some questions

Dagui

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
7
hi all,
i had recently moved to an apartment and could not let my tortoise go outdoor to sun and play anymore, so would like some questions answered. he is outdoor all the time before i moved. He is a 13yr old indian star(maybe older but i kept him for 13yrs so always assume he's 13.) i saw that cypress mulch substrate is recommended for tortoises and so i uses zoomed's forest floor as its substrate now. also i had a exo terra reptile uvb 100 placed for him. did not put heating as its hot here all year round and previously when he is outdoor he does not have any heating as well. i place him to soak in warm water everyday for about 15 mins. Anyway here are the questions i wanted to ask:
1) Usually for indoor tortoises, how long does the substrate had to be change out? the bag of forest floor says every 6 months or when there's an ordor, but i was just wondering if anyone who uses the same substrate could roughly let me know how long could it last before i need to change so i could guage how much and when to get the substrate.
2) the uvb bulb, how long should i keep it on for? 6-8hrs or 12hrs?
3) how to stop him from trying to keep climbing out at the corners of his enclosure? i think he may not be used to being confine to a smaller area. he is not able to climb out but he could spend hours trying to climb at the corners. okay to let him do that? won't it tires him out badly?
4) is heating still needed? as it is more or less same as when he is outdoor with no heating.
5)he keeps stepping into his water dish and as a result the substrate would drop in. i am worried if ingesting the substrate would be a problem? how do i slove this problem?
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
1. If you spot clean and remove soiled areas, you can get a year or better before removing some and replacing with new...if you add a variety of bugs that handle the debris then you can likely go years without needing to actually "change" the substrate...
2. 12-14 hours, and the uva/uvb bulb should be replaced every 6 months--please do not use the curly/coil style bulbs...harsh on their eyes.
3. There is little you can do to stop a tort from climbing the walls once the tort has lived outdoors....I would suggest creating the largest
enclosure you can get away with and then you may need to use obstacles in the climbing zones to "try" to discourage it...this is a very high domed
species so if he goes over on his back it could be very hazardous, as righting themselves is very difficult.
4. heating is essential...you will need to take temp readings during the day and night to answer that question.
5. if the tort is well hydrated and you are using a earth type substrate then ingesting some should be aok.
:)
 

Dagui

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
7
thks for the reply. i will make sure he does not fall from his climbing.
 

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