First baby!!!

MichaelL

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
983
Location (City and/or State)
Ocala, Fl
Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.

Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.

IMG_6001.JPGIMG_5994.JPGIMG_5997.JPG
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.

Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.

View attachment 326286View attachment 326287View attachment 326288
Super cool man!
 

Chubbs the tegu

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
9,571
Location (City and/or State)
Ma
Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.

Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.

View attachment 326286View attachment 326287View attachment 326288
Congrats bro! Cant wait to see the lil guy
 

Krista S

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,364
Location (City and/or State)
Saskatchewan
Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.

Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.

View attachment 326286View attachment 326287View attachment 326288
How exciting!! Congratulations!! Like he others have said, I can’t wait to see the cute little baby ?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Today is day 66 of incubation, and after I woke up I took a peek in the incubator and it was pipping! I'll keep you all updated as it hatches out, I'm super excited to see what its colors are. The father is full black so I'm hoping it is all black too, I love that look on russians. Here is a pic of the tank I have set up and of it pipping. The pic of it in my hand was when I was moving it into a container with moist paper towel.

Any feedback on the tank is welcome, I want everything to be right for when it's ready to start living in the tank. The substrate is a mix of coco coir and topsoil. I have a humid hide with a thermostat and a probe that has it set at 80 degrees with a CHE above it. Inside the humid hide is lots of dried grass that I resoaked and put inside. The water dish looks deep, but it is filled with black pebbles and is very shallow. I planted some pothos. I also put some pieces of cuttlebone on the food dish, The CHE and heat bulb are both 60 watts. I have plastic wrap covering the top of the tank, where the heat lamps are not, to hold humidity. For UVB I'm going to take it out every day.

View attachment 326286View attachment 326287View attachment 326288
Congrats!

You won't need the tank for about 10 days. The baby will need to be in a brooder box until the yolk sac absorbs and the umbilical scar closes up. I do the first day on damp paper towels, but they will eat paper towels after that, so I use grape leaves, mulberry leaves or broadleaf plantain leaves on the bottom and intoduce all sorts of different weeds, leaves and flowers in the first couple of weeks. Its good to clip small branches of edible plants for the tortoise to nibble on and hide in. I soak them daily and put them in a fresh brooder box with fresh food and hinging plants to make sure there isn't any mold or fungus building up in such a warm humid place.

Here is what I would change about the tank:
1. Set the thermostat on a timer. This species should drop down to room temp over night.
2. Get rid of the soil. There is no way to know what its made of and it could be something toxic or dangerous. Straight coco coir is better and safer. Hand pack it down to reduce the mess.
3. Get rid of the grass in the hide. Russians aren't grass eaters and that wet grass hay will begin to mold in 24 hours. You don't need it in there. Just wet the substrate under the humid hide.
4. Get rid of the water dish. Use a small terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate instead. These only cost about $1. Get a few of them. Use one for food and one for water, and change them out for cleaning as needed. Don't give the tortoise any excuse for not liking its water bowl.
5. You don't say what size that tank is, but it looks small. You need at least a 40 gallon, 36x18inches, to give the baby enough space to roam and also have a thermal gradient. I clip branches from grape vines, mulberry trees, lavatera bushes and any other edible plant for the babies to hide in until the enclosure plants get going and offer more cover.
6. Better if the hide is dark and opaque instead of clear plastic.
 

MichaelL

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
983
Location (City and/or State)
Ocala, Fl
Congrats!

You won't need the tank for about 10 days. The baby will need to be in a brooder box until the yolk sac absorbs and the umbilical scar closes up. I do the first day on damp paper towels, but they will eat paper towels after that, so I use grape leaves, mulberry leaves or broadleaf plantain leaves on the bottom and intoduce all sorts of different weeds, leaves and flowers in the first couple of weeks. Its good to clip small branches of edible plants for the tortoise to nibble on and hide in. I soak them daily and put them in a fresh brooder box with fresh food and hinging plants to make sure there isn't any mold or fungus building up in such a warm humid place.

Here is what I would change about the tank:
1. Set the thermostat on a timer. This species should drop down to room temp over night.
2. Get rid of the soil. There is no way to know what its made of and it could be something toxic or dangerous. Straight coco coir is better and safer. Hand pack it down to reduce the mess.
3. Get rid of the grass in the hide. Russians aren't grass eaters and that wet grass hay will begin to mold in 24 hours. You don't need it in there. Just wet the substrate under the humid hide.
4. Get rid of the water dish. Use a small terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate instead. These only cost about $1. Get a few of them. Use one for food and one for water, and change them out for cleaning as needed. Don't give the tortoise any excuse for not liking its water bowl.
5. You don't say what size that tank is, but it looks small. You need at least a 40 gallon, 36x18inches, to give the baby enough space to roam and also have a thermal gradient. I clip branches from grape vines, mulberry trees, lavatera bushes and any other edible plant for the babies to hide in until the enclosure plants get going and offer more cover.
6. Better if the hide is dark and opaque instead of clear plastic.
Thank you!!!
 

Hutsie B

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
471
Location (City and/or State)
NC
That is so awesome, can't wait for the new baby and pics.
 

TaylorTortoise

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
1,461
Location (City and/or State)
Abington
Congrats!

You won't need the tank for about 10 days. The baby will need to be in a brooder box until the yolk sac absorbs and the umbilical scar closes up. I do the first day on damp paper towels, but they will eat paper towels after that, so I use grape leaves, mulberry leaves or broadleaf plantain leaves on the bottom and intoduce all sorts of different weeds, leaves and flowers in the first couple of weeks. Its good to clip small branches of edible plants for the tortoise to nibble on and hide in. I soak them daily and put them in a fresh brooder box with fresh food and hinging plants to make sure there isn't any mold or fungus building up in such a warm humid place.

Here is what I would change about the tank:
1. Set the thermostat on a timer. This species should drop down to room temp over night.
2. Get rid of the soil. There is no way to know what its made of and it could be something toxic or dangerous. Straight coco coir is better and safer. Hand pack it down to reduce the mess.
3. Get rid of the grass in the hide. Russians aren't grass eaters and that wet grass hay will begin to mold in 24 hours. You don't need it in there. Just wet the substrate under the humid hide.
4. Get rid of the water dish. Use a small terra cotta saucer sunk into the substrate instead. These only cost about $1. Get a few of them. Use one for food and one for water, and change them out for cleaning as needed. Don't give the tortoise any excuse for not liking its water bowl.
5. You don't say what size that tank is, but it looks small. You need at least a 40 gallon, 36x18inches, to give the baby enough space to roam and also have a thermal gradient. I clip branches from grape vines, mulberry trees, lavatera bushes and any other edible plant for the babies to hide in until the enclosure plants get going and offer more cover.
6. Better if the hide is dark and opaque instead of clear plastic.
What kind of plant is in that enclosure? Is that the kind that propagates and needs little to no lighting?
 
Top