Update + general questions

[Liljae9263]

I’m not sure where to post this one but wanted to give a small update! I’ve been running around like crazy to get my baby boy Franklin new digs. We got the base of the table finished, however the lid won’t be done for another week at the latest :/. So here’s what I have done for now.
I got him a new digital thermometer/hygrometer that hooks up to my phone so I can know at all times where his temp and humidity is at. I also finally got him a new basking bulb. It’s the Arcadia solar basking floodlight 75w. I had to order it offline, the first one came broken, and then trying to plug in the new one broken my dome so that has been a whirlwind of its own problems. I’m still tweaking the heat now with the new bulb and I’m sure I’ll have to do it over again in the new enclosure but hey, I have the right bulb now! I have the new soil ready for his new enclosure whenever it gets built and since I have nothing to do for a week b4 his new enclosure is done, I might start buying him little decorations bc he basically has nothing. I was thinking a terracotta pot and I wanna get him a big log hide just not sure where I can get one. All the stores around here don’t really offer anything for tortoises. He likes his little log hide but he’s already having trouble fitting into it. I want to get him a slate to eat off for his food as I feel his nails r getting really long, just not sure where to get one. Do yall have anymore good decor options?
I’m constantly concerned he’s pyramiding and I just can’t tell. Every pic I look up of a Herman’s tortoise, they have some bumpiness to their shell (though I have seen a completely smooth shell Herman’s so I’m not sure what he’s supposed to look like) so I dropped some pics below. Sorry if they’re not the best. First one is when I got him and the second is more recent (he just had a soak so his shell is shiny) also I weighed him recently and he’s 350.5g. Does that sound right? I totally could’ve set the scale up wrong.
I wonder what could make for a better soaking experience. Right now I have a big white dishwashing tub. I add a little fake plant bc he likes to hide under it and a wet paper towel on his back. (I added a pic of that as well!) Because of my new job, I have to soak him in the afternoons and he does NOT like it. I sit on the floor while he soaks (it’s the only place big enough in that room to do it) and when I have to change his water, I remove him, pour the water out, put new water in, and put him back. The whole process takes 10 sec tops but the second he gets taken out, he wants to STAY out . Idk how to do a soak without doing the water change like that. How is everyone else doing soaks?
I wonder if there’s some way to make him not so stressed when I do them. He used to love them when I gave them in the morning (. Ik them walking around a bit is good for them but at some point he starts frantically crawling the sides of the tub and splashing in the water and huffing. I think that’s too much stress for a little baby.
Speaking of soaks, I’ve noticed he’s having trouble going potty. When I first got him he was because 1. The petstore only fed him kale and pellets which he rarely ate.
2. I forgot to feed him pellets the first week I had him. . So he was having trouble going. I added the pellets and he was fine. But recently he seems to be having issues again. I put a whole cuttlebone piece in there which he ignored for MONTHS and then came home one day to find out he ate the whole thing. Then he started peeing weird. I haven’t been adding calcium to his food to make sure I don’t overdose him after the cuttle bone, but also the pellets I give him everyday has some calcium in it too! Everyone said they regulate themselves on calcium so I didn’t think he would eat the whole thing at once and hurt himself if he did . He still has a healthy appetite and he seems to walk fine, shell isn't soft. Nothing else seems wrong with him. He just thumps his legs and strains a bit. He always gets something out tho!
I’m also not sure where to find more weeds to feed him. I mostly feed him raddichio, dandelion, green lettuce, and endive. Every now and then I throw in something extra like cilantro or kale, etc. I plan to have a little garden for him, but those won’t be ready for a while. I’m not sure how or where to get weeds to feed him NOW that I know r safe. There’s not really any stores where I live that sell that. So I’m a little lost. On my first visit to my exotics vet, the vet told me to “contact him and ask any questions u have” which I thought was really nice since I’m always paranoid about everything. However, Ur not actually able to call them, only text so when I text to get confirmation or an answer to a question, it feels like a receptionist answers me just telling me to “come in and we’ll look at him”. I’ll go in if it’s a serious issue, I don’t mind spending the money for his health, but I don’t want to go in EVERYTIME I ask a simple question about his care and wellbeing
I think those r my main questions now. I wish I had gotten everything set up properly B4 I got him! (AND that there wasn’t so much wrong info out there. I LEARNED SO MANY BAD WAYS OF DOING THIS ) But the past is the past and I’m trying to do better now and get him set up with something wonderful now.
I appreciate all y’all’s help and will keep yall updated on my journey to make Franklin a happy little tort

