once a week

[redreatta]

ok... i will do only spring mix, the only reason i do the apple, pear, peach, tomato fruit stuff is because it says in the food and diet section they are to get 10%, i have been moistening every day. thank you for all the input,i do apreciate it

 

[Yvonne G]

You can feed 10% fruit. That means if you have a big pile of Spring Mix on the feeding tile, then you can add a very small chunk of apple. Or a very small chunk of pear. Or a very small chunk of tomato.

Personally, I wouldn't give even a small bit of fruit every day. I only use it as a treat about once a week. Just a bite.

 

[redreatta]

You can feed 10% fruit. That means if you have a big pile of Spring Mix on the feeding tile, then you can add a very small chunk of apple. Or a very small chunk of pear. Or a very small chunk of tomato.

Personally, I wouldn't give even a small bit of fruit every day. I only use it as a treat about once a week. Just a bite.

ok. that sounds good. what about the spinach in spring mix, do you think i should take it out because it contains calcium oxalates which inhibit absorption of calcium.

i just got home from church so i am going to redo iggie's light setup and take out the coil bulbs and leave just the red light and the mercury vapor light. i will post pics when i am done and see if you or any one else has any other suggestions. thank you

 

[Yvonne G]

Now, this is just MY OPINION, you must read all the different posts on the subject and form your own opinion. I have never picked out the spinach from the Spring Mix. I don't believe there's enough in the mixture to be harmful. I think that the good in all the other greens in the mix outweighs the bad in the spinach.

I even buy a couple bunches of spinach every other week or so to feed to my tortoises...but I have many, many tortoises. Look at Popeye! Spinach made him STRONG!! I don't believe they get too much unless you feed only spinach every feeding.

 

[redreatta]

ok. also do you know why he would be using his arms to scratch his eyes, it has been going on for 8 weeks, i have been putting eye drops in his eyes the vet gave me, i just started using the coil lights 2 weeks ago so i know its not that .

 

[Yvonne G]

Irritated eyes can be from several different things, but your substrate springs to mind as the main cause. Remind me what kind of substrate you are using? And is it moist?

---

Ok forget my question, I went back and re-read your post:


"i am using cypress mulch as the substrait, bulbs are a reptisun 10 uvb 30 uva fluorescent, and a ripitglow 10 uvb 30 uva fluorescent in a aquarium style top. i have a sunglo 150 watt tight beam basking lamp,and a 100 watt heatglo infrared for night. i have a solar glow 160 watt lamp i have no been using because it get too hot in there."

This is way too many UV lights for a tortoise. You only need one. You need UV and a heat source. Some bulbs have them both in one bulb. I'm not familiar with the three you've mentioned, but I would get rid of the aquarium fluorescent. I'm THINKING that the sunglo 150 watt tight beam basking lamp is only for heat, right? Maybe your post repeats a few bulbs. I'm confused.

You need one fixture containing the UV/heat bulb and one fixture for night time for warmth. That's all. Too much UV causes eye irritation.

 

[redreatta]

Irritated eyes can be from several different things, but your substrate springs to mind as the main cause. Remind me what kind of substrate you are using? And is it moist?

---

Ok forget my question, I went back and re-read your post:


"i am using cypress mulch as the substrait, bulbs are a reptisun 10 uvb 30 uva fluorescent, and a ripitglow 10 uvb 30 uva fluorescent in a aquarium style top. i have a sunglo 150 watt tight beam basking lamp,and a 100 watt heatglo infrared for night. i have a solar glow 160 watt lamp i have no been using because it get too hot in there."

This is way too many UV lights for a tortoise. You only need one. You need UV and a heat source. Some bulbs have them both in one bulb. I'm not familiar with the three you've mentioned, but I would get rid of the aquarium fluorescent. I'm THINKING that the sunglo 150 watt tight beam basking lamp is only for heat, right? Maybe your post repeats a few bulbs. I'm confused.

You need one fixture containing the UV/heat bulb and one fixture for night time for warmth. That's all. Too much UV causes eye irritation.

---

well i was using {coil style} and i think it was maggie that said these cause eye problems. so now i am using a 160 watt mecury vapor lamp uva uvb, and a 100 watt heat glo red lamp.

the 2 coil style i have are a repti sun10 uvb and a reptiglo 10 uvb the say they are for desert torts, they also put out 30 uva but i took them down.
the tight beam is just for heat. i will be posting pics in 30 min or so

the cypress mulch i just put in there a week ago and i am spraying it down twice a day to keep it moist also put a sponge in there for extra moisture

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, its just a guess, but I'm thinking the UV is bothering his eyes.

 

[redreatta]

ok here is iggie's table version 2.3

---

ok here is iggie's table version 2.3

if you notice the grass is not doing so great.lol

 

[redreatta]

i kinda wonder if i need to take him to the vet again

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm still thinkin' that its too much light and UV for him. Your growing grass is a pretty good indicator.

The tort table looks pretty good. I like two hiding places. Its roomy. What is the temperature on the floor in different locations around the table?

 

[redreatta]

think i should pick up a smaller(100 watt) uva uva bulb? the grass i had sitting in the area he could walk on so its kinda dead and trampeled. around the table it ranges from 75 to 90 now. where i have the products i bought it used to be all open for him but somebody replied a month ago and said it was to big so i put up that little barrier. trying to figure out more plant i can find seed for so i can have more variety of stuff

 

[sammi]

How far do you have the 160W from the surface of the substrate? Its a powerful bulb, and he is a hatchling, so you might need to move it back if it is still bothering him like Yvonne said.

 

[chadk]

Your setting is looking better and better. Does he spend more time in the hide or under the basking lamps or maybe just roaming around alot?

Itching eyes could also be an issue with not enough humidity.

Do you soak him in mildly warm water several times a week for 10-20 mins?

 

[redreatta]

How far do you have the 160W from the surface of the substrate? Its a powerful bulb, and he is a hatchling, so you might need to move it back if it is still bothering him like Yvonne said.

i have it roughly 20 in away from the substrait. if i move it much further he will not be getting enough heat

---

Your setting is looking better and better. Does he spend more time in the hide or under the basking lamps or maybe just roaming around alot?

Itching eyes could also be an issue with not enough humidity.

Do you soak him in mildly warm water several times a week for 10-20 mins?

he does not roam much. its about 50 50 he hides sometimes and is out in the open. i soak him every day for an hour per my vet.
am getting a humidty device on payday