New owner overall care opinion needed

[kaleemason]

I adopted a 5 year old russian tortoise named Sheldon about 2 months ago. I built a 6 ft by 3 ft table and I wanted to make sure my lighting is okay. I just bought a mvb 160 watt. I also have a 100 watt from his smaller enclosure. Do I use both? Isn't too much uvb/uva bad? Doesn't he need a side of the enclosure to get away from the rays?
I have a cool side of 70s and the warm side is higher 80s. The mvb is 95 at 13 inches away and basking heat bulb on the top of sleep den is 85. He sleeps in his den at night and the temp is around 75 degrees. The side light on the far right is just a regular bulb to brighten up that side. (Otherwise he fights his eyelids on the gloomy days Does this seem okay? I just want to make sure that one light is enough and it looks like a healthy happy home. I do only want the best for him!
I also changed his diet, previous owners gave him pellets/ broccoli/romaine Now he has a huge variety of dark greens with tnt sprinkle 3 days a week. (All the good approved greens and proper amounts) Soaking 2 times a week along with adding water to his food in for extra hydration. I feed him twice a day because when i got him he was skinny and lacking nutrients and dehydrated badly. He is gaining weight and changing to a healthy color I do plan on cutting the feeding amount back but keeping it twice a day. He REALLY likes to eat a small amount before he goes to sleep. Substrate is a good humidity and never to much moisture. He has a hide log, plants, things to climb on/through and a sleeping den.
I hope all this is right? Some things i feel confident about and others i get back and forth research that confuses me. Thanks for all the help if you do reply!

 

[lismar79]

Omg! Your doing soo good the only thing I would suggest is adding a water dish big enough for him to fit into. A tera cotta plant saucer works really well. And maybe a few plants

 

[lismar79]

Oh and maybe a flat rock too under the basking light.

 

[Magilla504]

Looks good to me! Nice enclosure.I try to keep one side around 70~75. Keep the humidity between 50 and 70. Some will say lower sometimes. Put a cuttlebone in there to help with his own calcium intake and to keep his beak trimmed. Also mix his diet up and try different things.Maybe you could move a hide to one of the corners with a little deeper substrate. Mine always sleep on their humid hides where the temp is a little above 70. Make sure to soak a few 20 minutes soaks week. Baby warm.Keep at it and it looks like your doing a good job. Just advice from a novice. Some other great people on here will hopefully give their opinion.
Take care,
Jason

 

[kaleemason]

I'm growing him dandelion (well trying to) and I'm still doing research on plants to add actually. I have a spider plant and aloe Vera but I'm scared about Miracle grow and are they really okay to have in there. The fake plants drive me up the wall haha god awful ugly. I do plan on getting a piece of slate tomorrow! I had a flat rock but it seemed to make his bottom shell peel? I also have a pond he would fit in but ignored it and the previous owner said the same thing. I will look into the saucer maybe it will encourage him to use it! Thanks for the response!!

 

[Tom]

All that sounds ideal. Nice job!

I would hang all of your lamps the way the one to the left is hanging. Those clamps always eventually fail and people have lost their homes to fire.

Welcome to the forum.

Here are some food tips:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

 

[Jabuticaba]

Love it! Great job! Your RT looks great, too.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[lismar79]

I'm growing him dandelion (well trying to) and I'm still doing research on plants to add actually. I have a spider plant and aloe Vera but I'm scared about Miracle grow and are they really okay to have in there. The fake plants drive me up the wall haha god awful ugly. I do plan on getting a piece of slate tomorrow! I had a flat rock but it seemed to make his bottom shell peel? I also have a pond he would fit in but ignored it and the previous owner said the same thing. I will look into the saucer maybe it will encourage him to use it! Thanks for the response!!

Yes, you will need to give any store bought plants time to de tox. Digging some out of your own yard, if it is not treated with anything, is a good option!
Here is a website that helps id plants:
http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp

 

[kaleemason]

Thanks everyone! I will be getting the cuddlebone and seed mix from Carolina pet supplies.. try to use my green thumb skills with organic soil. Either way I will get better plants for sure and try to figure out a fire proof way to have the lights I'll also get the slate, saucer for water source and build the corners up for extra burrowing fun/hide spots. I appreciate all the advice and welcoming information! You all make me feel slightly confident

 

[Gillian M]

All that sounds ideal. Nice job!

