Where to buy supplies in Manchester?

[Abby Fletcher]

hi I have a leapord tortoise and he is growing so quick I can't find a good hide that's big enough but can fit in the viv that I have also I need a new water bowl as this one is a little to wide I live in Manchester does anyone know where I can find some good things for my tortoise?
Thanks

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Abby

How big is your enclosure? (Pictures will help)

Leopard torts grow quite big and outgrowing the hide suggests that he has probably outgrown the viv too.

The best water bowl is a terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate. Reptile water bowls are nor suitable for torts as they're a tipping hazard and also difficult to drink from.

Upturned plastic boxes can be adapted into hides.

Please read the following guides written by TFO species experts that will help you get things right.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Leopard
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[Abby Fletcher]

Ignore the mess it's getting cleaned out today

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Abby

Your Viv is definitely too small for a tort that size.

Please read the guides that I linked to earlier for how things need to be. A leopard of that size will need a minimum floor space of 1.5m x 2.2m.

My other first-glance observation is that you are using a compact coil type UVB. These cause eye problems with tortoises and should not be used. A tube UVB or a Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) are safe.

 

[Abby Fletcher]

I will definatly look into all of this this is my first tortoises and he's about 1 and half years and I have only had him for 6 months I have just gone of what the pet store has told me and I just found this forum thank you

 

[JoesMum]

Don't be too despondent. You're not the first.

There's a lot of outdated information out there and the pet shops perpetuate it. Sadly, so too do some breeders and vets. The TFO guides have been written by people who are working hard to get the best and most up-to-date care information out there.

We are more than happy to help you get things right. After all your tort will be with you for the next 60+ years.

Your leopard tort will grow quite rapidly and need an outdoor enclosure not too far off. You will need then to plan for winter accommodation for a species that does not hibernate.

 

[Abby Fletcher]

I have a outdoor enclosure it's not the best still working on it I would say in a month it will be Close to being finished I have literally been to about 35 different pet shops to find the best advice but everything is contradicting I will be buying a new viv soon and I am going to buy a new bulb now aswell because I just want the best for my tortoise I really appreciate the help

 

[JoesMum]

I have a outdoor enclosure it's not the best still working on it I would say in a month it will be Close to being finished I have literally been to about 35 different pet shops to find the best advice but everything is contradicting I will be buying a new viv soon and I am going to buy a new bulb now aswell because I just want the best for my tortoise I really appreciate the help

Please go by the care sheet written by @Tom. That is the definitive guide.

And don't hesitate to ask us as many questions as you need to while you get things straight. It will save you hours of trouble and unnecessary expenditure

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a guide to lighting that may help you:

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from B&Q will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[Pearly]

Hi Abby, I have RF babies and have had same issue in recent months. They outgrow their hides very quickly, and those pet store molded hides are not cheap! I used wooden bend-a-bridge but with over 80% humidity all the time the wood was growing mold. Lately I noticed the babies favor sleeping under chunks of moss or under dense plant canopy (their terratium is planted with live plants. I think I'll resort to fabricating my own hides to fit into my terrarium landscape and be comfy for the babies. I'm looking around now at different material possibilities ceramics or resin type stuff, it has to be safe (non-combustible) under 100 CHE just few inches directly above it. Sorry I don't have answers for you, just wanted to let you know that I've been looking at that as well

 

[Tom]

also I need a new water bowl as this one is a little to wide I live in Manchester does anyone know where I can find some good things for my tortoise?
Thanks

Over here in the USA, I get most of my tortoise supplies from the hardware store. Pet stores usually give incorrect care advice and except for specialized reptile UV bulbs, their products are at best useless for me, and in some cases their products are dangerous to tortoises. For example: pet store water bowls have sides that are too high and steep for tortoises. Plain old terra cotta plant saucers from the hardware store work best. Dig down a bit and sink them into the substrate.

@Joes Mum, or any of our other UK members, will you please correct me if things are vastly different over in the UK?

The Viv is a great way to house a tortoise, but you need something MUCH larger, and they probably don't make something like that that you can buy. You'll need to build it yourself, or have someone custom build it for you.

 

[JoesMum]

Over here in the USA, I get most of my tortoise supplies from the hardware store. Pet stores usually give incorrect care advice and except for specialized reptile UV bulbs, their products are at best useless for me, and in some cases their products are dangerous to tortoises.

@Joes Mum, or any of our other UK members, will you please correct me if things are vastly different over in the UK?

It's much the same here @Tom.

The pet shops cannot be relied on for advice and it's cheaper to buy stuff online or from B&Q or Homebase.

Apart from the UVB bulb and the CHE , if needed, there is little that has to be bought specially for tortoises.

 

[von345]

It's good to see people taking good advice and doing what's best for the animal. Glad to hear your working on an outside habitat. He will love it. Good job