This post may not fit here, but here goes.........OMG!!!! It seems the more I chat with you guys, the less I know about Sid. Almost 100% of everything everyone has told me contradicts what Petco says or even the care sheet they gave me. (I was pretty confident when I bought this little guy, but now I'm not so confident, I cant even keep his shell healthy.)...........Sorry, having a 1 woman pity party here. I even bought a book (tortoise & turtles for dummies---the most useless thing I ever bought.) I was just looking over the care sheet (from Petco) and it states the the humidity should be between 70-90%, is that right?? The highest I could ever get Sids humidity was 65, and thats even when I change his substrate and its warm and wet. The only thing thats right is the temp, which is at 80 during the day and 65ish at night. Is that right?? Please tell me I'm doing something right. I'M SOOOOOO CONFUSED!!!!!

Here is real good source http://www.turtletary.com. There is a wealth of good info here. Don't give up this little guy. You'll find by doing a few basic things that RFs are tougher then you'd think. I had a trio for over thirty years and have made many of the mistakes you'll see on these forums and learned from them. Most of the long time keepers have worked blind and have taught themselves on the care of these wonderful animals. Don't give up, we are here to try to help you and others and most importantly learn ourselves.

sid the turtle, Itort gave you good advice. Don't give up. It seems everyday I learn something new. One thing I learned early is that care sheets from places like Petco and Petsmart are often WRONG! (RedFoot Nerd)Terrys site http://www.turtletary.com has great info on RFs and Years of experience. He is a great resourse and extreamly helpful.

Hi again!!

I treated Sid with the betadine and lotramin, and once again he pooed on me....lol. I took the coconut shell substrate out of his cage and put down a towel with newspaper over the top. Hes been trying to eat it. (not shredded). How long should I keep him on newspaper? I've been looking for different substrate for him, is repti-bark ok? He also has a heat mat on one side of his cage, is it ok to plug in with a towel & newspaper?

Robin & Sid

I just looked up repti-bark. It is made from shredded fir ( a conifer) and as such it is not good for any reptile. Do you have any Walmarts, Lowes, Home Depots near you. With spring coming, they have mulchs for sale. I would suggest finding an organic cypress or hardwood mulch. Also I don't believe a heat mat is a good idea. The heat should come from above not below. Sorry to say I have seen reptiles burned by this type of set-up.

Another thing Petco told me .....stick the heat mat to the bottom of the cage...OMG..I swear they are morons. I'll just keep the mat unpluged and keep an eye on the temps, he has a UVB and a basking bulb. I will have to look and see if Walmart has any of there mulch out yet. How long can Sid stay on the newspaper (while being treated?)

This post was last modified: 04-02-2008 05:05 PM by sid the turtle.

You can keep on the newspaper quite a while. Provide him with a hide with sphagrum moss in it ( the moss is slightly acid and because of this helps with the cure of fungus. The uvB isn't really needed but the basking light is good for heat. You may want to invest in a ceremic heat emitter for heat.

Hi again Guys!!

I've been treating Sid for the peeling shell, once with Betadine, and then the rest with the athletes foot cream. I've been keeping an eye on it and its turning black, see pic. Is this is how it is suppose to look? His shell is not soft when pressed gently. I stll have him on newspaper, until I can get some mulch. Walmart doesnt have any out yet....dont they know my tort needs it....lol.

He's eating and doing all of his business as usual.


    --before
    --after

Looks like you got it under control. Good.

As I understand it, a mostly black plastron usually means the tortoise comes from a territory south of the Amazon River- Brazil, Paraguay, or Bolivia. Tortoises from the northern part of South America usually have mostly pale plastrons, often with some dark pattern on the rear third.