Help! So many questions!

mkruszewski

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Joined
Sep 17, 2015
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Hello!
I have had my RT for about a month now. I recently posted in here about advice for a new enclosure which I have taken and as of today Karl is in a new enclosure! I have SEVERAL questions though and would love any advice people are willing to give.
First of all, some behavior questions. In his old enclosure (a glass aquarium about 30-40 gallons) Karl spent a lot of his time sleeping, and when he wasn't sleeping he would try to climb the walls almost as if he was trying to get out. I thought that with a larger enclosure this would stop but the moment I put him in his new enclosure he started this behavior again. I know he may need some time to adjust to his new home but is this normal and should I be worried?
Also, he seems to still be unsure of my presence. Sometimes even when I just walk by or peak in to see how he's doing he will hiss and quickly pull his head into his shell. How can I help him adjust to my presence? I really want him to like me and get so sad when he hisses at me :(.
Now some nutrition stuff:
The first week or so I had Karl he did not eat anything at all which made me very concerned so I took him to the vet to get checked out. They gave him a dewormer and ran a fecal for parasites but didn't find anything. However the second I brought him home from the vet he began eating (thankfully!). For about a week after that I fed him mostly endive and some collard greens (he liked the endive the best and always ate it all). I also constantly try to offer him Mazuri tortoise pellets but he has not really eaten any of it as far as I can tell. This past week I have been trying to feed him Dandelion greens and a little bit of kale. He nibbles on these but has not really eaten very much. So, my question is, how much of a variety of greens do they need? If I constantly feed him endive is this okay since he likes it so much? Should I keep trying different things? It concerns me that he is not really eating any thing else I offer him.
Also, I am not really sure how MUCH I should be feeding him. A lot of what I have read say as much as they can eat in a half hour or so but how much is normal? Many times when he eats he will eat for a few minutes stop, and then come back to it later. And do they prefer whole leafs or should they be cut up? (wow this is so many questions I'm sorry).
Finally, any advice on supplementation? I really know nothing about it. I bought a cuttle bone and placed that in his enclosure but should I be putting supplements on his food as well?

Okay I think thats all I got for now, sorry this was so long but I really am trying to be a good mom (and really want him to like me haha). I would love any advice! Thank you!!!:<3::tort:
 

mkruszewski

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Sep 17, 2015
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image.jpeg
Here is a picture of his new home! Any advice for improving it would be great as well! The substrate is a mix of cypress mulch and coconut fiber
 

Jodie

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Several of those bins could be attached to make a much larger enclosure. Russians travel great distances daily, and really need a lot of space. What are your temps? Basking, warm side, cool side and night low.
For feeding the more variety, the better. Think about your own diet. If you ate only celery, even though it's good for you, you would eventually starve. I feed mine a large pile every morning. If it is gone after work, I give more. I always feed every day, as much as they will eat. Calcium sprinkled 2X per week.
 

dmmj

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regarding the hissing in your presence you gotta realize he's a wild animal right now your large size scares and intimidates him. in his world larger creatures eat smaller creatures that's the way he thinks right now just give him time he will adjust to your presence but it will take time don't try to set a time frame to it though. it take as much time as he needs no more no less
 

mkruszewski

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Sep 17, 2015
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Several of those bins could be attached to make a much larger enclosure. Russians travel great distances daily, and really need a lot of space. What are your temps? Basking, warm side, cool side and night low.
For feeding the more variety, the better. Think about your own diet. If you ate only celery, even though it's good for you, you would eventually starve. I feed mine a large pile every morning. If it is gone after work, I give more. I always feed every day, as much as they will eat. Calcium sprinkled 2X per week.
Basking spot is 90-95 and cool end is around 75. Not sure how accurate those are though because I just have a thermometer I got at the pet store. I've seen people discussing thermometer guns? Are these more accurate? And where can I get these? Same with humidity. I have a pet store gauge that reads around 50% humidity. Is there a better way to gauge this?
 

mkruszewski

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Joined
Sep 17, 2015
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regarding the hissing in your presence you gotta realize he's a wild animal right now your large size scares and intimidates him. in his world larger creatures eat smaller creatures that's the way he thinks right now just give him time he will adjust to your presence but it will take time don't try to set a time frame to it though. it take as much time as he needs no more no less
Thank you this makes me feel much better! I figured it was likely just him warming up to me I just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything that I was doing wrong causing the hissing!
 

Jodie

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Basking spot is 90-95 and cool end is around 75. Not sure how accurate those are though because I just have a thermometer I got at the pet store. I've seen people discussing thermometer guns? Are these more accurate? And where can I get these? Same with humidity. I have a pet store gauge that reads around 50% humidity. Is there a better way to gauge this?
The digital thermometers are far more accurate. I use Accurite thermometers. They are about ten dollars at Lowe's, and read temp and humidity. Lllreptile sells great one with a probe. A temp gun is invaluable. I swiped mine from my husband's tool box, so Lowe's works. They are not very expensive.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
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regarding diet you want a wide variety of food as possible so he don't get stuck on one food.i grow all my own food. short list grape leaves strawberry leaves hibiscus leaves and flowers various squash leaves and flowers artichoke leaves I have a few mulberries saplings growing right now several cacti things like that
 
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