Newbie here.

ralph113

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Bought my first Russian tortoise. Did all the research. Diets, lighting, bedding, and all that goodies. So i got him from the package and he has doo doo all over his belly. since he is new, should i wait a bit before washing him? hes already running around burrowing messing up the joint, i dont want to scare him.
 

ralph113

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First thing you wanna do is soak a new tortoise in Luke warm water for about 20-30 minutes

its not gna scare him? if not i will still give him a break tonight after all that delivery. i shall soak him on warm water tomorrow. what brush can i use?
 

PJay

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its not gna scare him? if not i will still give him a break tonight after all that delivery. i shall soak him on warm water tomorrow. what brush can i use?
It's important to soak a new tortoise because you don't know how long it's been since the last soak, and they may have lost some moisture content during shipping. Like @cmac3 said, the first thing you should do is soak the tortoise as soon as you get it. Then you can let it dig down and hide for a while and recover from the stress. You get to start off with the best care possible on your part. I use SOFT bristled toothbrushes on my shells.
 

ralph113

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It's important to soak a new tortoise because you don't know how long it's been since the last soak, and they may have lost some moisture content during shipping. Like @cmac3 said, the first thing you should do is soak the tortoise as soon as you get it. Then you can let it dig down and hide for a while and recover from the stress. You get to start off with the best care possible on your part. I use SOFT bristled toothbrushes on my shells.

Roger that.doing it now
 

Tidgy's Dad

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ralph113

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Hello, Ralph, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum. :)
We'd love to see photos.
And I know you've done research, but just in case, have you read : http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/ ?
Great info here.
If you've already done so, then please accept my apology. :tort:

no no. infos are good especially that im new to this. . my enclosure is not as massive as those. hes like 4inches so ima upgrade everytime he grows..
 

Gillian M

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A very warm welcome to the forum, @ralph113 . :)

Any pics of your tort and his enclosure?

Daily soaks in warm water are necessary so as to avoid pyramiding and dehydration, especially if you live in a place where the climate is a dry one.
 

RosemaryDW

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Welcome!

He's not going to get that much bigger, but as mentioned above, Russians need a LOT of space. They walk a great deal in the wild.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Walking aids in digestion with these small species. He's mentally hard-wired to wander over great distances looking for food. Being cooped up in a too-small enclosure is stressful.
 

ralph113

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Walking aids in digestion with these small species. He's mentally hard-wired to wander over great distances looking for food. Being cooped up in a too-small enclosure is stressful.

he hasnt been moving that much. just chilling under the basking light poking his head a bit and looking at me like he hates me. hasnt been eating also, but i have hay everyhwere
 

Tidgy's Dad

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Hay is not good as a substrate or bedding.
It's either too dry and dusty or if moist become moldy and potentially dangerous.
You need coco coir, orchid bark or cypress mulch.
He will take time to adjust, this is normal.
 

ralph113

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Hay is not good as a substrate or bedding.
It's either too dry and dusty or if moist become moldy and potentially dangerous.
You need coco coir, orchid bark or cypress mulch.
He will take time to adjust, this is normal.
oh i have coconut for the bedding. the hay is on the other side.. but he keeps going under it
 
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