 

[Yvonne G]

Pyramiding is not as big a concern with your species tortoise as it is with leopards, redfoots, sulcatas, etc.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I was thinking a terracotta pot and I wanna get him a big log hide just not sure where I can get one. All the stores around here don’t really offer anything for tortoises. He likes his little log hide but he’s already having trouble fitting into it.

You might have luck looking for a log hide made for large rodents, like guinea pigs for example. Just double check that it is not toxic like pine for example.

. I want to get him a slate to eat off for his food as I feel his nails r getting really long, just not sure where to get one.

My slate is actually a stone slate charcuterie board meant for serving. Also, you might find something suitable in garden centers or hardware stores meant for decorative paths etc.

I wonder what could make for a better soaking experience. Right now I have a big white dishwashing tub. I add a little fake plant bc he likes to hide under it and a wet paper towel on his back. (I added a pic of that as well!) Because of my new job, I have to soak him in the afternoons and he does NOT like it. I sit on the floor while he soaks (it’s the only place big enough in that room to do it) and when I have to change his water, I remove him, pour the water out, put new water in, and put him back. The whole process takes 10 sec tops but the second he gets taken out, he wants to STAY out . Idk how to do a soak without doing the water change like that. How is everyone else doing soaks?
I wonder if there’s some way to make him not so stressed when I do them. He used to love them when I gave them in the morning (. Ik them walking around a bit is good for them but at some point he starts frantically crawling the sides of the tub and splashing in the water and huffing. I think that’s too much stress for a little baby.

I wonder if you had two tubs, and could just transfer him into a second tub seamlessly?

Personally I have been testing the water temperatures and timing and have found a Goldilocks spot to add some hot water to the tub to maintain a good temperature through the whole soak without changing all of the water.

