Torts Slow Down

[respublica]

Hi,

I recently got two Greek Torts about a month ago. They were extremely active the first day I got them home, basically crawling everywhere for hours.

After that they seem to slow down quite a bit and one of my tort keeps his eyes closed half the time. The humidity in my enclosure is about 60% and temps are usually 80*.

For lighting I have a 50UVB Zilla Strip light and heat is a Exo Terra 100W at night and a 120W heat light in the day.

Any help would be great. I went through several different light bulbs (got rid of the old coil bulb) and at a lost as to what to do.

Thanks!
Long

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[ascott]

Am I understanding correctly? You run a light during the night as well as the day? (both are the white lights?)

You will find that you need to provide a basking spot that will reach 95-110 that they can access every day--this will allow them to warm up properly which will in turn stimulate their activity as well as eating and over all well being....How close is that uv light to their shells? and is there any place in that enclosure that they can TOTALLY retreat from the uv rays and still remain warm? If you are running 60 humidity in the entire enclosure and if the temps drop to below 78-80 at all, even in the night, then you could be running into some health issues....

What is the diet you are feeding them? Are they actively consuming what you are providing?

 

[respublica]

Thanks for the reply. I turn off the UVB light at night but what I've noticed is that the torts actually come out late night/early morning (2-4am). At night I use an infrared light for heat. The basking light gets pretty hot, so I'm not worry about the heat level. In fact, I worry more about the enclosure becoming too dry bc it gets hot.

I tried placing one of those cut out half logs, along with a pot that I laid down for them to hide in order to offer a cool place but they never want to use it. The torts rather burrow down instead.

For food, I started out feeding them just romaine lettuce bc that's what the reptile dealer (where I got the torts) told me. My torts eat regularly and finish a dish full almost every day. However, after reading comments on this form I realize that I needed to offer variety so I use spring mix, but they only eat the lettuce and greens and eating has decreased.

Any thoughts on the eyes kept closed for one of my torts?

Thanks again.

 

[ascott]

Well, the closed eyes can be a number of things? Diet, hydration, injury--one being bullied by the other, too much intense uva/uvb ---do you notice a time when the tort does have its eyes open? like a pattern?

Do you offer daily soaks for them (especially the one that has its eyes closed?)...warm water, soaking for about half an hour in water than remains warm...

Have you tried to entice them with something yummy on/in their regular salad mix? Like a few little bugs (you can use freeze dried mix from the pet shop---take a few of the freeze dried bugs and squeeze them between your fingers until they become a dust type texture and season their greens--and see what happens. If a tort has its eyes closed it is going to affect their eating--some torts are better led by scent vs visual alone...you are really going to need to get that tort to open its eyes--that needs to be a goal you achieve as soon as possible...and don't let the tort sleep itself away..wake it up, give it a routine---they do well with routine....and really keep an eye on them, especially if they are in the same conditions and one appears to be thriving while the other is not--this is a potential sign of bullying--bullying does not always appear outward like one child hitting another but can be through intimidation that you can not easily see, but will show itself in the outcome of a torts overall health...perhaps offer two places for feeding/sleeping/exercising---?

 

[FLINTUS]

Closed eyes is often a sign of dehydration.

 

[respublica]

Well, the closed eyes can be a number of things? Diet, hydration, injury--one being bullied by the other, too much intense uva/uvb ---do you notice a time when the tort does have its eyes open? like a pattern?

Do you offer daily soaks for them (especially the one that has its eyes closed?)...warm water, soaking for about half an hour in water than remains warm...

Have you tried to entice them with something yummy on/in their regular salad mix? Like a few little bugs (you can use freeze dried mix from the pet shop---take a few of the freeze dried bugs and squeeze them between your fingers until they become a dust type texture and season their greens--and see what happens. If a tort has its eyes closed it is going to affect their eating--some torts are better led by scent vs visual alone...you are really going to need to get that tort to open its eyes--that needs to be a goal you achieve as soon as possible...and don't let the tort sleep itself away..wake it up, give it a routine---they do well with routine....and really keep an eye on them, especially if they are in the same conditions and one appears to be thriving while the other is not--this is a potential sign of bullying--bullying does not always appear outward like one child hitting another but can be through intimidation that you can not easily see, but will show itself in the outcome of a torts overall health...perhaps offer two places for feeding/sleeping/exercising---?

Thanks, I do soak them but will try your suggestions.

---

Closed eyes is often a sign of dehydration.

Thanks, I do soak my torts daily. DO you know how to keep the enclosure humid throughout. I spread down the enclosure before I go to work, but when I get home it's down to 50% humid. Don't know how to keep it humid through the day.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[ascott]

You can pour warm water directly onto the substrate to offer additional moisture....BUT, I would only do that in the area directly directly under the basking/heat source--that remains on always (day light and night light you use)...this will also allow them a place to bask/ dig into the moist substrate all at the same time....or you can set up a constantly warm (never cool) humid hide that can be used when ever the tort elects to.....be careful not to wet the entire enclosure substrate, especially with this species of tort...warm humid zones are beneficial but so are cooler dry areas that the tort can retreat to...just sharing

 

[TortoiseWorld]

Your new 50 UVB Zilla light is a good light, but don't over cook the basking area, try checking the temps there, and that of the places on the other side of the enclosure, the over all temp should be like 80 degrees, the basking area doesn't have to be so hot if the over all temp is 80, all the light they need is from the UVB and UVA Zilla tube. You don't want them depending on the basking light for the heat they desire, get the entire enclosure at 80 degrees. Also feed more fiber like mazuri and less lettuce and get a hide box for them, they will be less stressed with a hide box, you might need a slightly bigger enclosure.
For humidity try testing an idea, build a make shift frame over your enclosure and cover it with thick plastic like a shower curtain to make a tent over it to trap in more humidity and temperatures, not super airtight so it can vent some, see if that perks them up.

 

[MyrnaBren]

I'll let the experts answer your questions, but gosh those are so cute! Curious, what size is your tote and where did you get it? It looks humongous, but maybe because the torts are so small, LOL.

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Hello and welcome. How is the tort condition now? I'm not sure you need more humidity above 50% for Greek and I think soaking him twice per day is enough if he really has some dehydration. But if you really want to raise the humidity, then covering half or more of the enclosure will increase it pretty fast. Keep the enclosure warm though with the increased humidity.