Cherry head tortoise dandelions??
- Thread starter Torkoal#1
- Start date
Agree. The chicory type are usually the type of “dandelion” that one can buy in a typical Asian market. Whereas the other is the common dandelion found in lawns. I feed both types & our Sully enjoys both.
I just picked a colander full of dandelion blossoms & Garlic Mustard leaves.
The flower topper is good, but I prefer the Herbal Hay from Tortoisesupply.com.
I feed both types of dandelion to all of my torts.
Original Mazuri (5M21) is a good pelleted supplement. I soak it and mix it with other things. The Mazuri LS is good too. Both ZooMed pellets are good as well.
I feed both types of dandelion to all of my torts.
Original Mazuri (5M21) is a good pelleted supplement. I soak it and mix it with other things. The Mazuri LS is good too. Both ZooMed pellets are good as well.
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
I bought my tortoise the flower topper and he will not touch it.
Like anything, it takes time to introduce. When I first started using it, none of my torts wanted anything to do with it. You have to use just a tiny little sprinkle all mixed in with the big pile of greens. Over time, you add more and more. After a few weeks, my torts would all seek it out and not leave one crumb in the food dish.
MikeyAndRosie
New Member
Thank you very much for this suggestion.
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
Thats exactly what i did but he does not eat anything even if its near his favorite food he will pass it down.
You used too much. Only use a few tiny flecks at first, and then give it time. Keep adding those few flecks to every meal. Let him choose to go hungry. Keep temps up, soak daily, and watch that appetite come up in a few days. Don't give in and feed him other things. This process can take weeks.
I'd soak him and then gently wipe it off.
Are you keeping temps above 80 day and night?
Yes
Today and yesterday though he has been fed in the tote next to his and it was 75°F he was there about 15 or 20 minutes. That was yesterday and today, I had tried heating it up with the ceramic heater and uvb light while covering it. It was hot for a second then cooled down again. So I'll just be feeding in his enclosure but I'll put paper towels down so the coco coir stays off
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
I thought you did not need temps at 80 F. During night time. Please correct me if i am wrong.
For a hachling as young as mine as far as I know yes 80 is the lowest you ever want. I hoped 75 ut under a heating ceramic bulb would allow it to be ok for a quick feeding. And he soaked there too in 88°F water for 20 mins with the temps being higher then but they dropped after I opened the top to get the water out and feed him. He is in a tote with another tote next to it to help hold the 4ft uvb bulb and fixture. So to feed outside the coco coir I put him on a paper plate in the other tote with another ceramic heater and scooted the uvb center to him
Okay. I'm correcting you. RFs, CHs, and most other tropical species need night temps of 80 or higher. The OP has a CH. Temps should be80-86 24/7/365.
Temperate species like Russians, greeks, hermanni, and CA DTs, need cooler nights, and warm days.
Have you not read the care sheets here on TFO? Other info sources are likely to give you all sorts of wrong care details.
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
I have read them and they said as long as your tortoise can warm up in the morning then night temps can drop to 70F. But that was the one for leopard and sullys so i am sorry. I didnt know it was different for CH and redfoots and other tropical species.
No need for paper towels. Some torts will eat them. Hand pack the coco coir, and feed the food out of a terra cotta saucer sunk into a the substrate and you won't have an issue. The saucers are cheap, so I buy four for each enclosure. Two for food and two for water. That way I can take the dirty one out each day and put the fresh clean one in with food and water. I then wash out the dirty ones and let them bake in the sun to disinfect and dry for the next day.
I would switch to orchid bark. Better for RFs, safer, and less mess.
My care sheets do not say drop baby leopards and Sulcatas down to 70F. That is wrong and will make them sick. You are reading the wrong info. Only temperate species should drop like that at night. Sulcatas and leopards need to stay 80. This is why you get a CHE or two, or and RHP or two and set them on a thermostat to 80. Then during the day, the heat lamps will kick on and warm things up to 90ish for leopards and sulcatas.
For a RF or CH, I'd set the thermostat to 82, and then see if the florescent UV and ambient LED heats it up enough, or too much, during the day, and adjust as needed.
Thomas tortoise
Well-Known Member
Sorry. I thought it was for sullys and leopards. I keep getting those two caresheets mixed up. Will make changes ASAP!
At night without the t5 uvb and uva mix bulb the 100w ceramic heater by itself gets the temps up to 100 I saw and used a fan to cool down immediately. I check every night periodically sense he is only a few steps away at all times also the temp was recorded under the ceramic heater the area he was in was reading (with a temp gun) mid 90s 96 maybe, but not for long. I put the thermostat sensor right under it and now I got the whole thing staying no lower than 80 only seen 82 so far lowest. Highest is like 86 87.