Some tortoises really dislike soaking, but he might still get more and more used to it and thus less stressed.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’m not sure where to post this one but wanted to give a small update! I’ve been running around like crazy to get my baby boy Franklin new digs. We got the base of the table finished, however the lid won’t be done for another week at the latest :/. So here’s what I have done for now.
I got him a new digital thermometer/hygrometer that hooks up to my phone so I can know at all times where his temp and humidity is at. I also finally got him a new basking bulb. It’s the Arcadia solar basking floodlight 75w. I had to order it offline, the first one came broken, and then trying to plug in the new one broken my dome so that has been a whirlwind of its own problems. I’m still tweaking the heat now with the new bulb and I’m sure I’ll have to do it over again in the new enclosure but hey, I have the right bulb now! I have the new soil ready for his new enclosure whenever it gets built and since I have nothing to do for a week b4 his new enclosure is done, I might start buying him little decorations bc he basically has nothing. I was thinking a terracotta pot and I wanna get him a big log hide just not sure where I can get one. All the stores around here don’t really offer anything for tortoises. He likes his little log hide but he’s already having trouble fitting into it. I want to get him a slate to eat off for his food as I feel his nails r getting really long, just not sure where to get one. Do yall have anymore good decor options?
I’m constantly concerned he’s pyramiding and I just can’t tell. Every pic I look up of a Herman’s tortoise, they have some bumpiness to their shell (though I have seen a completely smooth shell Herman’s so I’m not sure what he’s supposed to look like) so I dropped some pics below. Sorry if they’re not the best. First one is when I got him and the second is more recent (he just had a soak so his shell is shiny) also I weighed him recently and he’s 350.5g. Does that sound right? I totally could’ve set the scale up wrong.
I wonder what could make for a better soaking experience. Right now I have a big white dishwashing tub. I add a little fake plant bc he likes to hide under it and a wet paper towel on his back. (I added a pic of that as well!) Because of my new job, I have to soak him in the afternoons and he does NOT like it. I sit on the floor while he soaks (it’s the only place big enough in that room to do it) and when I have to change his water, I remove him, pour the water out, put new water in, and put him back. The whole process takes 10 sec tops but the second he gets taken out, he wants to STAY out . Idk how to do a soak without doing the water change like that. How is everyone else doing soaks?
I wonder if there’s some way to make him not so stressed when I do them. He used to love them when I gave them in the morning (. Ik them walking around a bit is good for them but at some point he starts frantically crawling the sides of the tub and splashing in the water and huffing. I think that’s too much stress for a little baby.
Speaking of soaks, I’ve noticed he’s having trouble going potty. When I first got him he was because 1. The petstore only fed him kale and pellets which he rarely ate.
2. I forgot to feed him pellets the first week I had him. . So he was having trouble going. I added the pellets and he was fine. But recently he seems to be having issues again. I put a whole cuttlebone piece in there which he ignored for MONTHS and then came home one day to find out he ate the whole thing. Then he started peeing weird. I haven’t been adding calcium to his food to make sure I don’t overdose him after the cuttle bone, but also the pellets I give him everyday has some calcium in it too! Everyone said they regulate themselves on calcium so I didn’t think he would eat the whole thing at once and hurt himself if he did . He still has a healthy appetite and he seems to walk fine, shell isn't soft. Nothing else seems wrong with him. He just thumps his legs and strains a bit. He always gets something out tho!
I’m also not sure where to find more weeds to feed him. I mostly feed him raddichio, dandelion, green lettuce, and endive. Every now and then I throw in something extra like cilantro or kale, etc. I plan to have a little garden for him, but those won’t be ready for a while. I’m not sure how or where to get weeds to feed him NOW that I know r safe. There’s not really any stores where I live that sell that. So I’m a little lost. On my first visit to my exotics vet, the vet told me to “contact him and ask any questions u have” which I thought was really nice since I’m always paranoid about everything. However, Ur not actually able to call them, only text so when I text to get confirmation or an answer to a question, it feels like a receptionist answers me just telling me to “come in and we’ll look at him”. I’ll go in if it’s a serious issue, I don’t mind spending the money for his health, but I don’t want to go in EVERYTIME I ask a simple question about his care and wellbeing
I think those r my main questions now. I wish I had gotten everything set up properly B4 I got him! (AND that there wasn’t so much wrong info out there. I LEARNED SO MANY BAD WAYS OF DOING THIS ) But the past is the past and I’m trying to do better now and get him set up with something wonderful now.
I appreciate all y’all’s help and will keep yall updated on my journey to make Franklin a happy little tort

View attachment 394923View attachment 394924View attachment 394925

Hello! Thank you for this update! You’ve already made some great steps

Decor/hide wise, terracotta pots can work, I’ve seen folks use them, but I did also see someone post about how it was a little abrasive on their tortoises shell, so I’m a bit wary of them, if you’re going to use one, the bigger the better I imagine. Perhaps you could create your own using an opaque tub? You turn it upside down an cut an entrance.
For decoration the most enriching thing you can do is create visual barriers, some folks use those bendy bridges to make ‘walls’ that block sight, there’s also plants(though I have little success with ones in a indoor set up lol), large(but flat, not sharp!) stones, there’s quite a few ideas in the ‘enclosure inspiration’ thread

A large slate can work great for food, but personally we found the larger our red foot got, the more she’d drag it onto the substrate, a saucer works much better and still has that ‘rough’ finish to file nails.

