My name is Kat and my fiance, Scott, and I just got a Testudo named Stegosaurus Spike. We have had him for just over a week. Sea Turtles are my favorite animal and since I'm not allowed to have a tank big enough for a sea turtle in my apartment, we got a tortoise. He is an adventure. We have been learning a lot about tortoises. Spike doesn't like his water in his tank but he loves it when I give him a bath. I'm using the same water and I make sure that the water in his tank isn't too cold. He just burrows underneath of it and spills it. Well, if anyone has any suggestions then great! But I don't mind giving him a bath. It's quality time together hehe
Hello!!!
- Thread starter kathowell
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Hello and Welcome
. Post a pic of your enclosure and water dish. We might have some suggestions if we can see it.
. Post a pic of your enclosure and water dish. We might have some suggestions if we can see it.
Hi Kat, and welcome to the Forum!
I hate to say it because you're new, but there's a lot wrong with your Russian tortoise's set-up.
The water dish is for snakes and lizards, not tortoises. Something that works good for tortoises is a plant saucer a little bigger than the tortoise, and sunk down into the substrate.
The aquarium is way too small for a Russian tortoise. They need a lot of space to wander.
His log hiding place isn't big enough.
Russian tortoises are burrowers and they feel safe when they can burrow down under something. One reason he's using the waterer is because the substrate isn't deep enough and is not the right kind of medium for easy burrowing.
What kind of light are you using? And what is the temperature in the habitat? With a bigger habitat you'll be able to have a warm side and a room temperature side. With the small aquarium, you probably have the same temp all over the whole area. They need to be able to thermoregulate.
I hate to say it because you're new, but there's a lot wrong with your Russian tortoise's set-up.
The water dish is for snakes and lizards, not tortoises. Something that works good for tortoises is a plant saucer a little bigger than the tortoise, and sunk down into the substrate.
The aquarium is way too small for a Russian tortoise. They need a lot of space to wander.
His log hiding place isn't big enough.
Russian tortoises are burrowers and they feel safe when they can burrow down under something. One reason he's using the waterer is because the substrate isn't deep enough and is not the right kind of medium for easy burrowing.
What kind of light are you using? And what is the temperature in the habitat? With a bigger habitat you'll be able to have a warm side and a room temperature side. With the small aquarium, you probably have the same temp all over the whole area. They need to be able to thermoregulate.
First thing. That enclosure is way too small for a young Russian, let alone an adult. Russians in the wild covers many miles. The water dish looks fine, maybe a little too small for his liking?
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Hello Kat welcome to the TFO from AZ . Russian torts have great personalitys and a lot of fun:
Welcome, here are a few suggestions.
Buy a planter base for your water bowl; better traction and no risk of flipping and drowning.
Build a 3' x 8' or so table for your enclosure; change your substrate to a mix of top soil and coco coir; add pill bugs to help keep it clean.
Keep up the good work with the soaks; luke warm water as deep as the mid line of his shell.
That will be a good start.
Do you have a digital temperature and humidity gauge?
Good luck! Look at Tom's post regarding set up for Russians.
Buy a planter base for your water bowl; better traction and no risk of flipping and drowning.
Build a 3' x 8' or so table for your enclosure; change your substrate to a mix of top soil and coco coir; add pill bugs to help keep it clean.
Keep up the good work with the soaks; luke warm water as deep as the mid line of his shell.
That will be a good start.
Do you have a digital temperature and humidity gauge?
Good luck! Look at Tom's post regarding set up for Russians.
Hello and Welcome Kat.
You got lots of good advice from lots expert here. Just follow the things thay suggested and you and your Torts will be very happy.
Good to have you here, This is a great place to learn and share.
You got lots of good advice from lots expert here. Just follow the things thay suggested and you and your Torts will be very happy.
Good to have you here, This is a great place to learn and share.
Thank you for your suggestions. That picture was taken at an angle. His substrate at the bottom is deeper than he is tall. He burrows all around. Also, I take him out for a little bit each day and let him wander through my apartment for exercise and curiosity. The water dish was recommended because the next size smaller was too small. There is a ramp inside it to help him out. He has used it before.
The tank size is not something I can change at the moment. I can't have a bigger tank in my apartment.
The log is just bigger than him and is the biggest that the store had. There is lots of substrate under it so he can burrow. He can turn around inside of it.
The substrate is repti-bark. He seems to like it just fine. He burrows great in it. It's what he lived in in the store. I'll do more research.
He burrows under the water dish because it's something to burrow under. One side of the tank is room temp and the other side is 80-100 degrees depending on if the basking lamp is on. I did research and it said that that was a good temp for them.
Thank you!
The tank size is not something I can change at the moment. I can't have a bigger tank in my apartment.
The log is just bigger than him and is the biggest that the store had. There is lots of substrate under it so he can burrow. He can turn around inside of it.
The substrate is repti-bark. He seems to like it just fine. He burrows great in it. It's what he lived in in the store. I'll do more research.
He burrows under the water dish because it's something to burrow under. One side of the tank is room temp and the other side is 80-100 degrees depending on if the basking lamp is on. I did research and it said that that was a good temp for them.
Thank you!
Yvonne G said:
