Keeping food clean?

[teneb]

I just purchased a greek tortoise, and I've filled his indoor inclosure with 50/50 topsoil and sand as I found suggested several places online. I use a margarine container lid to feed him, but he tends to track dirt onto it and onto his food. I know eating a certain amount of sand can lead to compaction, so is this something I need to be concerned about? If so, how would you suggest I keep his food clean?

Just found this site and I'm excited to participate more. Thanks!

 

[techiegrl]

I just purchased a greek tortoise, and I've filled his indoor inclosure with 50/50 topsoil and sand as I found suggested several places online. I use a margarine container lid to feed him, but he tends to track dirt onto it and onto his food. I know eating a certain amount of sand can lead to compaction, so is this something I need to be concerned about? If so, how would you suggest I keep his food clean?

Just found this site and I'm excited to participate more. Thanks!

Hi There,

I have a couple of greeks and 3 russians (very busy little tort's)
I tried the lid suggestion also, but it was a bit hard to work with as you have been finding out. I ended up going with the bottom drip (usually goes under a pot to catch the water) container of a shallow plastic or clay flower pot which has a bit of a lip on it. I bury it a bit down in the soil and it works just great! The other thing that has also worked well for me it to put a piece of flagstone in the area and do the same dig it down just a bit so it is level and you shouldn't have any issues with all the dirt/sand. Hope it works for you. This site it AWESOME lots of very helpful people.

Janet

 

[tortoise lover]

Hi I use a piece of slate for mine to eat on but i also put some small pebbles around them edge of the slate and it stops them trailing it into there food and it seems to work for me

 

[Crazy1]

Hi teneb, Welcome to the forum. I have Greeks and found that if you Place pebbles large enough for them not to swallow around their food and water dishes it will help keep them clean. Feeding them on slate, concreate or a terracota (stone) saucer will also help keep their beaks trim as well as their toenails.

 

[Itort]

I use the small double cat dishes (they are about 3/4"H x 6"Lx3"W).

 

[teneb]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll try the stones around the dish thing for now; once his permanent home is done in a few weeks I'll switch to some sort of stone.

 

[Diana Stone]

I used to use the flower pot bottom/saucer to feed in but found that my Russians pee'd in it and that spoiled the whole lot. So now i use the flat stones with the bed a beast cypress mulch under it. That works great, not much tracking in and when they pee it runs off and between the stones.