Russian Tortoise questions - heat & food especially

moodytuesday

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My 9 year old has had Tom for about 3 weeks now and overall I think things are going okay, but I have some questions. Thanks for your help!
1. Hide - he slept in it the 1st night & hasn't been in it since. I know it could be bigger, but didn't want to take up too much space. Recommendations? He spends most of the day in the far hot corner.
2. Heat - under the MVB it's 95'-97'F and just outside of it it's 83'. The cool end by his food is 70. At night the temp is in the 60's, probably lower end. I'm not sure how to add more heat to a plastic tub - we had a halogen lamp over it for awhile but it just made it bright, not warm. I hate to buy another MVB due to cost since we'll be building an outdoor pen in the spring. We're in No. CO if that helps.
3. Food - we feed him 2 big lettuce leafs in the morning (mustard greens, green leaf, romaine), which he eats readily. In the late afternoon he sits in his food dish & when we give him more he eats it. Can you overfeed a tortoise? Should we be feeding more than once/day? We've also offered carrot tops & one blueberry & he didn't go for either. I know fruit is a special treat, but we were curious if he'd eat it.
4. Odor - we're using the eco earth coconut fiber (3 bricks in a 110qt tub) and clean the waste daily, but it's starting to smell. How often should we replace the fiber? I was under the impression it would last 3 months (from some other thread I read). It's in my son's bedroom so we notice it.
5. Soaking - we've had him in a warm bath 3X for 20 min and he scratches the sides like he's trying to get out almost the entire time. Should we continue or is the water dish enough?

He's been a fun pet - whenever I walk into the room & talk to him he looks up & often walks to the side to see me. We're looking forward to designing & building an outdoor pen.

Here's photos, thanks for your help!


tomcage1.jpg tomcage2.jpg tomjan2015.jpg
 
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HotdogKnight

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Welcome to the forum! :)

Do you know how old your RT is? I'm sure the pros will be along soon to answer any questions, but I just wanted to say that you might be better off getting piece of slate to feed him off as it will help to keep his beak smooth and trim - also, if he's digging himself near the edge of the enclosure it might be because he can see out, so putting something opaque outside to make it more 'box like' helps.
 

wellington

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Feed I'm more in the morning. Add some more substrate so he can bury himself in the corner he likes to sleep. Lower the water dish so it's level with the top of substrate and pat the substrate down. Keep soaking about once a month is fine for an adult, but yours is looking quite dry, so try to get the humdiity up to 30% and I would keep soaking 2-3 times a week until he doesn't look so,dry. My our temps seem fine to me. I would also get him a bigger inside enclosure.
 

Jodie

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The soaking temp should be 93ish. Some don't like it, some do, but too hot or cold could cause the scramble to get out. Try to feed a larger variety of foods..
 

Tom

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1. I would encourage him to use the hide by putting him in it a couple hours after lights out each night. If he just doesn't like it after a week or so, then let him sleep where he wants. Many of them just prefer to dig into the substrate. This is actually good for them too, so make sure you have a good 4-6" of substrate. The coir can be found much cheaper in big blocks at a gardening center.
2. Your temps sound okay, but if your tortoise is always hanging out on the warm side, you might need to bump up your ambient a little. This is easily done with a ceramic heating element set on a thermostat.
3. Feed every day, but look for more fibrous foods like weeds and leaves. No fruit.
4. I never replace my coir. I spot clean daily, but my coir doesn't smell. The coir should only have an earthy smell. Any bad odor would be coming from something else in the enclosure like poop or leftover food.
5. Try soaking at different times of day and different water temps. Often an early morning soak in warm water is more enjoyable. Some prefer cooler water, or afternoon soaking. Don't give up. Its good for him even if he wants to get out. Just don't make it too deep.

There is much more info here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
 

moodytuesday

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Thank you for the tips. I had already lowered the water bowl and will continue with the soaking. Perhaps it was too cold, I'll measure the temp next time. I hate to sound dense, but where do you find weeds and leaves in the winter?
ETA: I just saw the link for dehydrated tortoise hay, which looks like a good winter solution.
 

leigti

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Thank you for the tips. I had already lowered the water bowl and will continue with the soaking. Perhaps it was too cold, I'll measure the temp next time. I hate to sound dense, but where do you find weeds and leaves in the winter?
ETA: I just saw the link for dehydrated tortoise hay, which looks like a good winter solution.
The herbal hey is a good choice, I also sprinkle the greens with TNT from Carolina pet supply. you can use collard greens, turnip greens, cactus, mustard greens escarole endive. These are all decent foods that you can get from the grocery store. you can also feed things like carrot tops, radish tops, Kayle, spring mix. Things like spinach and Kayle should be fed only occasionally. no fruit. my Russian gets a carrot every two or three months. you can feed cucumber occasionally , not nutritious but lots of water. There are seed mixes you can buy from tortoise supply.com or Carolina pet supply.com.
 

Russianuncletwo

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Regarding soaks-maybe 10 minutes instead of 20 if tort is freaking out. I also noticed a mark difference in composure after getting a pretty large soak "pan", about 15"x24" (at least) and somewhat transparent. Real cheap and does the trick. I rest it on one of the platforms where she sometimes roams (when not outside) and close (just a few feet) to her main enclosure. Less "travel" time gives even less chance of stress of the soak basin.
 
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