Cherry Head Tortoise doesnt seem to be doing good help?

Status
Not open for further replies.

jonny97

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
11
Hi Im new to owning a tortoise I have purchased my cherry head 5 days ago and he got shipped to me. Since receiving him he has ate lettuce which he loves I got him eating calcium on Saturday mixed with the lettuce he has ate blue berries and tomatoes and also cabbage at one point. Yesterday and the day before he ate a meal worm. But sine I got him he is very lazy doesn't seem to have much energy and doesn't open his eyes very much. Also today he wouldn't eat even lettuce which he hasn't turned down since I got him. I have a mister that was going off about every 3 hours cause I was having trouble keeping the humidity up about 75 so I added a fogger today and the humidity is at around 85 and I decreased the mister to every 6 hours for 20 seconds. One side of his enclosure has a basking light and a heating soil in plantation soil as substrate with a temp around 90 directly under the light id say around 95. Other side of the enclosure has coco husk and moss and also has his hide and a temp around 78. I have uvb coil lights on top of the enclosure. In the room is also a 400 watt metal Halide on a fish tank. Could any of this be the reason he is sluggish and also he doesn't eat or drink unless i put him next to the food or water. He has drank quite a bit of water today every time I put him next to it but hasn't taken any food. Can anyone with me with this and give me some insight on what I should do I would hate to lose the little guy. I have grown attached already in 5 short days.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Get rid of the coil light. It has damaged eyes with a lot of people. Second, you have to get him a better diet. Less fruit, more leafy greens, outside time if possible for natural grazing. Some protein, bugs, worms, boiled egg are a few. Soak him every day for 20-30 minutes. Don't just wait for him to do it. Also, the metal halide light, that doesn't shine in on him does it? It might be too bright for him if its too close.
 

jonny97

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
11
It's not directly shining on him but with the big reflector on it it surely brightens up the room quite abit. The pet store here recommended the coil lights obviously clueless here as everything they recommended seems to be completely wrong
 

Redstrike

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
2,716
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Lots of ways to do this.

Temps:
I like to keep air temperatures at 80 on the cool end and 85 on the warm end for juveniles. Directly under the Ceramic Heat Emitters it's about 92ish.

Humidity:
Are you using an ultrasonic fogger? This can drop the temps quickly when it turns on. If you are using an ultrasonic fogger, next time it kicks up, see if the temperatures dip 2-3 degrees. There's lots of ideas for boosting humidity in the links I've provided below. There's nothing wrong with ultrasonic foggers!

Ditch the coild bulb and go with a long tube florescent or mercury vapor bulb. I've used both and I prefer the long tube fluorescent lights, but the MVB are good for producing heat and UVB, but are weak at producing good light quality.

Here's my setup:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-45960.html#axzz290Dm3feR
I now have a CHE on each end and have ditched the MVB that was previously hanging. You'll notice everything is topped with plexiglass to keep heat and humidity in (I live in New England where it gets cold and dry in fall and winter).

Great information here:
http://tortoiselibrary.com/
http://www.pingleton.com/redfoot/redfoots.htm - my favorite redfoot husbandry book.


cristal redfoot said:
Give him a warm soak with baby food, maybe that would help.

I did this with my sick tortoise and it did seem to help. Sweet potato and Carrot are good choices. If the tort continues to decline, a vet may be a good idea but do not get a Vit. A injection. We have a veterinarian list here on the forum by State, you may want to look through this and book an appointment 3-4 days from now as an insurance policy in case the tort does not improve.
 

Laura

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
7,502
Location (City and/or State)
Foothills above Sacramento CA
coil lights blind them. also if its too bright, they tend not to like that... they prefer,, warm and shadowy....like forest...
 

mightymizz

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
321
Also to keep in mind along with the other suggestions is that baby tortoises do hide a lot anyways. If you think about them out in the wild, they would be food to many things along with just being in a very dangerous environment with a shell that is not that strong yet.

Keep us updated, and feel free to post pictures of your tort and enclosure too!
 

terryo

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
8,975
Location (City and/or State)
Staten Island, New York
When I first got my Cherry Heads, I followed this care sheet. It was so easy to follow, and even though it has been up-dated, I still followed it for my other one. After five years, mine are smooth and healthy. Low light, warm humidity, IMHO, is the way to go. I didn't offer protein until mine were 6 months old.
http://www.redfoots.com/hdiet.htm
 

jonny97

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
11
Thanks for the info everyone much appeticated I switched the bulbs today to the tubes a lot less bright and I switched from a basking lights to a heat emitter. I got him eating abit of bok choy and collard greens today now he didn't eat awhole lot of it but he did eat and he seems abit more active today and his eyes are open a lot more since the switch.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top