Golden Greek Tortoise Troubles

tortastic

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Hey fellow tortoise lovers! I'm a 16-year-old reptile enthusiast and I've been thinking about getting a tortoise for a long time now. I'm very set on a Golden Greek, and now after hours upon hours of research I still have a few questions about some care requirements for my future pal.

First of all is substrate. This seems to be a very controversial subject among tortoise people out there, and I have a couple suggestions that I might go with. I'm either going to probably use either a topsoil/sand mixture, a coconut fiber, or some kind of reptile bark. I'll feed out of a dish or on some slate, so the tortoise won't ingest any of the substrate.

Next is feeding. I've heard a lot of people say you shouldn't feed grocery bought veggies, others who say to only feed store bought veggies, and holy heck I'm confused. I'm thinking about growing my own dandelions to feed the leaves and flowers to my tortoise, then the rest of the diet will probably be romaine lettuce, kale, spring mix, vegetable tops, ect. I know to limit protein and try to get as much calcium and fiber into the diet, so I'll also be supplementing vitamins and calcium with D3.

Finally is the whole lighting situation. I'm thinking about using a 125-watt mercury vapor bulb that provides both the heat and UVB/UVA lighting the tortoise will need. Will this work out okay? Or will additional lights be needed?

Thanks in advance, and happy tortoise keeping everyone!
 

Abdulla6169

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Hey fellow tortoise lovers! I'm a 16-year-old reptile enthusiast and I've been thinking about getting a tortoise for a long time now. I'm very set on a Golden Greek, and now after hours upon hours of research I still have a few questions about some care requirements for my future pal.

First of all is substrate. This seems to be a very controversial subject among tortoise people out there, and I have a couple suggestions that I might go with. I'm either going to probably use either a topsoil/sand mixture, a coconut fiber, or some kind of reptile bark. I'll feed out of a dish or on some slate, so the tortoise won't ingest any of the substrate.

Next is feeding. I've heard a lot of people say you shouldn't feed grocery bought veggies, others who say to only feed store bought veggies, and holy heck I'm confused. I'm thinking about growing my own dandelions to feed the leaves and flowers to my tortoise, then the rest of the diet will probably be romaine lettuce, kale, spring mix, vegetable tops, ect. I know to limit protein and try to get as much calcium and fiber into the diet, so I'll also be supplementing vitamins and calcium with D3.

Finally is the whole lighting situation. I'm thinking about using a 125-watt mercury vapor bulb that provides both the heat and UVB/UVA lighting the tortoise will need. Will this work out okay? Or will additional lights be needed?

Thanks in advance, and happy tortoise keeping everyone!
Welcome to TFO! We're so happy to have you here.
Please read this care sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index....raeca)-Care-Sheet-Overview.87146/#post-812416
& this diet sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index....d,-Greeks,-Russians,-Sulcata.5823/#post-47217
Thanks!

Now to your question:
1-topsoil is fine :), I'd not recommend using any sand (risk of compaction). Coco coir is also great... It all depends on what's available/cheaper

2-Dandelions are a bit too high in protein (you can still feed them but in moderation) You see the thing is Greek don't eat lots of protein (even plant protein)... I'd recommend rereading the diet sheet and working from there.

3-your MVB choice seems great, but we cannot judge if it's enough because of the variables (distance & enclosure size)....
Good luck! :)
Here's a pic of my Greek:
View attachment 87633

From there
 

Yellow Turtle01

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Yay! Your tortoise will amaze you every day for a long time:) good choice...
Sand is a a no-no, as @AbdullaAli pointed out :D
Coco coir is an awesome choice (very digestible, little health risks, hold moisture...)
I buy lettuces form the store, just wash them off VERY thoroughly with warmer water, and vinegar, just make to get all of it off.
MVBs work really good, but it has to be a certain amount of inches away from your tort, or else it could damage him (burn, that's really hot!)
Will your tort get access to outside? Even a few hours on sunny days could do wonders for his health and well-being.
 

tortastic

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Just wanted to say thanks!

I'm definitely going to use coco coir because it sounds way safer and it's also pretty cheap. :p

Also, how far should an 125-watt mercury vapor bulb be away from the floor of the enclosure? I've heard around 12 inches, but some people say around 8 inches. I just don't want it to be too much or too less. I attached a picture of the enclosure I want to set up, and the light will be on the lower floor, will that work?

images


And yes, my tortoise will receive bountiful time outside, whenever I get the chance! I live in North Carolina, where the summers are nice and hot and the sun is almost always shining! ;)

Thanks again, and I look forward to your replies! :D
 

Abdulla6169

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Just wanted to say thanks!

