Calcium Questions

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VictoriaWB

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While handleing my hatchling this morning I noticed his shell felt a bit softer than before. I was told and read that he needs a bit more calcium in his diet . Due to conflicting info on the net I'm not sure whats the best to use. I only want whats best and will do what it takes.

My questions are :

What should I be giving him? How much should a hatchling ( about 3in ) get per week?

Besides his shell getting softer he seems fine. Poops look like they should and he's active. Clear eyes , very alert. I'm new to this so any and all help is welcome. Has a UVB light along with basking light. Goes out for 30 to 45 mins. 4 to 6 days a week (good weather this time of year). Has a humidity box and tortoise table (3' x 6') is misted a few times a day.He doesn't really like the mist. Eats bermuda grass, I try to sneek some hay in , broadleaf plaintain, dandelions and some clover.

If you have any tips on what I can add to his diet in order to get the best varity possible please let me know.
 

Jacob

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Some Shells dont harden up that quick, My Little Guys is Getting complety hard hes about 5-6 months or so
But if you give your little guys either calcium from the pet store, phosphorous free
or cuttlebone, you can sprinkle that over there food 3 times a week or whenever you feel is neeeded!
make sure they get lots of natural sunlight or uv light rays from your bulb, because thier body cant digest
the calcium if theirs no natural sunlight or uvb
 

TortieLuver

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I like to use as much natural ingredients for hardening shells, which is lots of natural sunlight (as much as your weather permits) and opuntia cactus cut up small for that size. Which UVB light are you using? Also, am I reading your post correctly that you noticed it softer than usual meaning it was harder than it is now? Or is it just still soft from being a little one?
 

Yvonne G

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Cactus is also high in calcium.

But and this is a big but - all the calcium in the world doesn't do any good unless the tortoise also gets some vitamin d either from the sun or from a UVB light.
 

VictoriaWB

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TortieLuver said:
I like to use as much natural ingredients for hardening shells, which is lots of natural sunlight (as much as your weather permits) and opuntia cactus cut up small for that size. Which UVB light are you using? Also, am I reading your post correctly that you noticed it softer than usual meaning it was harder than it is now? Or is it just still soft from being a little one?

I find it feels softer now than it did when I bought it from the pet store.I use a UVB light made by Repti Glo. I wasn't aware the shells were naturally softer in little ones. I've read alot of material before hand but to be honest it seems as if all the info available is not right, or only half right. With gaps in the info. How often do you recommend giving cactus?
And thank you for the help.
 
M

Maggie Cummings

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If he were mine I would be worried. It sounds like you are doing everything correctly. I would add powdered calcium 3 times a week sprinkled lightly over his food. They really don't like it so you have to make it a light sprinkle
 

Laura

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you can give cactus daily with his other food. Couple of slices...If you are really worried.. there is a liquid calcium you can add to his daily soaks. but Must get sunshine...
 

Tom

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If you have the coil type bulb you need to turn it off and never use it again. They can cause eye damage. It seems to be worse in the tort species that bask a lot, like sulcatas. If its a tube bulb, it won't hurt anything, but it has to be close (12" or so) and can't go through a screen or anything. I've always questioned how effective the florescents were anyway. Mercury vapor bulbs are much better and they give you heat, light and UV all in one convenient bulb. With as much sunshine as yours is getting, the shell should NOT be getting softer. A few questions to try and help:

1. How old is your baby and how long have you had him?
2. How was he housed right after hatching? Dry on rabbit pellets or humid on cypress mulch or something similar?
3. I noticed you feed "clover". There are several things that are commonly mistaken as clover (oxalis) that will bind up whatever calcium is taken in and make it unusable to the tortoise. Show us a pic of your clover to be sure. What kind of flowers does it produce. If this is what's going on don't feel bad. I only learned about this last year and I had been feeding small amounts of oxalis to mine for years.
4. Where are you in the country?

