New Member

[Robert1777]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Rob and I live in the metro Atlanta, Georgia area. I purchased my first Russian Tortoise several days ago and am glad I did. My wife and I have been wanting a tortoise for awhile are glad to welcom Ivan into our house. I have been lurking on this site for a couple of days now, absorbing as much information on tortoises that I can. Look forward to being apart of this community. I added a picture of Ivan and his current habitat. Will probably re-arrange his hide tomorrow though. I am open to any suggestions and advise. Thank you!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Rob
Welcome to the TFO from AZ !

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Welcome.

Your substrate looks a bit dry. They aren't really desert animals, you know, and need moisture for healthy shell growth. Are those live cacti?

A plant saucer would make a better water dish, safer. Not all tortoises eat pellets. What kind is that? Some pellets require moistening. A diet of broad leaves greens & weeds & flowers is good.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Looks like you got all the typical bad pet store advice. I don't want to overwhelm you with too much too soon, but there are some possible dangers there.

1. Those water bowls are deadly for tortoises. Take it out right away.
2. Are you using a coil type UV bulb in the double hood? If yes, those can burn tortoise eyes. Shut it off right away.
3. 4 of those tanks would still be too small for a russian this size. You need a much bigger enclosure.
4. Coir is okay for substrate but very messy for an adult. Orchid bark works better.
5. Looks like you need some diet advice too…

All the info you need is right here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[TMartin510]

I got one of the bowls too not knowing it could be that dangerous, thankfully petsmart gives you 60 days to return so I will go pick out somthing better. I've been told the Terra cotta saucer dish is a good choice. And as for the cages I feel for ya, the stores don't sell anything big everything is so small. Thankfully mine was a good deal, so I'll save it for if I ever have little ones.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!!

 

[pam]

Welcome Russians are awesome

 

[Careym13]

Welcome to TFO!!

 

[Robert1777]

Thanks for the advise. Didn't realize that about the water dish. Will definitely look into something better. As far as the diet is concerned, I do keep fresh veggies such as mustard greens in there. I keep the pellets in case he wants them. I do keep the substrate moist. It is predominantly cypress with some coir for ease of digging. I do not have a coil UVB. I have a long fluorescent bulbs. Those are not real cacti or plants. They are in there for the look. I'll see what I can do about the enclosure. I did spend a good bit of money on it starting out

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome from the Desert !

 

[Tom]

I'll see what I can do about the enclosure. I did spend a good bit of money on it starting out

Your tortoise doesn't care what it costs. They need what they need. Fortunately you can return those items and let the management know that you are returning their merchandise because it is not appropriate for the animal they sold you and let them know you are not happy about their ignorance. Hopefully, if they hear this enough times, they will realize that they must improve their knowledge and policies.

 

[Robert1777]

So I changed out the water dish to a terra cotta saucer to remove that hazard. One thing I did forget to mention is that I am in the process of building an outdoor enclosure for him. I have an area that gets sufficient sunlight. However it does get cold in winter and had the indoor enclosure to bring him in and to have him in while I finish construction. We want him inside, but we don't have the space for anything huge.

 

[Tom]

So I changed out the water dish to a terra cotta saucer to remove that hazard. One thing I did forget to mention is that I am in the process of building an outdoor enclosure for him. I have an area that gets sufficient sunlight. However it does get cold in winter and had the indoor enclosure to bring him in and to have him in while I finish construction. We want him inside, but we don't have the space for anything huge.

Everybody has their own preferences when it comes to this.

I prefer to have a large well designed and maintained outdoor enclosure for fair weather, and I like to bring them in at night and during inclement weather. It doesn't have to be all one way or all the other. You do need something bigger inside though… Sorry the pet store steered you wrong. This happens pretty frequently and we are sad to see it time and time again, but we are glad that at least some people find our forum and get better info.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Rob and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Ivan.
Glad that you came here and are taking heed of the good advice given.
read, learn, contribute, ask questions and have fun!