- Joined
- Aug 11, 2009
- Messages
- 109
I originally posted this as an update to my Craig's list rescue post, here http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-65074.html but it's gotten lost in the shuffle. I'd love some feedback on what I have going on, and maybe spark some interest from others in my position in the NE, so have created this new thread. Mods, if this is a no-no, please move, delete or change.
Update on Lump, as we have named him (pretty sure now it's a he), because that's all he was his first week here. Didn't eat, didn't move, just sat in the 'house' end of the Zoomed box. Hauled him out under the basking light every day, for the first week he just headed back into the box. Finally a week ago, I got him to eat some romaine, and he started heading to the basking light himself. I thinks he's warmer now than he's ever been, as his only light/heat before was a pretty low wattage spiral fluorescent. I think the Zoomed box is obviously way too small for him, and he has nothing to move for, but that will hopefully change soon.
But, he also developed a bit of an occasional nose bubble, so he's now got a night time CHE, even though he's in the herp room, which never gets much cooler than 68 at night, and is pretty humid from the water turtles. I suspect a chill and the stress of moving in the dead of winter is a contributing factor, but he's gotten more active, and is now eating spring mix with some Zoomed grassland and mazuri sprinkled in, and looks for the food in the morning and afternoon. The nose bubbles have not gotten worse, and he's eating better and better.
I have an enclosure in the cellar pretty well finished except for the final touches, but probably will not put him down there until he's eating better food consistently and the wet nose clears, because that will be more stress again.
Here's the enclosure. Right now it's 4 x 6 feet, but the cellar is very big, so I will be adding 'rooms' as he grows. The 'floor' is some linoleum I got for free from the local Mom and Pop installer and I made brackets for the CHEs which are screwed to the walls of the pen, as I feel clamp lamps are dangerous. The fluorescent is actually a grow light with a stand which fits just outside the pen, which works really well. I have another CHE and basking light which will be there, but am using them on him right now.
Update on Lump, as we have named him (pretty sure now it's a he), because that's all he was his first week here. Didn't eat, didn't move, just sat in the 'house' end of the Zoomed box. Hauled him out under the basking light every day, for the first week he just headed back into the box. Finally a week ago, I got him to eat some romaine, and he started heading to the basking light himself. I thinks he's warmer now than he's ever been, as his only light/heat before was a pretty low wattage spiral fluorescent. I think the Zoomed box is obviously way too small for him, and he has nothing to move for, but that will hopefully change soon.
But, he also developed a bit of an occasional nose bubble, so he's now got a night time CHE, even though he's in the herp room, which never gets much cooler than 68 at night, and is pretty humid from the water turtles. I suspect a chill and the stress of moving in the dead of winter is a contributing factor, but he's gotten more active, and is now eating spring mix with some Zoomed grassland and mazuri sprinkled in, and looks for the food in the morning and afternoon. The nose bubbles have not gotten worse, and he's eating better and better.
I have an enclosure in the cellar pretty well finished except for the final touches, but probably will not put him down there until he's eating better food consistently and the wet nose clears, because that will be more stress again.
Here's the enclosure. Right now it's 4 x 6 feet, but the cellar is very big, so I will be adding 'rooms' as he grows. The 'floor' is some linoleum I got for free from the local Mom and Pop installer and I made brackets for the CHEs which are screwed to the walls of the pen, as I feel clamp lamps are dangerous. The fluorescent is actually a grow light with a stand which fits just outside the pen, which works really well. I have another CHE and basking light which will be there, but am using them on him right now.
