Carapace give

Tom · Oct 18, 2017

What size is your tortoise? What size enclosure is he in?

You live in AZ. Your tortoise should have a safe outdoor enclosure for fair weather and you should put him outside for at least an hour a couple of times a week. If he's large enough, he can live outside full time with a heated night box for shelter and a burrow for summer.
No purple night bulbs. Use a CHE on a thermostat. Like this: http://www.lllreptile.com/products/36-zoo-med-150-watt-ceramic-heater on a thermostat like this: http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller
Compact florescent bulbs are not effective UV sources and some of them burn reptile eyes. I wouldn't use them. Use a long tube type bulb. Aracadia makes the best ones: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com
You don't need indoor UV if your tortoise gets outside once in a while. Here are some enclosure ideas: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-enclosures.121732/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/simple-sunning-enclosure.104351/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/
Please take a moment to read the threads that Joe's Mum linked for you. All of this and much more is explained in there. Your tortoise especially needs improvement in the diet. You are feeding the wrong foods. This, in combination with the lack of UV, can cause the problems you are seeing and eventually kill your tortoise.

Tortski · Oct 18, 2017

Tom said:
What size is your tortoise? What size enclosure is he in?

You live in AZ. Your tortoise should have a safe outdoor enclosure for fair weather and you should put him outside for at least an hour a couple of times a week. If he's large enough, he can live outside full time with a heated night box for shelter and a burrow for summer.

No purple night bulbs. Use a CHE on a thermostat. Like this: http://www.lllreptile.com/products/36-zoo-med-150-watt-ceramic-heater on a thermostat like this: http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller

Compact florescent bulbs are not effective UV sources and some of them burn reptile eyes. I wouldn't use them. Use a long tube type bulb. Aracadia makes the best ones: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com

You don't need indoor UV if your tortoise gets outside once in a while. Here are some enclosure ideas: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-enclosures.121732/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/simple-sunning-enclosure.104351/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/

Please take a moment to read the threads that Joe's Mum linked for you. All of this and much more is explained in there. Your tortoise especially needs improvement in the diet. You are feeding the wrong foods. This, in combination with the lack of UV, can cause the problems you are seeing and eventually kill your tortoise.

The last I measured him he was 1 foot 7 by 11 inches. That was about a month or two ago. Too small, another reason for the outdoor cage.

I'm already have the stuff in the cart so I can fix that stuff. As fpr the wrong foods, I am trying to change it, but he is being picky and the only way I can get grass in him is by stuffing peppers with it. I will try to shorten up on the fruit intake. We usually give it too him when we are out of greens, and when he refuses to eat them.

For the outdoor cage we have been planning on setting him out side when the temp is right and bringing him indoors every night. He also likes to eat rock and dog poo if I let him out at the moment. (I do try to keep him from eating any, but I've been much more successful at keeping him from eating rocks than the dog poo.) I would be a lot more successful on the dog poo if they didn't do it where the grass is so it's hidden from me.

Tom · Oct 18, 2017

Tortski said:
The last I measured him he was 1 foot 7 by 11 inches. That was about a month or two ago. Too small, another reason for the outdoor cage.

I'm already have the stuff in the cart so I can fix that stuff. As fpr the wrong foods, I am trying to change it, but he is being picky and the only way I can get grass in him is by stuffing peppers with it. I will try to shorten up on the fruit intake. We usually give it too him when we are out of greens, and when he refuses to eat them.

For the outdoor cage we have been planning on setting him out side when the temp is right and bringing him indoors every night. He also likes to eat rock and dog poo if I let him out at the moment. (I do try to keep him from eating any, but I've been much more successful at keeping him from eating rocks than the dog poo.) I would be a lot more successful on the dog poo if they didn't do it where the grass is so it's hidden from me.

