Should tortoises be on pellets until a year?

[hettisurmail]

Apparently tortoises should live on pellets as there substrate until they are 12 months old. Then when they are 12 months they should live on a mix of soil and sand. Is this true? I have always kept them on top soil am I doing it wrong?

 

[Markw84]

A tortoise should never be raised on pellets. That is a very old and outdated practice some used. I first started experimenting with that in 1983 back when we though tortoises needed to be kept in dry conditions. I was raising some berlandierii I had hatched. Also had some of my first leopards then. Seemed like a good idea as sand and other substrates could lead to impaction. Seemed to catch on with many keepers. I stopped using that quickly as it would mold easily just from spilled water. With the humidity we now know is required, it is totally useless.

Find grade orchid bark is the best substrate in my opinion.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I agree with Mark.
Pellets foul easily and get moldy when damp.
Good for rabbits. Not for tortoises.
While we're at it....Also avoid the use of sand. Soil is good.
What type of tortoise?

 

[hettisurmail]

I agree with Mark.
Pellets foul easily and get moldy when damp.
Good for rabbits. Not for tortoises.
While we're at it....Also avoid the use of sand. Soil is good.
What type of tortoise?

A woman with horsefields recommended it. I have Hermanns and marginated.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, that woman is keeping her tortoises old school. Take a look at HermanniChris's care sheets that are pinned above the Hermanni section. He'll give you the proper scoop.

 

[hettisurmail]

Well, that woman is keeping her tortoises old school. Take a look at HermanniChris's care sheets that are pinned above the Hermanni section. He'll give you the proper scoop.

I keep mine on soil. This women was just being rude to me saying I was keeping my tortoises wrong.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I keep mine on soil. This women was just being rude to me saying I was keeping my tortoises wrong.

Maybe she meant well. But she is wrong.

 

[Tom]

I keep mine on soil. This women was just being rude to me saying I was keeping my tortoises wrong.

There is a tremendous amount of conflicting tortoise care info circulating around the world right now. For many decades we kept them all too dry and incorrectly. Dry pellets are especially bad for babies.

As time passed, some people learned the hard way, from personal experience, what works and what doesn't work. With input from breeders, vets, other keepers and tortoise conferences, word gets around. Some people keep up and are at the forefront of new tortoise keeping knowledge, like the people here on this forum. Other people keep doing the same thing they always done because they read it in a book 20 or 30 years ago.

Everyone has different ideas about these things. The question you should ask yourself is: What are these ideas based on and how well can the person making these assertions articulate the reasons. People like Yvonne, Mark and me have been keeping tortoises for decades. We've made mistakes along the way and learned from them. We all have an open mind and want to learn new things from other people and their experiences too.

I can tell you why sand is a bad choice. I can tell you why bought in a bag soil might be bad for your tortoise. I can also tell you why I think fine grade orchid bark works best for most situations, and why I prefer coco coir for little baby Testudo or Gopherus. I base these assertions on first hand experience. Decades of both successes and failures.

What is the rude lady basing her assertions on?

 

[hettisurmail]

There is a tremendous amount of conflicting tortoise care info circulating around the world right now. For many decades we kept them all too dry and incorrectly. Dry pellets are especially bad for babies.

As time passed, some people learned the hard way, from personal experience, what works and what doesn't work. With input from breeders, vets, other keepers and tortoise conferences, word gets around. Some people keep up and are at the forefront of new tortoise keeping knowledge, like the people here on this forum. Other people keep doing the same thing they always done because they read it in a book 20 or 30 years ago.

Everyone has different ideas about these things. The question you should ask yourself is: What are these ideas based on and how well can the person making these assertions articulate the reasons. People like Yvonne, Mark and me have been keeping tortoises for decades. We've made mistakes along the way and learned from them. We all have an open mind and want to learn new things from other people and their experiences too.

I can tell you why sand is a bad choice. I can tell you why bought in a bag soil might be bad for your tortoise. I can also tell you why I think fine grade orchid bark works best for most situations, and why I prefer coco coir for little baby Testudo or Gopherus. I base these assertions on first hand experience. Decades of both successes and failures.

What is the rude lady basing her assertions on?

Apparently she has years of experience. It is an old friend of my grandmothers. She's always like this because my parents weren't married when they had me she was just so convincing I got worried for a minute

 

[Tom]

Apparently she has years of experience. It is an old friend of my grandmothers. She's always like this because my parents weren't married when they had me she was just so convincing I got worried for a minute

Sounds like her mind is entrenched in the very info that we fight here every day.

Can you invite her to come join us and have a conversation?

 

[wellington]

Apparently tortoises should live on pellets as there substrate until they are 12 months old. Then when they are 12 months they should live on a mix of soil and sand. Is this true? I have always kept them on top soil am I doing it wrong?

Where in the world did you find that so totally wrong info? Whoever she is, her info is so very wrong. Tell her join here and learn a few very important things about tortoise care and to get out of the 60,70,80, 90's. I have never came across that info in my earlier years before I found this forum.

 

[wellington]

Apparently tortoises should live on pellets as there substrate until they are 12 months old. Then when they are 12 months they should live on a mix of soil and sand. Is this true? I have always kept them on top soil am I doing it wrong?

And you needs o stick to the info here. This is the only place to will find out the proper care!

 

[wellington]

I keep mine on soil. This women was just being rude to me saying I was keeping my tortoises wrong.

You should tell her how unhealthy and bad her care is. Tell her if she wants to come up to the times to come here and learn a few things. Wow, some people can be real stupid. With the Internet, even with all the bad info out there, I don't think she'd ever find that advice.

 

[Tom]

I nominate Barb for "Diplomat of the Year"!!!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

There sure are a lot of ancient photos out there of tortoises on pellets.
Even ASTRO Turf.
Reminds me of those old ads telling us about the benefits of smoking tobacco.
AH. SMOOTHE MENTHOL!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You should tell her how unhealthy and bad her care is. Tell her if she wants to come up to the times to come here and learn a few things. Wow, some people can be real stupid. With the Internet, even with all the bad info out there, I don't think she'd ever find that advice.

Young people hate finding out that almost everything they are doing is wrong. Can you imagine someone older finding out they've been wrong for decades? And the misery done to the animal?

 

[Tom]

Young people hate finding out that almost everything they are doing is wrong. Can you imagine someone older finding out they've been wrong for decades? And the misery done to the animal?

I don't have to imagine it. I lived it and did it. The guilt I feel about being so ignorant for so long, is part of what drives me to try so hard and educate others. Its why I can seem so pushy with new members who are arguing back with us. I want them to figure it out in a much shorter time frame than how long it took me to figure it out. So far, I've succeeded a lot more than I've failed.

 

[wellington]

I don't have to imagine it. I lived it and did it. The guilt I feel about being so ignorant for so long, is part of what drives me to try so hard and educate others. Its why I can seem so pushy with new members who are arguing back with us. I want them to figure it out in a much shorter time frame than how long it took me to figure it out. So far, I've succeeded a lot more than I've failed.

No shame in failing unless one keeps doing the same fail over and over without taking time to learn and make changes.

 

[wellington]

Young people hate finding out that almost everything they are doing is wrong. Can you imagine someone older finding out they've been wrong for decades? And the misery done to the animal?

That's true. But they need to learn that things change all the time. People learn new things all the time. No shame in admitting you did wrong, as long as one takes steps to do right.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's true. But they need to learn that things change all the time. People learn new things all the time. No shame in admitting you did wrong, as long as one takes steps to do right.

Well said