ClarenceTort
Member
The glass tanks are half off???
I am so glad to see someone with your experience say this. I have my new Greek hatchling in a glass aquarium. The tank is 60 x 18 and it only uses about a third of it. It’s easy to maintain the temperature and humidity. It doesn’t grind on the glass or try to escape. It has its little area that it uses and is thriving.
I tried to have a discussion about this with another group and it was maddening.
This is the end it uses. There are cement pavers buried under the substrate to hold in the heat. It sleeps in its hide but basks in the open or under the grass and plants.
Amazing that you are using it, your tortoise is doing well in it, and people still want to tell you what a problem it is... It must be those nuts on FB we keep hearing about.
I like to see my tortoises, and I like my tortoises to see me. And your tank looks like a good size for a smaller tortoise.
I'd remove the hay. You don't need it and its a mold risk.
I am so glad to see someone with your experience say this. I have my new Greek hatchling in a glass aquarium. The tank is 60 x 18 and it only uses about a third of it. It’s easy to maintain the temperature and humidity. It doesn’t grind on the glass or try to escape. It has its little area that it uses and is thriving.
I tried to have a discussion about this with another group and it was maddening.
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I have actually got myself banned from a UK tortoise group because 1. I suggested carrot soaks for a sick tortoise and 2. Because I suggested orchid bark as a substrate. It was literally like the tortoise police. I got told I was going to kill my tortoise etc I am cruel you name it. Jeeez
Ok well I had a Russian tortoise and I can tell you how I kept him.
From age 6 month he was in a 3ft by 2ft vivarium. I soon worked out that he looked miserable but I kept him in there until around a year old.
After that I moved him to an open top enclosure made from a bookcase which was 3ft by 5ft he was 100g and that was plenty of space. It was extremely cheap as I got one from ikea and used 2 ikea tables to rest it on. It was long but I moved it twice without it falling apart.
I also had a large outdoor area for summer.. do you have access to the outdoors?
Ok well I had a Russian tortoise and I can tell you how I kept him.
From age 6 month he was in a 3ft by 2ft vivarium. I soon worked out that he looked miserable but I kept him in there until around a year old.
After that I moved him to an open top enclosure made from a bookcase which was 3ft by 5ft he was 100g and that was plenty of space. It was extremely cheap as I got one from ikea and used 2 ikea tables to rest it on. It was long but I moved it twice without it falling apart.
I also had a large outdoor area for summer.. do you have access to the outdoors?
Sadly i has to have mine euthanised for some ongoing issues but he would have stayed in that until he was old enough to live outside full time. If you predator proof the top of your outdoor enclosure and add a cold frame and maybe a night box, is there any reason he can’t live outdoors full time? Russians do much better living outside.
Only problem is I live in Kansas City. The winters are brutal even for me!! I would have such guilt leaving him outside. Hopefully I’m the next few years we will be heading to warmer climates. For me and him. [emoji12][emoji217]
Do you have a bottom on your outdoor enclosure? My Boris has dug out a couple of times! I think I need to rebuild and put in a floor so he cannot escape via burrowing - he is a big time digger!!
If you can, build one out of plywood. Make it 8x4 with 15in high walls. Cheaper and lasts a very long time.
I’m curious if he could be kept in his indoor habitat in the garage. It’s the biggest space I have. If he has Uv and heat lamps would it be warm enough.
Wow. There are some crazy tort people out there. I think that’s why I’m stressing so much about his indoor enclosure. The one I have now is definitely too small and I’m driving myself crazy looking for something that works for him but is also functional for my space size and for when he has to be brought over to the neighbors for babysitting. I need to make him easy to transport and having some big handmade wooden table isn’t going to work. The more I read and see YouTube videos the more crazy I make myself.