Two things:
1. At 19" your tortoise needs to live outside full time. He needs a heated night box, and his own section of the yard where the dogs don't go. Here is an example of the type of night box you need and how to heat it. Perhaps this could be a project for you and a family member or friend to work on: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
2. Your tortoise is eating rocks because he's not getting what he needs in his diet. Your strategy of mixing grass with the old favorites is perfect. Keep doing that, and you can keep using romaine or other favorites for this purpose too. Eventually, you want to get him eating mostly grass, weeds and leaves of the right type. Once you get this going, the rock eating will stop. Read the thread on feeding for other items to feed. I go to Phoenix every year, and there are mulberry trees all over the place there.

Something else you can do right away is provide grass hay. Your tortoise is big enough to eat it now. You can feed all of these other things on a bed of grass hay. Find a god spot on the grass, drop a big wad of grass hay, and plop the rest of the day's food right on top of it. After a couple of weeks of getting used to the smell and texture of the grass hay, your tortoise will probably start eating the hay all by itself. You can buy or scrounge bermuda grass hay or orchard grass hay and places that sell horse stuff.

Another thing you ought to be doing in your climate is feeding him a lot of spineless opuntia cactus pads. Its great tortoise food. High in calcium, fiber and water, and it balances out the dry grass hay very well. Now that winter is coming, I'm going to have to cut back my cactus stands a bunch. I can send you some older, more mature pads for planting if you want. It is really easy to do. No charge for this. Just check with the parents first, and then send me a mailing address in a "Conversation". I'll tell you how to plant them later. Alternatively, you can buy opuntia pads in any Mexican grocery store. They are usually labeled "Nopales". We have Vallarta and Tres Sierras Markets here. Don't know what you have there, but look into it.

Tortski · Oct 18, 2017

Tom said:
Two things:
1. At 19" your tortoise needs to live outside full time. He needs a heated night box, and his own section of the yard where the dogs don't go. Here is an example of the type of night box you need and how to heat it. Perhaps this could be a project for you and a family member or friend to work on: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
2. Your tortoise is eating rocks because he's not getting what he needs in his diet. Your strategy of mixing grass with the old favorites is perfect. Keep doing that, and you can keep using romaine or other favorites for this purpose too. Eventually, you want to get him eating mostly grass, weeds and leaves of the right type. Once you get this going, the rock eating will stop. Read the thread on feeding for other items to feed. I go to Phoenix every year, and there are mulberry trees all over the place there.

Something else you can do right away is provide grass hay. Your tortoise is big enough to eat it now. You can feed all of these other things on a bed of grass hay. Find a god spot on the grass, drop a big wad of grass hay, and plop the rest of the day's food right on top of it. After a couple of weeks of getting used to the smell and texture of the grass hay, your tortoise will probably start eating the hay all by itself. You can buy or scrounge bermuda grass hay or orchard grass hay and places that sell horse stuff.

Another thing you ought to be doing in your climate is feeding him a lot of spineless opuntia cactus pads. Its great tortoise food. High in calcium, fiber and water, and it balances out the dry grass hay very well. Now that winter is coming, I'm going to have to cut back my cactus stands a bunch. I can send you some older, more mature pads for planting if you want. It is really easy to do. No charge for this. Just check with the parents first, and then send me a mailing address in a "Conversation". I'll tell you how to plant them later. Alternatively, you can buy opuntia pads in any Mexican grocery store. They are usually labeled "Nopales". We have Vallarta and Tres Sierras Markets here. Don't know what you have there, but look into it.

Okay thanks for the tips. One thing he loves is cactus, which we usually get at a Mexican place like you said. Unfortuantly my parents don't go there often, so he doesn't get much. As for you giving me the cactus, thanks, but my parents aren't happy with me talking to people on here, so I doubt they would be happy with that. I will look for that stuff when I get stuff to plant in there.

Grandpa Turtle 144 · Oct 18, 2017

Tortski said:
Okay thanks for the tips. One thing he loves is cactus, which we usually get at a Mexican place like you said. Unfortuantly my parents don't go there often, so he doesn't get much. As for you giving me the cactus, thanks, but my parents aren't happy with me talking to people on here, so I doubt they would be happy with that. I will look for that stuff when I get stuff to plant in there.

