new tortoise

[Tracy Bain]

Hi
Sorry this may be quite a long thread but i have just got a male horsfield tortoise from a friend as they couldnt look after him anymore he is around 3 or 4 years old and seems to be in pretty good shape, i got him with a 3ft by 1ft vivarium, he had very hard bark chips as substrate a tiny water dish and no working uv light or heat light, i cant really afford to buy him much until pay day at the end of the month so he is staying in the vivarium just now, i am planning on buying him a 5ft by 3ft tortoise table and have done alot of research on the internet and have learnt alot of info on how to look after him, i am trying to make his vivarium better for him in the meantime i have change the hard bark to a 50/50 mix of top soil and play sand, bought him bigger water and food dishes, installed a basking lamp but not a uv light yet,nd gave him a piece of bark and some stones for him to climb, i have also removed the front glass so some air can get into the vivarium, i was wondering if there is anything else i could do in the meantime to better his unsuitable vivarium just til i can buy him a table at the end of month. He does seem happy though, i know at my friends house he was left alone most of the time and seemed unenergetic only sitting in the corner most of the time, he is now sprinting constantly around the edge of the vivarium climbing on the bark and rocks as he goes, he runs round now from morning to night, also should i keep his basking lamp on in this enviroment all day or should i switch it on and off allowing for a cooling period. I am unable to put him outside at this time of year as i am in scotland and its starting to get pretty cold.

 

[smarch]

hello and welcome!
Sounds like its lucky for this tortoise you came along, because Russian Tortoises are energetic and scrappy in nature and one that hides in a corner all day is either unhappy or sick, judging by his conditions he was unhappy.
You have a good spaced enclosure imagined too! Make sure its high enough walled that he can't climb out, they are quite good climbers.
Seeing as you're in the Russian tortoise section of the forum I assume you got to peak at the care sheet on here for all sorts of specifics?
For the basking lamp, it depends on temperature really, do you have a temperature gauge? If the temps are too high bump up the lamp distance from enclosure, this will change when you get a UVB source, deinately go for a MVB (mercury vapor bulb) with the UVB, mines a zoomed powersun 100 watt, and does the heat and UV all in one so you wont need the basking lamp. Whats you're heat source for night? you'll only need it in the winter and if the temp in the enclosure will hit under 60°F but people here recommend CHE (ceramic heat Emitter) bulbs over the red "night bulbs" but i'll admit I have a red night one and that CHEs are intimidating to me.
Only thing else I have to say is not sand mix, sand can cause impaction if accidentally ingested (you can google it if you're really interested in that but basically it gets stuck, it also happens in horses, its money and trouble you wont want later) You'll be fine with the sand mix until you build the new enclosure though. If you have a yard you don't treat chemically you could dig up regular old dirt, its what I have, sometimes I have issues with humidity but otherwise its free, he likes it, and its good for him (potting soil is not the same though!)
Hope I helped some

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome Ditch the sand when you switch out the substrate. It's not needed and can cause impaction. If you have the room, he might enjoy a plant. Humidity for an adult should be around 30%. If you can give him a hide to sleep in. He would like that. Not sure if I read,you had one or not.

 

[Tracy Bain]

Thank you so much for your replies, i will get rid of the sand and dig up dirt from the garden as it is an untreated garden, i also dont have a hide as yet but will be getting him one at the end of month

 

[johnsonnboswell]

The problem I've found with sand is that it doesn't break down. The organic matter in the substrate breaks down, and the ratio of sand to soil keeps climbing upward. So over time I've taken against it. It may still be needed as a soil amendment if your soil is heavy clay.

 

[lismar79]

A hide can be a cheap plastic box. Mine is a dish tub I got at walmart for $2. Works great. Also if you can't provide a uv light for weeks, then you will need to get him outside for some real sun. Even a half hour a couple times a week would be aBIG help to your guy. Calcium is needed as well. Throw a cuttle fishbone ( the kind you buy for birds, sold at petstores) in his tank. If he doesn't eat it scrape a bit on his food a couple times a week.
The water dish should be something he can fit in so he can soak, if not you should soak him everyother day or so. Warm water up to his fleshy part but low enough his head can stick out.
Last, since you are planning on a uh light, please do not get one that looks like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00101GDIG/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

They have been linked to health and eye damage

Here is a russian care sheet!
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/russian-tortoises.81/