Concerned about Joe

[Mitch_spartan]

Hi all, got my kids their first pet,Joe the Horsefield tortoise at easter. He was around 3months old
He's been fine and quite entertaining in his tortoise table. 3/4 topsoil and sand mixture and the other Inc his covered sleep area the pellets.
Changed his habitat about 2 weeks ago, added a bridge, a few different logs and he was having a right play around.

Last 5 days he's been asleep and not waking up for food or to walk about. He moves in his covered sleep area from corner to corner. That's it.

I just decided I would bath him then put some food out so bathed him in lukewarm water for 15mins then out in furthest area of table and he went right past the food and into his sleep area.
I'm a bit concerned. His diet is spinach,rocket, lambs lettuce, some cucumber, parsley with sprinkles of calci dust. Fresh water daily.

He does a weird thing where he rubs his head with his legs as it goes in or out his she'll sometimes which I've only noticed about 8 days ago which was last time he was out in the sunshine roaming our garden.

Any advice please

 

[Gillian M]

A warm welcome to the forum!

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread, and post pics of your tort and his enclosure so as to get help and advise more easily.

 

[Jodie]

What are your 4 temps, basking, warm side, cool side and night low? What equipment do you use to maintain temps? Are you providing UVB? Pictures will help us figuring out what is going on.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[Jodie]

Just saw pics in intro. Start with the care guides in the Russian section. Your tortoise needs more heat and humidity, I am guessing by the pics. Different substrate would help a lot.
Here is a link to one guide.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
This is good info as well.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/why-does-my-russian-tortoise-stay-buried.59575/

 

[wellington]

Follow the appropriate to your species care sheet and things should improve. Stop using sand as it can cause impactions. Be sure the correct basking temp is available or they can't digest their food properly. Do not use any coil type bulbs, they can cause eye problems and until he is acting normal, give him a warm water soak every day for 15-20 minutes and use calcium only a small pinch 1 or 2 times a week

 

[Mitch_spartan]

Under the lamp it's 30.7
Cool side is 22.4
Warm side is 28.4 and in his sleeping area it's 24.9
Cant do the night one until it's lights out and I will check that when I get back from the gym at midnight

 

[JoesMum]

Your basking temperature is too low. You need to lower the lamp towards the substrate so you have 35C directly underneath it.

The lamp must hang vertically and not be at an angle.

 

[Mitch_spartan]

It is vertical and it's the exo terra glo 80w it's about 38cm high but that's how the table came with that height for the bulb. I will lower the temp. Are the other temp ok? Should I put another heat source in there

 

[JoesMum]

If you read the Russian Care Sheet that Jodie linked to above, it gives you all the info you need. Your warm side could go up a couple of degrees, but sorting that basking lamp will help.

If you can't hang it low enough, you need a higher wattage bulb.

 

[Mitch_spartan]

Will that stop him from sleeping and not coming out of his sleeping quarters.?

 

[JoesMum]

Will that stop him from sleeping and not coming out of his sleeping quarters.?

If your tort is too cold it cannot be active or digest food.

Here's a lighting summary:

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from B&Q will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you're using one of those new type compact fluorescent bulbs, that might be why Joe is rubbing his eyes on his legs. Those bulbs cause a painful condition similar to snow blindness.

 

[Mitch_spartan]

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/solar_glo.php

Using the 80w of those. what do you use

 

[JoesMum]

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/solar_glo.php

Using the 80w of those. what do you use

That bulb is an MVB. It's fine

 

[Mitch_spartan]

Well it's been over half hr since I put ajoe back in his new surrounding with new substrate and a layout change and he has had a proper good wonder. More than he has done in the last 6 days.
Although he hasn't touched his food.

Lowered his lamp and he's under there now.
So far so good

 

[Jodie]

He sure is a cutie. Hope your adjustments help.

 

[Pearly]

Well it's been over half hr since I put ajoe back in his new surrounding with new substrate and a layout change and he has had a proper good wonder. More than he has done in the last 6 days.
Although he hasn't touched his food.

Lowered his lamp and he's under there now.
So far so good

Very cute little guy!

 

[Mitch_spartan]

Ladies and gents
Joe is roaming around when he decides he wants to wake up but he isn't eating. He hasn't eaten for over a week. Put him lambs lettuce and little cucumber yesterday. Today, kale,spinach and lambs lettuce.
He used to previously not leave any left overs in sight

 

[Jodie]

What are you temps now? I would give him a nice long soak, and see if he deficates.

 

[Mitch_spartan]

37.6 under lamp on the slate
20.4 in cool corner
21.9 in sleep area with 79% humidity