Update on Irwin!

TSchadel

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Joined
Jul 15, 2015
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162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Hi all! It's been a couple of months since I posted something but I've been busy! Through trial and error, purchasing bulbs - returning bulbs and making modifications (several times I might add) to my tortoise table - I've FINALLY achieved the right temp/humidity temps for Irwin!!! My daughter gave him to me June 27th in a 10 gallon fish tank. Since then his environment has changed drastically. I listened and read about everything on this forum that I could to learn how to care for him properly. I still have lots to learn and more improvements to make I'm sure - but I think we're on the right track!
I keep his enclosure at 85-90 during the day with humidity approx 78-82. At night it's the temp runs never lower than 80 with his humidity around 80. He is more active and actually knows the sound of my voice!
I estimate he's about 1 year as my daughter told me she got him September 2014 at a pet store so I'm sure he was at least a month old when she got him.
I started weighing him. 7/30 he was 61/4oz, 8/13 - 7 oz and today 77/8 oz!
I soak him 3-4 x per week and he goes outside 4-5 x per week as it is still good weather here in central Kansas.
I've been feeding him weeds from my garden, ZooMed tort food, and have started to grow my own food. He also munches on the grass in the backyard when he's out.
I just LOVE this lil dude!
I've posted a few pics of the table and Irwin.
Thanks for reading and thanks for all the great advice on this forum!!!!!
 

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TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Very cute! It's amazing how these creatures who can't show much affection bulldoze their way into our hearts.
WOW - Charlie is very handsome! Can't wait till Irwin -or Irene (lol) gets bigger. How old is Charlue?
 

TSchadel

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Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Very nice. I love your setup :)
Thanks! Your lil one has very vivid coloring - very pretty! How old? I wish I would have gotten Irwin when he was just bought - my daughter didn't get good advice and kept him in not so good conditions:(
 

Big Charlie

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WOW - Charlie is very handsome! Can't wait till Irwin -or Irene (lol) gets bigger. How old is Charlue?
Thank you! Charlie is 16. My avatar picture was taken 2 years ago so he is a little bigger now.

Don't worry about Irwin. Now that you are providing the proper environment for him, he will thrive. When I bought Charlie, we started him in a fish tank and were given one page of instructions. I'm sure we did a bunch of things wrong over the years but he has flourished anyway. Now that I've found this forum, I realize that we were really lucky that we did so many things right accidentally.
 

AzAngel

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Queen Creek, Arizona
Thanks! Your lil one has very vivid coloring - very pretty! How old? I wish I would have gotten Irwin when he was just bought - my daughter didn't get good advice and kept him in not so good conditions:(

My baby bowser was 7 days when I got him. He was hatched May 30th 2015 so he is just a babe. I can honestly say this forum probably saved this babies life. I was told ALL the wrong things including his orginall hatch date. I was origanally told he was 4 weeks old. When I asked for a specific hatch date, the women told me the next day that he was actually only 7 days old. He is doing realy well now. Good growth, active :)
 

teresaf

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Port Charlotte, Florida
Thanks! Your lil one has very vivid coloring - very pretty! How old? I wish I would have gotten Irwin when he was just bought - my daughter didn't get good advice and kept him in not so good conditions:(
Irwin doesn't look bad at all. he's not pyramiding much so I think you are doing great. one of the best newbie enclosures I've seen yet incorporating all the information everybody stresses here on the forum. kudos
 

TSchadel

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
162
Location (City and/or State)
Kansas
Thanks! That makes me feel like I'm an ok tort owner. I have a question that I've been wondering for awhile. How long do I keep Irwin in the enclosed high humidity table? Is it a certain age or a certain size? Like I said earlier - I guesstimate his age to be approximately 14 months. I'm actually already scheming on how to turn my dog house (that my 2 lil - under 5lbs) dogs have never used outside when Irwin gets to a size he can be out in good months.
 

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