It’s kind of hard to tell from the photo angle, but I think he’s pyramided ever so slightly, virtually insignificant and certainly no major concern, once you get a top to boost your humidity, that should help newer growth come in smoother. But honestly he looks great! If there is a little pyramiding there, it’s purely cosmetic at this stage and will remain so once humidity is increased.

I believe it’s heavy for his age(he’s around a year correct?) but it can vary depending on their growth rate, maybe @Tom or someone can weigh in(if you’ll excuse the pun lol)
He certainly doesn’t look visibly overweight or anything though.

For soaking, try not to worry too much if he seems stressed(easier said I know), Tom explained this best once, our tortoises in captivity live such cushy lives compared to the wild, they have all their levels perfect 24/7, no predators, food on a silver plater, the works, a little stress from soak time isn’t going to do them any harm, the movement can help them go toilet. A soak routine is very important, it’s good you’re getting him used to it, but he may never particularly like them, it’s ok either way, and I promise the stress isn’t too much for him.
When it comes to soaking our tortoise, we have two tubs, once the water starts cooling, I have another tub with warm water at the ready, that way she’s straight back in to soak, no gap in between, this might help yours.

May I ask what kind of pellets they are? Mazuri? You may have said somewhere else sorry, just wanna check, usually they’re good at knowing when they need an extra calcium boost, it could’ve been that. What does his pee look like compared to before? I think you’re possibly seeing urates, perhaps he’d not been able to pass them properly before

In terms of weeds, I believe kapidolo farms sell bags of dried varieties for when fresh stuff is harder to find

Kapidolo Farms | Tortoise for Sale

www.kapidolofarms.com

We personally use this stuff, it’s fantastic for getting variety in, especially during winter months, you soak each cube in water until a soft mushy grassy texture and add it on top of feeds


It’s definitely easier hopping on here to ask a question instead of waiting for a vet to respond, folks on here are always happy to help

The most important thing is you’re putting the work into learning better husbandry, and giving him what he needs, that’s the foundation of a wonderful pet ownerwe’re all happy to have you’re here, I look forward to seeing franklins journey

 

[Liljae9263]

Hello! Thank you for this update! You’ve already made some great steps

Decor/hide wise, terracotta pots can work, I’ve seen folks use them, but I did also see someone post about how it was a little abrasive on their tortoises shell, so I’m a bit wary of them, if you’re going to use one, the bigger the better I imagine. Perhaps you could create your own using an opaque tub? You turn it upside down an cut an entrance.
For decoration the most enriching thing you can do is create visual barriers, some folks use those bendy bridges to make ‘walls’ that block sight, there’s also plants(though I have little success with ones in a indoor set up lol), large(but flat, not sharp!) stones, there’s quite a few ideas in the ‘enclosure inspiration’ thread

A large slate can work great for food, but personally we found the larger our red foot got, the more she’d drag it onto the substrate, a saucer works much better and still has that ‘rough’ finish to file nails.

It’s kind of hard to tell from the photo angle, but I think he’s pyramided ever so slightly, virtually insignificant and certainly no major concern, once you get a top to boost your humidity, that should help newer growth come in smoother. But honestly he looks great! If there is a little pyramiding there, it’s purely cosmetic at this stage and will remain so once humidity is increased.

I believe it’s heavy for his age(he’s around a year correct?) but it can vary depending on their growth rate, maybe @Tom or someone can weigh in(if you’ll excuse the pun lol)
He certainly doesn’t look visibly overweight or anything though.

