Feeding and housing in southern Ontario

[Sh3wulf]

Thanks to everyone for the unanimous vote on Benny. Now that I know he is a Leopard tort baby I can ensure he is properly cared for. I will also be seeking a new vet out, since apparently ours isn't as knowledgeable as I had hoped.

After reading up on a ton of information, some conflicting, I have only about a billion questions, but hoped some of ya'll who have had success with your Leopard family members could help me with a few.

Benny is housed in a custom enclosure made from plexiglass. It measures 3'x3'x5.5'. I have a ceramic heater for nights on the end with a large hide and his sun light at the other end where he spends most of his day tucked into the small hide. I can't get the tank over 28.5 and if he's always hiding how do I know he is getting enough UVA and UVB? Also how can I get his temp up more?
Additionally I want to bring some variety to his diet as suggested, but how can I get hibiscus and other suggested plants in my region that won't be full of pesticides and fertilizers? He's currently eating organic spring mix, kale, and romaine. He eats around the hay. He pushes it out of the way.
I would also like to grow him some food in the terrarium. Any suggestions on a setup for this?
Also, in terms of substrates, I currently have tortoise wood and coco husk, how do I prevent mold if I start misting this as suggested?
Thanks for the help. We really love our tort and want to keep him as healthy and happy as possible.
I have attached pictures taken today
PS. The white banding you can see on his shell near the bottom, that has grown significantly over the last couple months, please let me know if I should be concerned about this?

 

[Greg T]

Glad he is doing well. Your temps are a bit low for the high side, maybe because the size of the enclosure. Are you measuring at the floor level or higher? You want to meausre temps at the same level as the tort to get an accurate reading. You may have to lower the light to get the temps higher. That temp is okay for the low/night end.

Foods are good. babies don't usually eat hay and I haven't seen a tort yet who prefers dry hay over greens anyway. I'd leave out the hay for now and just feed greens and mazuri a few times a week.

I used dirt s my substrate when I housed my juveniles indoors, but you don't want to do that with babies. Most people like the coir and I haven't heard anyone complain about mold problems.

 

[Sh3wulf]

Thank you Greg. Glad to know we didn't do any damage and will avoid the soil for now

 

[DeanS]

Too bad you're not in Southern Ontario...California, that is! Perfect place to raise a leopard...outside...all year around! All joking aside, I love his enclosure. And, even though it's plexiglass, I'd like to see it elevated a bit. Plexiglass or not, that cold tile floor may battle your heat inside the enclosure. GREAT job! Keep us posted! Check out the two diet suggestions in my signature (the second and third links)...they work for leopards just as well as they do for sulcatas. Also, if your lighting is hot enough, the coco husk won't mold. I use a 80/20 mixture of coconut bark/coco coir...and have had NO problems yet! Also, when you dump his water bowl...dump it right into the substrate. Keeps the humidity going good...plus add a pan of boiling water once a month or so...that'll take care of any bugs that might be running around in there...plus it keeps your substrate somewhat sterile.

 

[Sh3wulf]

Fantastic Dean thanks for the advice. The tank requires that I build something custom to elevate it. And it's very heavy so I need something really strong to keep Benny safe
Wondering if some insulation, like a blanket or something might help?

 

[Sh3wulf]

Managed to get Benny's temps up in his enclosure (33.3 hot end & 29.8 cool end) I simply put some tinfoil resting over the holes in the lid for the lighting. I didn't seal these, just have it there reflecting the heat back down into the enclosure.
I also poured some boiling water into my mulch and soaked it in that and appears to have taken care of the small wood mites.
Humidity has also risen and I noticed today that Benny was really having a busy day exploring all of his enclosure. A big change from his normal hiding in the hot hide directly under the light. I think he was enjoying the few extra degrees. He even moved one of the dishes about three inches, apparently Benny has an interior decorating sense that I have yet to understand.
He enjoyed a blueberry and two raspberries today as a treat and ate all his mixed greens
Thank you everyone for all the great advice and willingness to share so openly about your experiences in tortoise keeping. I'm so glad I found this forum and am learning so much from you all. Hopefully Benny can continue to thrive and benefit as a result of all that is being learned and taught here.

 

[PETlover234]

Nice enclosure!