Your diet sounds good. A bit more variety wouldn't hurt though. Opuntia cactus can be fed several times a week. Its good for them and they usually like it.

For calcium, I like both the Zoo-Med type and the Rep-cal. With as much sunshine as yours is getting you probably don't need the type with D3 added, but due to your circumstances (the softening shell) I would use the ones with D3 anyway. It won't hurt anything and it might help a little.
 

DeanS

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emysemys said:
Cactus is also high in calcium.

But and this is a big but - all the calcium in the world doesn't do any good unless the tortoise also gets some vitamin d either from the sun or from a UVB light.

Thank you Yvonne! I can't even put a number to how many times I've mentioned this in the past few weeks. What I will say again is as long as your tortoise is hot and humid enough (and getting adequate sunlight) then all you really need to feed them is Mazuri and cactus...after that, just let them graze. It's simple, it's cheap and doesn't require a great deal of thought! If you follow this regimen, then ALL supplements are a waste of money!:tort:
 

Jacob

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If Its A reptisun, COil Bulb take it out and never use it again!
Buy a Exoterra 125 uvb or a zoomed Powersun 100w heat and uvb!
The Reptisun can cause blindness and etc.
 

VictoriaWB

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Tom said:
If you have the coil type bulb you need to turn it off and never use it again. They can cause eye damage. It seems to be worse in the tort species that bask a lot, like sulcatas. If its a tube bulb, it won't hurt anything, but it has to be close (12" or so) and can't go through a screen or anything. I've always questioned how effective the florescents were anyway. Mercury vapor bulbs are much better and they give you heat, light and UV all in one convenient bulb. With as much sunshine as yours is getting, the shell should NOT be getting softer. A few questions to try and help:

1. How old is your baby and how long have you had him?
2. How was he housed right after hatching? Dry on rabbit pellets or humid on cypress mulch or something similar?
3. I noticed you feed "clover". There are several things that are commonly mistaken as clover (oxalis) that will bind up whatever calcium is taken in and make it unusable to the tortoise. Show us a pic of your clover to be sure. What kind of flowers does it produce. If this is what's going on don't feel bad. I only learned about this last year and I had been feeding small amounts of oxalis to mine for years.
4. Where are you in the country?

Your diet sounds good. A bit more variety wouldn't hurt though. Opuntia cactus can be fed several times a week. Its good for them and they usually like it.

For calcium, I like both the Zoo-Med type and the Rep-cal. With as much sunshine as yours is getting you probably don't need the type with D3 added, but due to your circumstances (the softening shell) I would use the ones with D3 anyway. It won't hurt anything and it might help a little.

I've had him for 3 weeks now. He's shell is about 2 1/2 inches long.
I can't say how he was housed after hatching.At the pet store he was kept dry and hot on calcium sand.
White Clover
South East Louisiana
Will be adding cactus a.s.a.p.

Could the shell feel as if changed because he was in dehydrating conditions at the store and now is being soaked along with misting and humidity areas?

It was brought to my attention that a hatchlings shell will not be hard like a juvn. or adult. And that the shell doesn't really harden until several months old. I've looked into it but found no info on the subject. Just wondering what you personal experiences were on the matter.

As far as I can tell I'm doing what needs to be done, generally speaking.Always room for improvment.I tried and tried posting a pic but couldn't get it.

I did look at the pics of your hatchlings and noticed my little mans shell is different. The light colored plates on the top shell are raised compared to the darker color of the shell. It was like that when I got him. Doesn't seem to be getting any better or worse. Although I haven't really had him that long.

Thanks for the help :)
 

Laura

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sounds like he was kept too dry before you got him and that can have devistating results.
Even weeks/months later..
Humidity, fluids, calcium, diet and sun... it what he needs now and lots of it..
 

VictoriaWB

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I just wanted to tell everyone 'Thank You' for your help. I've made some of the changes suggested and I know LunchBox is better off for it.
 
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