For soaking, try not to worry too much if he seems stressed(easier said I know), Tom explained this best once, our tortoises in captivity live such cushy lives compared to the wild, they have all their levels perfect 24/7, no predators, food on a silver plater, the works, a little stress from soak time isn’t going to do them any harm, the movement can help them go toilet. A soak routine is very important, it’s good you’re getting him used to it, but he may never particularly like them, it’s ok either way, and I promise the stress isn’t too much for him.
When it comes to soaking our tortoise, we have two tubs, once the water starts cooling, I have another tub with warm water at the ready, that way she’s straight back in to soak, no gap in between, this might help yours.

May I ask what kind of pellets they are? Mazuri? You may have said somewhere else sorry, just wanna check, usually they’re good at knowing when they need an extra calcium boost, it could’ve been that. What does his pee look like compared to before? I think you’re possibly seeing urates, perhaps he’d not been able to pass them properly before

In terms of weeds, I believe kapidolo farms sell bags of dried varieties for when fresh stuff is harder to find

Kapidolo Farms | Tortoise for Sale

www.kapidolofarms.com

We personally use this stuff, it’s fantastic for getting variety in, especially during winter months, you soak each cube in water until a soft mushy grassy texture and add it on top of feeds
View attachment 394943

It’s definitely easier hopping on here to ask a question instead of waiting for a vet to respond, folks on here are always happy to help

The most important thing is you’re putting the work into learning better husbandry, and giving him what he needs, that’s the foundation of a wonderful pet ownerwe’re all happy to have you’re here, I look forward to seeing franklins journey

Thank u for all ur great tips!
(idk how to reply to things individually so ill do it this way haha)
1. I was planning on a big terracotta pot for him to have lots of room to get cozy however I didn’t no barriers were more enriching! I’ll have to look into making little walls and pathways for him haha. Right now he really just hides under his fake plant and his log (that’s a little too small for him but he makes it work). I can’t wait to find out what other things he’ll like!
2. I have a terracotta saucer for his food and he does occasionally sit in it, but seeing how long his nails have gotten that’s y I thought it wasn’t enough for him to actually file them on. Maybe I can look at just getting a bigger saucer!
3. Phew ok! I’m sure he has some pyramiding from his breeder/the petstore as when he came in the store he had a respiratory infection AND a cracked shell (. And also as I’m sure u no the petstore didn’t have the correct care for him so I’m sure that had something to do with his shell growth being kinda meh to start with. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t causing MORE pyramiding that was really hurting him ( (his crack on his shell is fully healed now tho! )
4. I’m honestly not exactly sure his age. When we got him in at the store he was AT LEAST a year old and he was there for 6 months b4 I finally took him home so he could be 2 at this point. He wasn’t eating the last couple of months he was there (I mean he only got feed kale and pellets but I really had to coax him to eat a little bit of it) so maybe he was already on the smaller side for his age when I got him? I wanna say the first month I had him he was 340g ish? He ate like crazy when I brought him home <3 and he’s been food obsessed since then haha. I like to call him my chunky boy. He’s fat and happy (but of course I don’t want him too fat!) I just wonder if his eating strike at the store stunted his growth a little bit . I give him enough to fill his little bowl and he does p good about making it last throughout the day, going back every now and then to snack. )
5.the 2 tub trick is smart! I’ll have to look into that!
6. Yea I feed him Mazuri juvenile pellets. I think b4 his pee was clear and occasionally a little clump of white here and there. But now his little wee wee comes out (which I don’t remember happening b4), he stands on all his legs and pushes. I do think the other day he had more trouble bc I found more cuttlebone I didn’t no was in there so maybe he overdosed himself again . (I have removed it and will pause on the calcium intake for a min just in case) When he was straining the other day, the first push was white powder, second was stringy clumpy white (which I think it closer to his normal pee but it was more than usual) I really hope he didn’t give himself like a kidney stone or something but like I said everything else seems fine. He eats like normally, moves the same, and I can tell he still passes his pee even outside of soaks.
7. I’ll have to look into those cubes! That sounds like a viable option!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank u for all ur great tips!
(idk how to reply to things individually so ill do it this way haha)
1. I was planning on a big terracotta pot for him to have lots of room to get cozy however I didn’t no barriers were more enriching! I’ll have to look into making little walls and pathways for him haha. Right now he really just hides under his fake plant and his log (that’s a little too small for him but he makes it work). I can’t wait to find out what other things he’ll like!
2. I have a terracotta saucer for his food and he does occasionally sit in it, but seeing how long his nails have gotten that’s y I thought it wasn’t enough for him to actually file them on. Maybe I can look at just getting a bigger saucer!
3. Phew ok! I’m sure he has some pyramiding from his breeder/the petstore as when he came in the store he had a respiratory infection AND a cracked shell (. And also as I’m sure u no the petstore didn’t have the correct care for him so I’m sure that had something to do with his shell growth being kinda meh to start with. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t causing MORE pyramiding that was really hurting him ( (his crack on his shell is fully healed now tho! )
4. I’m honestly not exactly sure his age. When we got him in at the store he was AT LEAST a year old and he was there for 6 months b4 I finally took him home so he could be 2 at this point. He wasn’t eating the last couple of months he was there (I mean he only got feed kale and pellets but I really had to coax him to eat a little bit of it) so maybe he was already on the smaller side for his age when I got him? I wanna say the first month I had him he was 340g ish? He ate like crazy when I brought him home <3 and he’s been food obsessed since then haha. I like to call him my chunky boy. He’s fat and happy (but of course I don’t want him too fat!) I just wonder if his eating strike at the store stunted his growth a little bit . I give him enough to fill his little bowl and he does p good about making it last throughout the day, going back every now and then to snack. )
5.the 2 tub trick is smart! I’ll have to look into that!
6. Yea I feed him Mazuri juvenile pellets. I think b4 his pee was clear and occasionally a little clump of white here and there. But now his little wee wee comes out (which I don’t remember happening b4), he stands on all his legs and pushes. I do think the other day he had more trouble bc I found more cuttlebone I didn’t no was in there so maybe he overdosed himself again . (I have removed it and will pause on the calcium intake for a min just in case) When he was straining the other day, the first push was white powder, second was stringy clumpy white (which I think it closer to his normal pee but it was more than usual) I really hope he didn’t give himself like a kidney stone or something but like I said everything else seems fine. He eats like normally, moves the same, and I can tell he still passes his pee even outside of soaks.
7. I’ll have to look into those cubes! That sounds like a viable option!

