# Rubbermaid Container



## jonahbassjazz (Apr 29, 2012)

What do you guys think about a 50 gallon rubbermaid container for a hermanns tortoise? http://www.russiantortoise.org/images/rubbermaid.jpg Something like this? The tortoise would be a small one maybe 3 inches or so.


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## expo tort (Apr 29, 2012)

If you fill it with bedding just the right way than I would say yes. Lots of people do.


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Apr 29, 2012)

That's what I use for my hatchlings and I'm very satisfied with them.


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## Madkins007 (Apr 29, 2012)

Plastic tubs, as long as they are big enough, make good starter homes, but you will want to be planning something better in a year or two.

https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/housing-basics


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## Tyrtle (Apr 29, 2012)

Ours live in one just like that. I have two lamps on the warm side and an infrared lamp that goes on at night on the other side. I fill it about 5" deep with substrate. It is very convenient.


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## Katherine (Apr 29, 2012)

Madkins007 said:


> Plastic tubs, as long as they are big enough, make good starter homes, but you will want to be planning something better in a year or two.



^agree^
I use plastic tubs for my box turtle hatchlings, it is convenient cheap and easy to clean/maintain but they definitely outgrow them quickly.


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## GBtortoises (Apr 30, 2012)

Rubbermaid style containers work well for raising babies and small/young tortoises. They simply aren't large enough to provide a suitable environment for active adult tortoises, including any of the Testudo species.


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## sportychick (May 1, 2012)

Would a Rubbermaid.container be to big for a really small RT? Pictures in the photo section  and how.come.I never see him drink when I soak him lol


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## JoesMum (May 1, 2012)

RTs are very active torts... they need as much space as possible. A tiny hatchling might be OK in a Rubbermaid, but it would soon outgrow it.

Seeing tortoises drink is often near impossible. They don't only drink to hydrate, they also absorb water through he skin which is where soaking works so well. You have to accept that if wee is coming out, the water is going in... and soaking is the easiest method of ensuring that it does!


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## sportychick (May 1, 2012)

Well his wee is OK trying to get it great... he's soaked three times a day for 15-20 mins. I noticed a stringy thing in his poop but I'm assuming its from the coco coir substance he seems to eat a bit while he eats his food 
I'll need to find a container that will be good for him. I think he's really young so for awhile I can do


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## JoesMum (May 1, 2012)

Many of use a piece of slate or a tile for putting food on - a large rough area that's good for the beak and reduces the risk of the food being dragged into the substrate


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## sportychick (May 1, 2012)

I have the food.on a dish but he prefers to grab it and drag it onto the substrate anyways hope its not bad for him


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## GeoTerraTestudo (May 1, 2012)

sportychick said:


> Well his wee is OK trying to get it great... he's soaked three times a day for 15-20 mins. I noticed a stringy thing in his poop but I'm assuming its from the coco coir substance he seems to eat a bit while he eats his food
> I'll need to find a container that will be good for him. I think he's really young so for awhile I can do



Why are you soaking your tortoise three times daily? Not even a young or sick tortoise requires that much bathing.

A healthy tort is going to have firm stools. Depending on the species, the urine may have urea in it (like we have), which is completely clear, or it may have white urate in it. Urea and urate are just two different ways of excreting nitrogen from the kidneys. Urea is easy to make, but requires more water to excrete. Urate takes longer to produce, but does not need as much water.

So, if your tortoise comes from a moist environment (like a redfoot), it's going to have clear urine every time. However, if your tortoise comes from a drier environment (like a Russian), it's going to have urine with at least some white urate in it every time. No amount of bathing is going to change that. It's completely normal.


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## sportychick (May 1, 2012)

We just got him 2 days ago and I've read since he is not going to his water dish at all he should be soaked at least 2 times a day. Also he's a Russian tort. His urine is irate like cottage cheese so hoping.it will turn to urine clear then just white stuff.
So how much do u think I should soak him? There are all different numbers on the net so I'm not sure. There are pic of him on here so u can see how big he is...


