ElliotBold
New Member
Hi
My tortoises don't seem to be eating that much and I am a bit worried about them. what can I do?
My tortoises don't seem to be eating that much and I am a bit worried about them. what can I do?
Eating
- Thread starter ElliotBold
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
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Hi Elliot
Michael Malone
Active Member
Hello and welcome.
To properly diagnose what is going on they we are gonna need a little more info a few thing we are gonna need is
1. Type of tortoise
2. Heat and humid levels
3. The current diet you are feeding
Those are a few questions everyone will need answered before proper info could be given. If any one sees and questions I might of missed plz let him know
Michael Malone
Active Member
Humidity
ElliotBold
New Member
The type of tortoise is a horsefield
Heat is around 30°c
Not so sure on humidity did not get a gage
The diet is primarily salad: lambs lettuce, romanie lettuce and cucumber
Sometimes I give pellets but not often
Heat is around 30°c
Not so sure on humidity did not get a gage
The diet is primarily salad: lambs lettuce, romanie lettuce and cucumber
Sometimes I give pellets but not often
If the basking spot is 30 degrees, it’s much too low. It needs to be around 37.
Your diet needs help. Romain lettuce and cucumber are mostly water, and the tortoise gets no nutrients from it because they take more energy to eat than they give.
Please give these links a read and come back with questions:
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Sulcata Diet Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Sulcata-Diet-Sheet.64290/
This diet sheet is mainly for sulcatas, but it works for Russians too. Just ignore the grasses, and feed the weeds.
Your diet needs help. Romain lettuce and cucumber are mostly water, and the tortoise gets no nutrients from it because they take more energy to eat than they give.
Please give these links a read and come back with questions:
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Sulcata Diet Sheet
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Sulcata-Diet-Sheet.64290/
This diet sheet is mainly for sulcatas, but it works for Russians too. Just ignore the grasses, and feed the weeds.
And when you say “tortoises”, are they being housed together?
We are getting there. Keep the info and answers coming…
- There are four temps to know and maintain: Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low. Where is it 30, and what are the other three temps?
- What heating and lighting equipment are you using to maintain these temps?
- UV? What type?
- What substrate are you using?
- What size and type enclosure?
- How many tortoises?
- What size tortoises?
ElliotBold
New Member
Basing temp 30
Night temp 25
Cool side 28.5
Hot side/basking 31
UV came with enclosure
2 tortoises
Natural shop dirt type stuff with very small bumps
Please read the care sheets I gave you, and make changes to your enclosure.
Your tortoises need to be separated. Most tortoise, especially Russians, are very territorial and only see other tortoises as combatants or mates.
Your enclosure is too small. Each of your tortoises needs a 4x8 foot enclosure.
Your substrate needs to go. Switch to something like peat moss, fine grade orchid bark/reptibark, coco coir/eco earth, or cypress mulch.
You need more hides, and a proper water bowl that they can fit in, like a terra cotta saucer.
Your tortoises likely aren’t eating because of the low temperatures. You need a basking spot of 37 degrees, and Don’t use those lights. Red lights can still be seen, and disrupt sleep cycles and cause torts to eat their substrate, and spot lamps are too desiccating on their shells. Get a flood bulb.
Your tortoises need to be separated. Most tortoise, especially Russians, are very territorial and only see other tortoises as combatants or mates.
Your enclosure is too small. Each of your tortoises needs a 4x8 foot enclosure.
Your substrate needs to go. Switch to something like peat moss, fine grade orchid bark/reptibark, coco coir/eco earth, or cypress mulch.
You need more hides, and a proper water bowl that they can fit in, like a terra cotta saucer.
Your tortoises likely aren’t eating because of the low temperatures. You need a basking spot of 37 degrees, and Don’t use those lights. Red lights can still be seen, and disrupt sleep cycles and cause torts to eat their substrate, and spot lamps are too desiccating on their shells. Get a flood bulb.
ElliotBold
New Member
Thanks
On another subject I just bathed them and I noticed that one of them had a cut on his tail do you know what this could be
Likely a bite from the other tortoise. They should not be housed in pairs.
ElliotBold
New Member
Ok thanks I'll put one in another house
ElliotBold
New Member
Sorry but just a thing that is bugging me about what you said is that my torts often sleep next to each other and I have never seen any evidence of a fight between them this is the first time it has happened
Them sleeping next to each other is a sign of aggression, and is called crowding. It is one tort trying to stress the other out of its territory.
ElliotBold
New Member
Ok thanks
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
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