No problem
1) sounds great, you’ll discover lots of different bits n bobs over time, we discovered a lidded cat litter box that made a great hide for our red foot lol, you’ll find lots of odd things like that to do the job
2) for what it’s worth only his back claws look slightly on the longer side, I’ve definitely seen way worse, you might even be able to take a nail file to gently bring them down yourself a bit
3) yeah I’d say his shell condition is down to his previous care at the store, he doesn’t look to have grown enough under your care to have caused any further significant pyramiding, so definitely wouldn’t worry in that regard
4) yeah looking at him I’m personally thinking he could be older, maybe in the 2-3 range, which on the bright side means he won’t need the enclosure lid for ages, possibly a year tops
5) yes for sure a good shout
6) lol sounds like he’s been flashing youtotally normal dw, it’s not necessarily a sign he’s struggling to wee or anything, just having some happy timeit’s unusual for them to od on cuttlefish but I have had other keepers tell me their tortoises seem a bit too obsessed with it, despite all their calcium needs being met, even our red foot gets like it, most leave some in there 24/7, but if you think he’ll continue eating it all too often, it’s ok to manage it with portion control. What you described sound like relatively normal urates, just keep an eye if there appears to be any more solid pieces amongst the ‘gritty’ stuff, but it’s good that he has passed it, he certainly doesn’t sound in any discomfort or anything
7) fab! Yeah we really love it, some take a while to get used to it, so don’t be discouraged if he doesn’t eat it right away, just introduce a little bit at a time slowly