Why are your parents less then happy about you talking with us ? We are all respectful people that enjoy our torts . And want to help people with their torts . We are from all around the world . We aren’t trying to get you to buy anything . And a lot of us are Evan from Az . [emoji217]

Tom · Oct 18, 2017

Tortski said:
Okay thanks for the tips. One thing he loves is cactus, which we usually get at a Mexican place like you said. Unfortuantly my parents don't go there often, so he doesn't get much. As for you giving me the cactus, thanks, but my parents aren't happy with me talking to people on here, so I doubt they would be happy with that. I will look for that stuff when I get stuff to plant in there.

I understand. I am a parent too.

Look around at friends, neighbors and family members houses. Cactus are pretty common, and with permission, all you have to do is cut pads off and stick them in the ground to start a new plant. Most people would be happy to let you cut off some pads.

Wear heavy rubber gloves to stop the little glocchids when you handle the pads. Leather gloves will not work at all.

Tom · Oct 18, 2017

Tortski said:
Okay thanks for the tips. One thing he loves is cactus, which we usually get at a Mexican place like you said. Unfortuantly my parents don't go there often, so he doesn't get much. As for you giving me the cactus, thanks, but my parents aren't happy with me talking to people on here, so I doubt they would be happy with that. I will look for that stuff when I get stuff to plant in there.

You can always just buy them, but its a lot easier and free, if you get some of your own cactus growing.

Tortski · Oct 19, 2017

I think we will try to find some to plant, I have no idea where to look though

Sent from my VS987 using Tortoise Forum mobile app

Bee62 · Oct 19, 2017

Have a look at that page. Opuntia Cactus is the name you must search for. Mayby here you find more plants that you can feed your tort.

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/cacti-succulents/

Tortski · Oct 19, 2017

Bee62 said:
Have a look at that page. Opuntia Cactus is the name you must search for. Mayby here you find more plants that you can feed your tort.
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/cacti-succulents/

Thank you

Tortski · Oct 19, 2017

Thank you all for putting up with me. This week has just been one bad thing after another. It really means a lot that you guys have put up with me.

Tortski · Oct 19, 2017

You know what? I think I already have the right kind in my yard. I usually don't look at the different plants we have, so I wasn't sure, but with bee's post it seems it's the right one!

Tom · Oct 19, 2017

Tortski said:
You know what? I think I already have the right kind in my yard. I usually don't look at the different plants we have, so I wasn't sure, but with bee's post it seems it's the right one!

Post a pic!

Tortski · Oct 19, 2017

Tom said:
Post a pic!

It's not letting me post one. It looks the same as the one on the website bee put a link to

JoesMum · Oct 20, 2017

Tortski said:
It's not letting me post one. It looks the same as the one on the website bee put a link to

The Android app is having problems. You should be fine from the browser version of TFO

Bee62 · Oct 20, 2017

Tortski said:
Thank you all for putting up with me. This week has just been one bad thing after another. It really means a lot that you guys have put up with me.

Stay with us here on the forum. We will all help you as much as we can. You can speak about your troubles too. No problem.

Tortski · Oct 20, 2017

JoesMum said:
The Android app is having problems. You should be fine from the browser version of TFO

I will get it up when I can. Thanks

Tortski · Oct 20, 2017

Bee62 said:
Stay with us here on the forum. We will all help you as much as we can. You can speak about your troubles too. No problem.

I wasn't going to leave. I just know that with all of this stuff that I'm making it harder to work with me than usual

Tortski · Oct 20, 2017

If it doesn't work this time, then I give up

zovick · Oct 20, 2017

Tortski said:
If it doesn't work this time, then I give up

Don't give up! I can see the image. That looks like the edible opuntia cactus to me.

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