Hi everyone. Quick question. We’ve just had our first little spur thigh tortoise and was just wondering what food to give him on most days. I’ve got kale and other salad stuff and fruit and flower pellets but says only to give couple of times a week. Any advice would be great. Many thanks.
Food
- Thread starter Oliver86
- Start date
Never fruit.
Feed daily a variety of items. Either each day a variety or every day feed something different and then start back at the beginning.
Be sure to feed enough that it lasts all day so he can graze on and off.
Feed daily a variety of items. Either each day a variety or every day feed something different and then start back at the beginning.
Be sure to feed enough that it lasts all day so he can graze on and off.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Stick to leafy greens and safe weeds for these guys, no fruit! I have a link for food ideas I can pass on to you if you wouldn’t mind sharing a bit about how he’s kept first? Just good to check newer members are on the right track
What are your temperatures like? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps, night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used specifically? Packaging photos are good if you have any
What’s his indoor uv type?
How’s humidity reading? Is it a closed chamber?
What kind of monitoring do you have?
What is his substrate?
A photo of the full enclosure would be great! Welcome to the forum
What are your temperatures like? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps, night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used specifically? Packaging photos are good if you have any
What’s his indoor uv type?
How’s humidity reading? Is it a closed chamber?
What kind of monitoring do you have?
What is his substrate?
A photo of the full enclosure would be great! Welcome to the forum
This is the table enclosure. Only small at the moment as he’s still a baby and planning on getting bigger one soon. Temp under heat lamp is about 90*f and I’ve attached the bulbs currently using. Night temp is about 70*f.
Both bulbs are wrong. The coil can cause eye problems and the spot light pyramiding.
He needs a closed chamber enclosure with 80% humidity.
Basking bulb needs to be an incandescent flood bulb and uvb from a straight tube flourescent.
Ceramic heat emitter(s) for night heat.
Replace substrate with coconut coir or orchid/fir bark, no soil or anything with the little white things in it.
Also do not need a log hide with the built in hide, it just takes up needed roaming space.
Get changes made ASAP.
He needs a closed chamber enclosure with 80% humidity.
Basking bulb needs to be an incandescent flood bulb and uvb from a straight tube flourescent.
Ceramic heat emitter(s) for night heat.
Replace substrate with coconut coir or orchid/fir bark, no soil or anything with the little white things in it.
Also do not need a log hide with the built in hide, it just takes up needed roaming space.
Get changes made ASAP.
All the info you need is here:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
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Questions are welcome.
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum!
What is that substrate you are using? I am concerned about the white stuff in it, it seems to be some mix.
How old is your tortoise?
Unfortunately the bulbs you have can cause health problems as wellington adviced. Also, those kind of clamps are known for failing. Look at the link Tom provided and if you want you can run your purchases through the forum before getting them.
What is that substrate you are using? I am concerned about the white stuff in it, it seems to be some mix.
How old is your tortoise?
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Thank you for your reply! I’m glad I’ve checked with you! I hope you don’t feel bombarded by us! I promise we all just want everyone to have a positive keeping experience! Especially when raising one from so young! Lots of us have made these exact same mistakes so are passionate about others not learning the hard way!
As mentioned above, lighting needs correcting, as well as it being made a closed chamber and changing that substrate.
Hopefully this thread I made might be useful to look over! It covers equipment, levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! I know it says hermans and Russians, but care information can still apply here!
Housing young Russian/Herman
Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...
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This includes some more closed chamber options, some more efficient than others
Visual inspiration
Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...
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Lastly, probably the most important, this one is also really good to familiarise yourself with, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
Common keeping errors
Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...
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Hope they help! Please feel free to ask any further questions!