I would hang all of your lamps the way the one to the left is hanging. Those clamps always eventually fail and people have lost their homes to fire.

Welcome to the forum.

Here are some food tips:
Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

Other good stuff:
"Testudo Seed Mix" from http://www.tortoisesupply.com/SeedMixes
Pasture mixes or other seeds from http://www.groworganic.com/seeds.html
Homegrown alfalfa
Mazuri Tortoise Chow
ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food

Hi there. I'd like to ask: aren't fake plants somewhat "dangeroous" in a tort's enclosure? Couldn't the tort take them for food and start munching them, even if they smell, see etc? I haven't had the courage to put any in my tort's enclosure so as to remain on the safe side.

 

[Gillian M]

I adopted a 5 year old russian tortoise named Sheldon about 2 months ago. I built a 6 ft by 3 ft table and I wanted to make sure my lighting is okay. I just bought a mvb 160 watt. I also have a 100 watt from his smaller enclosure. Do I use both? Isn't too much uvb/uva bad? Doesn't he need a side of the enclosure to get away from the rays?
I have a cool side of 70s and the warm side is higher 80s. The mvb is 95 at 13 inches away and basking heat bulb on the top of sleep den is 85. He sleeps in his den at night and the temp is around 75 degrees. The side light on the far right is just a regular bulb to brighten up that side. (Otherwise he fights his eyelids on the gloomy days Does this seem okay? I just want to make sure that one light is enough and it looks like a healthy happy home. I do only want the best for him!
I also changed his diet, previous owners gave him pellets/ broccoli/romaine Now he has a huge variety of dark greens with tnt sprinkle 3 days a week. (All the good approved greens and proper amounts) Soaking 2 times a week along with adding water to his food in for extra hydration. I feed him twice a day because when i got him he was skinny and lacking nutrients and dehydrated badly. He is gaining weight and changing to a healthy color I do plan on cutting the feeding amount back but keeping it twice a day. He REALLY likes to eat a small amount before he goes to sleep. Substrate is a good humidity and never to much moisture. He has a hide log, plants, things to climb on/through and a sleeping den.
I hope all this is right? Some things i feel confident about and others i get back and forth research that confuses me. Thanks for all the help if you do reply!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[bouaboua]

Looks very good and Welcome to the forum.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum!!!!!!

 

[johnsonnboswell]

The substrate looks dry, and you have provided a ramp to aid his escape. Easy to modify both.

 

[lismar79]

That's a real good catch! Russians can climb anything. Take the ramp down and cap all your corners. See my picture? It took her all of a min to climb that!

 

[Tom]

Hi there. I'd like to ask: aren't fake plants somewhat "dangeroous" in a tort's enclosure? Couldn't the tort take them for food and start munching them, even if they smell, see etc? I haven't had the courage to put any in my tort's enclosure so as to remain on the safe side.

Yes they can. That is why I don't use or recommend them.

 

[kaleemason]

I will take serious note to that suggestion on the ramp. He loves to climb the side ramp, sleep on den and overlook his space so I'll admit removing that will be sad kinda.. As he does enjoy that spot. The fake plants aren't ideal I know but he doesn't eat them and I watch him and monitor that situation VERY carefully. The plants have been there more than a month and he doesn't show interest in that regard, it's a temporary fix for shade and hide that he does enjoy as well. Growing plants indoors in Wisconsin is harder than you think at this time of year but I will try. The substrate is 50% and that is my preference to keep my barn yard wood from molding on the sides (I do have a shower curtain between wood and substrate). But already had to clean the start of small mold spots in a corner when it was a higher humidity. I do spray the entire enclosure to avoid dry out especially the warmer side. Corners and burrowing spots are 4 inches plus due to my rearrange yesterday after feedback. Today I'm addressing the terracotta saucer, slate, ramp and buying another 3 bricks of substrate.

 

[kaleemason]

Also thanks again for the feedback! ♡

 

[Gillian M]

Yes they can. That is why I don't use or recommend them.

Thanks very much your answer.

 

[Magilla504]

Mine show zero interest in fake plants. Adding to what Tom said, if your hanging clamp lights than I would drive a screw angled into the wood there on. I'll send you a pic of how I do it when I get home. Being a fireman, I would hate not preventing a fire hazard