Is my tortoise enclosed good enough of do I need a different set up

[Mattyboy2264]

I got a horsfield tortoise in January which I believe is around a year old. I wasn't told. And it's now gone November and he hasn't rlly put on any weight. He's around the 57g mark. He went up to 62g but went down again. I feed him spring greens. Peppers. Kale. Cress. Strawberry (only once in a while) I find he is a fussy eater and only eats a very few things. I give him baths and calcium supplements and put him on the grass outside around twice a week as its very cold at the moment. I took out one end of the tank so he can roam around so he doesn't feel trapped. (please let me know if this is a bad idea due to heat or it doesn't matter as its not the side with the heat. Under his lamps its 30 degrees and he also has places he can hide. He always digs and hides and buries in dark places and especially in the corners of the tank. Plz can someone help. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and I don't want him to he ill or anything serious to happen.

 

[Tom]

People go to their local pet shop, and unfortunately the pet shops give out all sorts of wrong info and sell the wrong products. I will link the care sheet with the correct info for you, but here is what I see immediately that will help, or at least offer some explanation:
1. That type of UV bulb is infamous for burning tortoise eyes AND they are not effective UV sources. I'd turn it off immediately, and replace it when you can.
2. You've got a dangerous type of substrate in there and it needs to be removed ASAP. If that is the "Pets At Home" type with the limestone bits in it, your tortoise may be fighting a sand impaction. If its soil with perlite bits, it could eventually kill your tortoise.
3. The basking area needs to be 36-37C and there should be a flat rock of some sort under the bulb.
4. No fruit. It is bad for them.
5. It will take time, but you need to get the tortoise eating better foods. Grocery store offerings are not great and need to be amended if that is all you have to offer. This is explained more in the care sheet.
6. The tortoise should never be loose on the floor. This is a recipe for disaster in many ways.

Here is the care sheet. Questions and conversation are welcome.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Mattyboy2264]

People go to their local pet shop, and unfortunately the pet shops give out all sorts of wrong info and sell the wrong products. I will link the care sheet with the correct info for you, but here is what I see immediately that will help, or at least offer some explanation:
1. That type of UV bulb is infamous for burning tortoise eyes AND they are not effective UV sources. I'd turn it off immediately, and replace it when you can.
2. You've got a dangerous type of substrate in there and it needs to be removed ASAP. If that is the "Pets At Home" type with the limestone bits in it, your tortoise may be fighting a sand impaction. If its soil with perlite bits, it could eventually kill your tortoise.
3. The basking area needs to be 36-37C and there should be a flat rock of some sort under the bulb.
4. No fruit. It is bad for them.
5. It will take time, but you need to get the tortoise eating better foods. Grocery store offerings are not great and need to be amended if that is all you have to offer. This is explained more in the care sheet.
6. The tortoise should never be loose on the floor. This is a recipe for disaster in many ways.

Here is the care sheet. Questions and conversation are welcome.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

OK. I can't thank you enough for all your help right now. Ive been doing everything so wrong because of Google and what u thought was *professional helo* I'm going to change everythjng around as much as I can and measure out the vivariam and try to make the changes ASAP but hopefully. Not to much to startle my tortoise. Thank you so much.

 

[Jan A]

OK. I can't thank you enough for all your help right now. Ive been doing everything so wrong because of Google and what u thought was *professional helo* I'm going to change everythjng around as much as I can and measure out the vivariam and try to make the changes ASAP but hopefully. Not to much to startle my tortoise. Thank you so much.

Welcome to the forum. It's a lot to take in all at once. Take it one step at a time. Ask lots of questions. We learn better that way. And we are here to help.

 

[Lyn W]

We've all been given old, wrong information and made mistakes but thankfully been able to rectify them thanks to the forum. You obviously want the best for your little tort and if you follow the caresheet and ask as many questions as you like he should soon start to thrive.

www.thetortoisetable.org,uk is a good guide to tort safe foods.

If you get shop bought potted plants to use as food they won't be safe for at least a year after washing and repotting to grow out any chemicals that may have been used on them.

Aldi sell a good bagged crispy mixed leaf salad mix for 45p to use as a base and mix in other things like pak choi, kale, lambs lettuce, carrot leaves, romaine for variety (Lidl, Morrisons,, Asda, Sainsbury also) Florette Classic Crispy has the best mix (the Bistro and Italian mixes have things like beetroot which is not good so avoid those. You just have to familiarise yourself with safe foods and read the ingredients on the bags to find the best mixes.

 

[Ddflinn]

OK. I can't thank you enough for all your help right now. Ive been doing everything so wrong because of Google and what u thought was *professional helo* I'm going to change everythjng around as much as I can and measure out the vivariam and try to make the changes ASAP but hopefully. Not to much to startle my tortoise. Thank you so much.

I was you last year. I did the same things with my Russians. It's a sickening feeling.