around 3:00 though. Is that normal?

 

[sheilae04]

Which type of minerall should I be purchasing..there's several different types. I sent a message to the company but never heard back..