Recent content by oacason

I don't think he's blind, he seems to see just fine? But okay point taken, I'll just some that are less intense. Perhaps I'll just re-home them instead since I'm apparently killing them. Thanks everyone.

I use Arcadia 12% T8 bulbs. I just measured the distance and it's about 9" if he's at the back of the cage. So farther away if he's roaming. On for 12 hours a day. Should I be using something different, or maybe I'm overdoing it? I know you said previously they only need a few hours of UVB if...

I have a backyard with enough room for an outdoor enclosure. I'm not handy and wouldn't be able to build it. If there is something I could buy that would work, I am open to that.

His enclosure is 4 ft long x 2ft wide. I don't have an outdoor enclosure. I also thought it was too cold for them outside? Other than in the summer of course. Edit: I'm also worried about predator animals being able to get to him if he's outside 24/7.

My oldest Hermann's tortoise has started NONSTOP bashing into every side of his enclosure, trying to dig out of it and trying to climb the back walls. He's now starting digging a trench in his substrate at the front of his enclosure as well. This has been going on for a couple of months...

Yeah, I know I can't reverse it. But I don't want it to get worse. I use 30-40 watt incandescent flood bulbs, depending on what's available. I haven't been able to find the 30 watt ones anymore, so I believe they're both 40 watt floods. Keeps their basking areas 95-100 degrees. They both have...

I know this has been posted about before. I have been accidentally neglecting my tortoises' humidity needs. They are in separate 4x2 enclosures with reptichip and Cypress mulch mixed as substrate. I recently noticed that my younger one (19 months old) is pyramiding pretty bad. The slightly older...

Update: took him to the vet Saturday. The vet said it appears to be proptosed, and likely needs enucleation surgery. I'm not sure I'm comfortable putting a 25gram 2 month old tortoise through anesthesia. Doing ofloxacin eye drops for now. Just a wait and see at this point. He is on metacam for...

I removed the topsoil from both of my hermann's enclosures and did mulch with reptichip on top. Here's a picture.

You don't think it could be the Cypress mulch to blame for this? I'm wondering if I should switch the whole thing out for reptichip. I use that for my corn snakes and it's much softer than mulch.

Ok will do. There is a layer of cypress mulch on top of the topsoil,so it's not just the topsoil.he does burrow though of course. I haven't had an issue before,been using that soil/mulch for my reptiles for years. But I will get rid of it for him.

I got some vetericyn eye wash, and vetericyn eye gel that says it's for "stinging, itching and burning from pollutants and contaminants" from petco last night. It's hard to apply because he just tucks his head far in his shell now. He's never done that before.

Yes he's housed alone.

It's the scotts kind from home depot.

He does have some gnats in his cage because I changed out the substrate. I think the gnats were in the new bag of topsoil. I wonder if a gnat bit him?? Ugh. I flushed it out with warm water and put him in a plain bin with paper towels