help with russian tortoise

[saucysimon]

Hello I just got a 1 year old russian tortoise
I have a 20 gallon tank ( will change to 40 soon)
3 lights, basking, night and uvb
I use basking and uvb during the day time and night i use the night lamp.(am i doing this right?)
I feed him pellets and I dont have a seperate bowl for drinking.
I do have a pool for him and a bark for hiding.
My main problem is temperature and humidity
I live in Newyork and it is very cold.
My basking lamp goes up to 85-90 but at night time the temp is near 65!
How can i fix this? Should i get a bigger watt for the night lamp? Heating mat does work for me.
Also i keep my humidity at 50 but it drops fairly quick is there a better way to solve this?
Please help I really love my tortoise and want the best for him

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Please do get him a shallow drinking dish. He should have clean water available to drink and soak in 24/7. The can you lower your basking light a little. Try getting it to 95-100 the other temps seem fine. Russians can take it cooler at night, as long as they can warm up during the day. Your 65 is as low as I would let it go though.

 

[lynnedit]

Actually, I think if you can get that basking area up as Barb says closer to 95, your home night temps won't matter. They can even go into the 50's, (which I doubt will happen).
Russians actually seem to need to cool off at night.

I would urge you to consider a larger enclosure than even a 40gal tank. Russians need as much room to roam as possible.
How about getting a used book case, removing shelves and flipping it on it's side?
http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-build-tortoise-table-out-of.html

 

[TortsNTurtles]

I think the little guy us just a yearling so keeping the humidity up in the tank might be easier than a book shelf. A bookshelf might be a good idea for the next step though. Or instead of a 40 gallon breeder a large storage tote you can search the enclosure section for ideas.

 

[Tom]

Please read this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-80698.html

And this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-45180.html

Post a pic of your tortoise and enclosure and we might be able to offer better suggestions.

Did you buy your tortoise at one of the big pet stores? If yes, its not a year old. How long is it? Sound like you have a few problems to work out. What kind of UV bulb? The coil types can burn their eyes. What kind of "pool"? Those big water bowls with the ramps are actually unsafe for tortoises and they can drown in them.

Hope we can help you sort things out a bit.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Just curious...how do you know the age of your new tortoise? Did you buy from the breeder, or from a pet store. Reason I ask is most pet stores tell their customers that the Russian tortoises they sell are babies, and that's because they don't realize that the Russian tortoise is a very small species of tortoise. So when they have a small tortoise to sell, they figure it is a baby. When in reality, it is an almost full grown tortoise. An almost full grown tortoise doesn't need for you to be worrying about humidity in the tank.

Another thing...don't spend money on buying a 40 gallon tank. They are way too expensive, and the size/gallons is in the height of the walls, not in the floor space. What you want for a Russian tortoise is floor space. So buy a big plastic tub or a horse trough or a book case, but not a 40 gallon aquarium.

 

[plamphier]

Also, feed him some real food, not just pellets. Kale, good lettuce (not iceberg), chopped bits of veggie, small amounts of fruit like apple. My russians LOVE radicchio, which is expensive, but they're worth it. In the summer cruize your neighborhood for dandelions, or grow some of your own.

 

[Gtphale]

Also, feed him some real food, not just pellets. Kale, good lettuce (not iceberg), chopped bits of veggie, small amounts of fruit like apple. My russians LOVE radicchio, which is expensive, but they're worth it. In the summer cruize your neighborhood for dandelions, or grow some of your own.

Ok I'm new with Russian Torts but not reptiles. I would not cruise your town and pick dandalions. They could of been sprayed with weed killer,fertilizer, or pesticides. I grow some in containers to feed mine. That way I know they are safe.