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## Akronic (May 1, 2012)

soaking every day is plenty. too much and they can get water logged. try chopping his greens up a little like into 1/2" squares. if they can just take bites and get mouthfulls w/o draggin the whole leaf off. that's what ive done since they do make a huge mess. mine will go poop/pee in his food, so now i tend to soak before i feed. and at the size your RT is, a 55gal Rubbermaid will be plenty, but in a year or so you should look into building a tort table. they are super simple if you do the research and know how to use tools.


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## sportychick (May 1, 2012)

Yeah we will look into that just want something in the meantime that will make him comfortable. I can tell he is content for the time being.....? ... can I take him on the balcony? I live in a flat 2nd.floor. or can I take him into the back (although there's mostly dirt to walk on with growing veggies and tomatoes ) don't want to risk him getting sick or even stressed from moving him around or.can I let him walk in my living room lol


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## JoesMum (May 1, 2012)

If he's in his rubbermaid, take him out in the balcony or down in the garden to get sun. Do you have a UV lamp? He really needs that in his rubbermaid at the moment.

If you want to let him loose out back - build an enclosure first. RTs are fast on their feet and you need to make sure he doesn't escape. The risk of him eating an unsafe plant is pretty low.

Few people recommend letting them roam round the house. The risk of them trying to eat somethhing completely inedible is too high.


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## sportychick (May 1, 2012)

He's not in a Rubbermaid yet that's why I was asking .. can I use a normal cardboard box on the balcony? I can put stuff in it like a hide and coco coir. To get better sun. I need to buy uv have to go but that tomorrow todaywas a holiday all is closed... 

Tomorrow I am going to soak feed and then take my son and the tort outside for some sun  (in a big box lol ) and hopefully my tort will love it. Thanks for all the info.. maybe my tort can graze and enjoy himself. Will take pics if I can  maybe he will go into his water own his own outside.I will be +30 here tomorrow... hot hot hot

Is there any length of time that the tort should or shouldn't be outside in the sun for?


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## Madkins007 (May 1, 2012)

You would soak him based on whether he needs it or not. There is a tool you can use to determine if a tortoise is potentially dehydrated if you want to get real accurate- the Donoghue Formula:

Straight-line Carapace Length (SCL) in centimeters, cubed, times 0.919 gives you the minimum target weight in grams for most healthy tortoises. (another way to write the formula is SCLcm^3 x 0.191 = WTgr

If he is close to the target weight, you soak him less often- if at all. The lighter he is, the more likely he is dehydrated. If he is really light, he may need veterinary care to recover.

Note, however, that this formula does not work well on hatchlings or very young or small torts.


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## austinSOLO (May 1, 2012)

ya its good for now, but when it gets bigger, you should think about building a enclosure.


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## lynnedit (May 1, 2012)

sportychick said:


> He's not in a Rubbermaid yet that's why I was asking .. can I use a normal cardboard box on the balcony? I can put stuff in it like a hide and coco coir. To get better sun. I need to buy uv have to go but that tomorrow todaywas a holiday all is closed...
> 
> Tomorrow I am going to soak feed and then take my son and the tort outside for some sun  (in a big box lol ) and hopefully my tort will love it. Thanks for all the info.. maybe my tort can graze and enjoy himself. Will take pics if I can  maybe he will go into his water own his own outside.I will be +30 here tomorrow... hot hot hot
> 
> Is there any length of time that the tort should or shouldn't be outside in the sun for?






They can easily over heat if they are in direct sun at those temps. Torts are completely dependent on the surrounding temps to regulate their body temps, which is why sometimes they bask, and sometimes they burrow.
Plan to avoid the hotter hours of the day, 12p to 3p? and make sure he can get into a shady/covered area to thermoregulate.
But real sun and real UV is very good for torts overall.


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## sportychick (May 2, 2012)

I took him out from 9-10 was 18-21 outside is that OK? Long enough for now?


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