Weird question but help!! (remove ink from shell)

WithLisa

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Maybe you want to post pictures of your enclosure?
Your avatar looks like you have wood chips as substrate. It's much better to use something more natural like topsoil or coco coir and always keep it a little moist.

Please don't worry. Pyramiding is only bad if it's extreme. :)
 

rach.sxo

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I'll post some photos now. Yeah some people have mentioned changing substrate but I don't know where to start on which to decide! Could you help please?
 

rach.sxo

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I know it looks boring (I don't know what to put in to spruce the place up)


1420748750726.jpg 1420748761146.jpg 1420748770512.jpg
 
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WithLisa

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Indeed, it looks boring. :D
Have you already read the care sheet?
What kind of lights do you use, is there an Uvb bulb? I don't think redlight is good for torts.

That's what my enclosure looks like. Or rather looked like, since it's outside and covered in snow at the moment. But I had an indoor enclosure at first and it looked similar. I just used things I could get for free from my garden or collect on walks.
Topsoil with weeds (that way I didn't even had to feed my torts, they always had enough fresh and healthy food in their enclosure), stones, branches,...
 

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rach.sxo

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Oh wow!!! That looks incredible!! I'm jealous haha. The care sheet won't load in my browser :(
yeah there's a uvb strip light and the red heat lamp.
I've looked online at different substrate and the coco coir comes in a brick and have to mix with water? One review said it has to be left for a day to dry out, so where does tortoise go? :/ so confused right now!
 

WithLisa

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The care sheet won't load in my browser :(
That's strange. It's a normal thread in the forum, so maybe I'm just too stupid to post a link.
You can find it in the Sub-Forum for Hermanns tortoises, it's the third thread (the title is "Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED")
You should read it, it has all important information about hermanns. ;)
One review said it has to be left for a day to dry out, so where does tortoise go? :/ so confused right now!
I don't know. But if it's too wet, you could put it in a plastic box or something like that until it's dry enough, then use it for your enclosure.
 

leigti

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That's strange. It's a normal thread in the forum, so maybe I'm just too stupid to post a link.
You can find it in the Sub-Forum for Hermanns tortoises, it's the third thread (the title is "Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED")
You should read it, it has all important information about hermanns. ;)

I don't know. But if it's too wet, you could put it in a plastic box or something like that until it's dry enough, then use it for your enclosure.
Put the brick in the water and let it expand fully, use hot water it works better. And then one handful at a time squeeze the water out and put it in another container. And then put that damp but not soaking wet substrate into your enclosure. you can dump the water on plants are in your garden.
 

rach.sxo

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How many bricks would you suggest to use and how much water per brick? So don't clean out the current substrate until the coco coir is ready to go in? I'm scared I'm going to do it wrong and mess up.
 

leigti

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How many bricks would you suggest to use and how much water per brick? So don't clean out the current substrate until the coco coir is ready to go in? I'm scared I'm going to do it wrong and mess up.
Two bricks at least. Maybe three. Keep the other stuff in there until you're ready to put the coconut coir in. It should say on the package but I think it is at least 64 ounces per brick, the exact measurement isn't that important. I usually put all three bricks in the bucket or a bin and and the warm water, hot water actually :). after about five or 10 minutes I start stirring around and breaking up the bricks and eventually they expand all the way. And then I squeeze the water out and put the dryer substrate into a bin and then aput it in my enclosure. And then press it down gently with your hands to give your tortoise a firmer ground to walk on. Then you can add plants, rocks etc. to make it pretty. two or three times a week at least dump some water into the enclosure and Stewart around with your hands to keep the substrate slightly damp but not soaking wet.
 

rach.sxo

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Two bricks at least. Maybe three. Keep the other stuff in there until you're ready to put the coconut coir in. It should say on the package but I think it is at least 64 ounces per brick, the exact measurement isn't that important. I usually put all three bricks in the bucket or a bin and and the warm water, hot water actually :). after about five or 10 minutes I start stirring around and breaking up the bricks and eventually they expand all the way. And then I squeeze the water out and put the dryer substrate into a bin and then aput it in my enclosure. And then press it down gently with your hands to give your tortoise a firmer ground to walk on. Then you can add plants, rocks etc. to make it pretty. two or three times a week at least dump some water into the enclosure and Stewart around with your hands to keep the substrate slightly damp but not soaking wet.
Oh thank you that's great!!!! I'm going to get some on the weekend and change it over. What plants can I use? I read somewhere that cactus can go in? But I want some that also look very leafy for him to munch on or hide under. Sorry for being a pain!
 

leigti

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I'll post some photos now. Yeah some people have mentioned changing substrate but I don't know where to start on which to decide! Could you help please?
Just slow down a minute and take a deep breath. It takes some time to figure everything out. Are you on the app or on the website? On the website go to the search section and put in different topics such as "Indoor plants" or "safe plants" and it will take you two different threads with more answers than I could possibly give. I did a ton of research on the site and I still do. go to the specific species section for your tortoise and you will get many of your answers. It seems very complicated at first and can feel overwhelming very quickly but you will get it.
 

Yvonne G

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About your white paint: hLogic has given you some excellent advice. Just be sure to wipe off every thing you try and gently clean with soapy water before trying the next thing.
 

rach.sxo

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Thanks guys! I'm going to get a different substrate today (coco coir) and will look into plants for him. So far it thinking of an aloe Vera plant and a cactus :)
 

johnandjade

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you'll notice a big difference, we've not long swapped out woodchip for coir and our little guy is much more active. we had to make the same changes you are, and if he could im sure fido would thank us lol.
 

johnandjade

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ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1420896041.772121.jpgthis is the before shot. (had just changed front pannle to glass
 

johnandjade

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ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1420896132.145147.jpg

heres where we are at now thanks to help and advice from members on here, just need to add more plants. there is also a wooden insert to go behind glass (torts don't understand it and can stress them) best of luck and post up some pics :)
 

rach.sxo

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Well I'm soaking him every day and tried gently brushing with a toothbrush and it did nothing. Scared to put chemicals on his shell so I don't know what to do.
 
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