I'm definitely going to use coco coir because it sounds way safer and it's also pretty cheap. :p

Also, how far should an 125-watt mercury vapor bulb be away from the floor of the enclosure? I've heard around 12 inches, but some people say around 8 inches. I just don't want it to be too much or too less. I attached a picture of the enclosure I want to set up, and the light will be on the lower floor, will that work?

images


And yes, my tortoise will receive bountiful time outside, whenever I get the chance! I live in North Carolina, where the summers are nice and hot and the sun is almost always shining! ;)

Thanks again, and I look forward to your replies! :D
Depends, try using it at both distances, pick the one that works best... My bulb said about 11.8 to 15.7 in.
 

tortastic

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Thanks! I get him/her in October. I'm finishing up research now and I'll start gathering supplies very soon! Being a younger person, money is sort of tight and I'll slowly be accumulating everything for the next few months.

One more question though. What gender of tortoise does everyone have/prefer? I was thinking male because of the whole size factor, but I really like the idea of having a female tort. My enclosure will be 48" long by 30" wide, so I think I'll have room either way, however I can upgrade once the tortoise gets larger depending on how fast he/she grows. Are there any perks and/or downsides of either gender?
 

tglazie

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Both genders are roughly the same, really, when kept in solitude. Females tend to be more agreeable in a group, although this isn't always the case. My female marginated tortoise is a bitey bully who won't hesitate to beat up on any tortoise that crosses into her territory. Whenever I place her with Gino, my male, there is always a fight before copulation, and I'm always having to referee that fight to ensure that neither tortoise injures the other. I have a male Greek tortoise who is the meanest, fighting-est tortoise I've ever seen (he will fight leather shoes, he's so big and bad). He patrols his large enclosure like Judge Dredd patrols Mega City One, suspicious of any change and always ready to fight. Given his frequent patrols, he is always hungry, and anytime I walk near his enclosure, he runs up in anticipation of a meal.

Ultimately, the choice of gender is up to you, but I recommend you get a male, simply because males are usually cheaper and often times unwanted given their more pugnacious natures.

T.G.
 

colatoise

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I have been using cypress mulch from Lowes or Home Depot for substrate for years with no problem. One bag is around $2. I feed my Greek a mix of collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, green leaf lettuce, and Mazuri. Plus he gets a mix of weeds in the yard. I live in Columbia, SC so my climate is close to yours. I use a 100W MVB bulb. Height I don't think is as important as the temps. He basks under about 90 degrees and I keep his cool side at 80 during the day time. Make sure to have a water saucer available at all times. At night temps get to about 75. Most of the time he gets to roam the yard for at least an hour or so. How big is your tort table? Looks pretty good from the pics
 

Abdulla6169

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I have been using cypress mulch from Lowes or Home Depot for substrate for years with no problem. One bag is around $2. I feed my Greek a mix of collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, green leaf lettuce, and Mazuri. Plus he gets a mix of weeds in the yard. I live in Columbia, SC so my climate is close to yours. I use a 100W MVB bulb. Height I don't think is as important as the temps. He basks under about 90 degrees and I keep his cool side at 80 during the day time. Make sure to have a water saucer available at all times. At night temps get to about 75. Most of the time he gets to roam the yard for at least an hour or so. How big is your tort table? Looks pretty good from the pics
My Greek HATES the water dish, he literally is "in-love" with where I put the water dish. Once he went under the water dish, I had to remove it after that :( still giving him daily soaks though.
 

tortastic

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I finally finished my tortoise table! (With a lot of help from everyone on the forum of course!)

It's 4 feet long by 2 feet wide by about 8 inches tall with a second story of about 2 feet across and 8 inches wide. I know this probably won't last my Greek for his entire life, but it's a good start for the first few years of his life at least! I'm inserting a few pictures so you guys can see. There's also a layer of laminate tile on the bottom for easier cleaning purposes. (There will still be substrate on top of this.)

I finally ordered most of the rest of the supplies; an Exo Terra 125-watt Mercury Vapor Bulb, an extra 100-watt heat lamp, two ceramic light fixtures, food and water dishes (which are listed in one picture- they're huge!), some Eco Earth, and some tortoise-safe succulents for decor.

Here's some pictures of the setup! :tort:

tt final 1.jpg tt final 2.jpg tt final 3.jpg

I don't know how often I'll be posting from now until the end of September, mainly because I'll just have the supplies and no tortoise until then. I might make video or something of all the supplies I wind up getting before I get my tortoise, but we'll see! Until then, thank you guys so, so much for all of the warm welcomes and advice! :<3:
 

WillTort2

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Hi there neighbor, welcome to the world of tortoises. I don't know much about the Greek torts, but I'm wondering if your sides are tall enough on your enclosure? When you put in substrate you will in effect lower the height of the sides.

I like the vinyl flooring, gives a great water proof floor. You may need to seal or caulk the edges to keep water from running onto your floor.

Good luck from the Tidewater of VA.
 

Jlant85

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your enclosure is beautiful! Just a suggestion while you wait on your little one... begin planting! Fill the enclosure with top soil (which is a good substrate anyways) and place plants =) That's just me but totally up to you =) Are you planning to get a hatchling?
 

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