Pottergalval
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2016
- Messages
- 15
Hello everyone!
I've wanted a tortoise for about 10 years now, and today, I finally got one! I'm on here because I want to make sure that I'm giving him the best care I possibly can. Here's a little bit about him. Please let me know if I seem to be doing something wrong: (or scroll to the bottom for specific questions)
I got my Russian Tortoise from Petco. I was hesitant to buy from a commercial pet store, but he(?) seemed to be in fairly good health. No mysterious bumps, a healthy looking shell, clear, black eyes, active disposition, etc. The other tort in the enclosure was lethargic with glossy eyes and a damaged shell. I'm quite worried about that one
Joey's only concerning characteristic was very liquid poop (he pooped on me when I first picked him up--wasn't that nice of him??). I'm hoping that once I start feeding him a healthy diet, it'll get better. Or maybe he just pooped and peed at the same time. Will keep an eye on it.
I say "he" because he was humping the other tort in the store, however the employees didn't know his age or sex. Regardless, I've named him Joey Stallin' and will continue to use masculine pronouns.
I am keeping him indoors in a large Rubbermaid container. He has about 2 in of substrate on the bottom: half loose coconut fiber substrate and half cypress mulch. I'm not sure if I should add more as he clearly loves to burrow. Poor thing had less than 1/2 an inch of substrate in Petco. I also provided him with a log to hide under if he wants to (which is what he is currently doing). I have a Exo Terra Reptile UVB 150 lamp that will be on from 10am to 10pm everyday. In one corner, I also have a Zoo Med 100w Repticare Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter that I will keep on at all times. I have a thermometer with which I will keep track of the temperature on either side of the enclosure.
I'm planning on feeding him a large variety of dark, leafy greens, bell peppers, carrots, and squash. Probably some cucumber early on to hydrate him, as I don't trust Petco to have kept him well-hydrated. For that reason, I will also soak him soon. I'm planning on putting the water through my Brita before this, of course. Back to food, I will also give him fruit sparingly as a snack. I have Zilla Fortified Land Turtle & Tortoise Food which I will make sure only contributes to about a quarter of his diet. I also have Rep-Cal Herptivite with Beta Carotene as a multivitamin and Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3. I plan to give about a 1/2 teaspoon of each every week. Is this enough? My research has yielded conflicting results.
I will measure him in a day or so. Maybe then I'll get an idea of his age. Eyeballing it, he seems between 4 and 5 inches. He's currently burrowed and under the log, so I'll wait til he gets acclimated to his new home. I think the change was hard on him. He hasn't eaten yet, though I tried to give him kale. He just sassily turned away and started burrowing, lol.
I'm also planning to take him to the vet fairly soon. Namely to test his feces for parasites.
Sorry for the novel, but I want to make sure everything seems right. Also, I have a few questions:
I'm also excited to be starting a life-long friendship with my new RT, Joey!
I've wanted a tortoise for about 10 years now, and today, I finally got one! I'm on here because I want to make sure that I'm giving him the best care I possibly can. Here's a little bit about him. Please let me know if I seem to be doing something wrong: (or scroll to the bottom for specific questions)
I got my Russian Tortoise from Petco. I was hesitant to buy from a commercial pet store, but he(?) seemed to be in fairly good health. No mysterious bumps, a healthy looking shell, clear, black eyes, active disposition, etc. The other tort in the enclosure was lethargic with glossy eyes and a damaged shell. I'm quite worried about that one
Joey's only concerning characteristic was very liquid poop (he pooped on me when I first picked him up--wasn't that nice of him??). I'm hoping that once I start feeding him a healthy diet, it'll get better. Or maybe he just pooped and peed at the same time. Will keep an eye on it.I say "he" because he was humping the other tort in the store, however the employees didn't know his age or sex. Regardless, I've named him Joey Stallin' and will continue to use masculine pronouns.
I am keeping him indoors in a large Rubbermaid container. He has about 2 in of substrate on the bottom: half loose coconut fiber substrate and half cypress mulch. I'm not sure if I should add more as he clearly loves to burrow. Poor thing had less than 1/2 an inch of substrate in Petco. I also provided him with a log to hide under if he wants to (which is what he is currently doing). I have a Exo Terra Reptile UVB 150 lamp that will be on from 10am to 10pm everyday. In one corner, I also have a Zoo Med 100w Repticare Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter that I will keep on at all times. I have a thermometer with which I will keep track of the temperature on either side of the enclosure.
I'm planning on feeding him a large variety of dark, leafy greens, bell peppers, carrots, and squash. Probably some cucumber early on to hydrate him, as I don't trust Petco to have kept him well-hydrated. For that reason, I will also soak him soon. I'm planning on putting the water through my Brita before this, of course. Back to food, I will also give him fruit sparingly as a snack. I have Zilla Fortified Land Turtle & Tortoise Food which I will make sure only contributes to about a quarter of his diet. I also have Rep-Cal Herptivite with Beta Carotene as a multivitamin and Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3. I plan to give about a 1/2 teaspoon of each every week. Is this enough? My research has yielded conflicting results.
I will measure him in a day or so. Maybe then I'll get an idea of his age. Eyeballing it, he seems between 4 and 5 inches. He's currently burrowed and under the log, so I'll wait til he gets acclimated to his new home. I think the change was hard on him. He hasn't eaten yet, though I tried to give him kale. He just sassily turned away and started burrowing, lol.
I'm also planning to take him to the vet fairly soon. Namely to test his feces for parasites.
Sorry for the novel, but I want to make sure everything seems right. Also, I have a few questions:
- Should I clean him? Especially after he was probably exposed to a lot of stuff in the pet shop. If so, how?
- Will the substrate I am using provide the right level of humidity?
- Do I really not have to give him water to drink? I'm planning to soak him every 3-4 days or so, but it seems odd to me that this and his diet will provide him with all the hydration he needs. But I suppose that's because I'm not a reptile.
- Should I turn the heat lamp off at night? This, along with the water situation, has led me to mixed conclusions in my research. Everyone seems to say something different.
I'm also excited to be starting a life-long friendship with my new RT, Joey!
