I would need to know more about your Leopard to tell you that Anja. Is it alone or in a group? What are you feeding and how often? Temperatures, length of light and how much light.
Hatchlings also are very different from older animals as to what they need. The first year is the critical year and everything after is dependant on the care they got as hatchlings.

Danny

I would need to know more about your Leopard to tell you that Anja. Is it alone or in a group? What are you feeding and how often? Temperatures, length of light and how much light.
Hatchlings also are very different from older animals as to what they need. The first year is the critical year and everything after is dependant on the care they got as hatchlings.

Danny

He is alone. I feed grasses, weeds, organic spring mix and I am now leaving ground up Mazuri in with him to free feed on at the recommendation of a friend. I feed twice per day, and as much as he will eat in 15-20 mins. There is always a bit leftover so I know Im not feeding him too little of an amount. He has a shallow water dish that he does access on his own and I soak him every other day. I use reptical 2-3 times per week along with TNT every other day. He has a compact UVB along with a heat lamp. Basking side ranges from 95-105 and cool side averages about 75-76. I have sphagnum moss on the cool end that he burrows in at night. I mist it every 2-3 days and mist the basking end every other day. I turn his lights on at 9am and off at 9pm.

I would leave the food in all the time and replace with fresh if you want twice a day. I would supplement at least once a day.
If he has a water dish that he uses I'd cut down to soaking once a week. To much soaking can make a tortoise pass their food out quicker then they should. It needs to stay there at least a week for the intestines to extract all the nutrients from the food.
I would also up the light level, by adding a florscent light and up the length of the day to 14 hours.
What are the night time temperatures like?

Danny

Can you over supplement a tortoise?? I have heard you can and doing so can be worse then not supplementing enough. We have stepped up our calcium/D3 intake for Gus and he is showing no signs of improvement. the sides of his shell are turning a reddish color that I have not seen before. Is Mazuri tortoise diet really good for them?? I was told it is not good for main land tortoises.

Mazuri is not really food as a main staple diet. Supplementing with it is fine.

The food is left in, he usually has leftover that stays in all day. So add a fluorescent bulb on top of the compact UVB and heat bulb I have on him?

Night time temps are 70-72.

This post was last modified: 11-07-2007 02:45 AM by JustAnja.

Meka you can't over do the supplements in the first year. You can though once they get older.

Anja, yes add a florscent to what you already have. Your night time temperatures are fine.

Danny

We are new to tortoises, but in setting up I noticed warnings that the lights may not produce the good rays needed after only a year. Vet told me six months. So even if your light is on and working it may not be WORKING. Thought this might help, since seems like you've checked everything else.

Your Gus is so sweet.
Do tort's have genetic differences like humans? I would think any living thing can. (We have a dear friend who did not grow at all when he was a child from the years he was 2 - 4 years old. Now he's an average height guy).
If there are no parasites consuming his food and throwing off his growth and his temps are good etc. ...could he have a thyroid issue...do torts have that sort of problem? (Just thinking out loud here)...
Otherwise, I would say...relax, enjoy him, take lots of pics and I bet he'll have the biggest personality no matter his end size (and I know you are doing all you can, and more).

This post was last modified: 11-23-2007 08:41 PM by Cam.

Are the bulbs being replaced regularly? Just cause they are shining doesn't
mean they are doing their job, they should be replaced every 4-6 months.

What exams have the vets given? Are they reptile/exotic vets? Have they
given any info at all?

Get well soon Gus!