Hello,
My son got a Greek tortoise (Crush) for Christmas but he is 7 so I am taking care of it. I got it from PetSmart and they had no idea in my opinion how to care for him (couldn't even tell me how old he is) and because the first week he was home he wasn't eating. I went back up there and another employee asked if I was wetting his food. No I wasnt because no one told me that. Then I started noticing his shell was turning more yellow everyday and he wouldn't come out of it so I started reading up on them and bought books. I found out he was stressed and didn't have what he needed. So far I think he's doing good now but wanted opinions since he is our first tortoise (we have always had water turtles). He was in a 20 gallon aquarium but then I read those aren't good for them due to lack of circulation so my son and I built him a new enclosure tonight. I have been using reptile bark which he seems to like but from what I gathered on Google ppl also mix soil and play sand together on the laying area so I did that in his new enclosure. He has a UVB lamp over where his food is, heat lamp in the middle where his ceramic tile and soaking dish it at and red heat lamp over in the laying area for at night when I turn the others off. I also mixed limestone powder with water to make a paste and he eats it for calcium. Should I use something else? I picked up some cactus today and will take the needles out and cut some up for him. The labels said its good for calcium and fiber. He eats veggie mix, pellets and fruit mix from the pet store which I wet. Then he eats bananas, grapes, lettuce, fresh green beans, tomatoes, strawberries and now cactus from the grocery store. I also put some shell cream on him last night because it was looking really dry. I think his shell is starting to get darker and he eats alot and moves around alot until I pick him up for bath time soaking or clean his enclosure and he will hiss at me but from reading its because hes scared. I will post pictures but would like any pointers please since I am so new to this I dont want him to die or get sick. Once it warms up he will have outside time but I figured it was to cold right now. I also believe its a boy because of his tail. It is long and curls to the side. On the inter side of it it looks to have a opening but I didn't touch it so idk for sure if its not just a dark area.
Thank you,
Ashley
My son got a Greek tortoise (Crush) for Christmas but he is 7 so I am taking care of it. I got it from PetSmart and they had no idea in my opinion how to care for him (couldn't even tell me how old he is) and because the first week he was home he wasn't eating. I went back up there and another employee asked if I was wetting his food. No I wasnt because no one told me that. Then I started noticing his shell was turning more yellow everyday and he wouldn't come out of it so I started reading up on them and bought books. I found out he was stressed and didn't have what he needed. So far I think he's doing good now but wanted opinions since he is our first tortoise (we have always had water turtles). He was in a 20 gallon aquarium but then I read those aren't good for them due to lack of circulation so my son and I built him a new enclosure tonight. I have been using reptile bark which he seems to like but from what I gathered on Google ppl also mix soil and play sand together on the laying area so I did that in his new enclosure. He has a UVB lamp over where his food is, heat lamp in the middle where his ceramic tile and soaking dish it at and red heat lamp over in the laying area for at night when I turn the others off. I also mixed limestone powder with water to make a paste and he eats it for calcium. Should I use something else? I picked up some cactus today and will take the needles out and cut some up for him. The labels said its good for calcium and fiber. He eats veggie mix, pellets and fruit mix from the pet store which I wet. Then he eats bananas, grapes, lettuce, fresh green beans, tomatoes, strawberries and now cactus from the grocery store. I also put some shell cream on him last night because it was looking really dry. I think his shell is starting to get darker and he eats alot and moves around alot until I pick him up for bath time soaking or clean his enclosure and he will hiss at me but from reading its because hes scared. I will post pictures but would like any pointers please since I am so new to this I dont want him to die or get sick. Once it warms up he will have outside time but I figured it was to cold right now. I also believe its a boy because of his tail. It is long and curls to the side. On the inter side of it it looks to have a opening but I didn't touch it so idk for sure if its not just a dark area.
Thank you,
Ashley