Hello All, Introducing Philbert and Starlord

GeorgeS

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Mar 27, 2019
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brockton,ma
Hello, just recently found this forum after my fiancee and I received an Eastern Box Turtle and Russian Tortoise from her mother. We upgraded their indoor winter tank to a mix of topsoil, eco earth, and peat moss. Got them some hides, added some aloe plants I was already growing( gone already lol) . They are both 15ish years old i believe, Philbert (the boxie) and Starlord (russian tort). reptars.jpg
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome I am not sure you should be keeping them together. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me can answer that question.
 

TechnoCheese

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Welcome!
The previous reply was correct. These two are completely different, territorial species that need different care. They can also give each other a multitude of diseases because they are from different continents.
Species should never be mixed, and they need to be separated.

Also keep in mind that tortoises and box turtles can see both the color and the light of red lights, and it needs to be replaced with a white one.
 

GeorgeS

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brockton,ma
Welcome!
The previous reply was correct. These two are completely different, territorial species that need different care. They can also give each other a multitude of diseases because they are from different continents.
Species should never be mixed, and they need to be separated.

Also keep in mind that tortoises and box turtles can see both the color and the light of red lights, and it needs to be replaced with a white one.

Yeah everything i read and researched says to separate them as well. We just got them from my fiancee's mother less than a month ago and they've been housed together for over 10 years now. They will be going outside once it warms up more and i'll have two separate enclosures out there. Will have a different indoor tank for the Russian by next winter!
I had no idea about the red light, im glad i dont care for the red glow anyways lol
 

TriciaStringer

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Yeah everything i read and researched says to separate them as well. We just got them from my fiancee's mother less than a month ago and they've been housed together for over 10 years now. They will be going outside once it warms up more and i'll have two separate enclosures out there. Will have a different indoor tank for the Russian by next winter!
I had no idea about the red light, im glad i dont care for the red glow anyways lol
Just wanted to say I love your response to the suggestions.
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome, It seems you are open to good advice and you'll get lots of that here which will ensure your torts have an even better life with you and not just survive but thrive!
They will be happier apart because torts are solitary creatures and bullying by the dominant tort often occurs which means the one on the receiving end could be having a pretty miserable life, this is possibility even with same species.
You'll find very good caresheets for both species which will tell all about what diet they should have and the temps, substrate and humidity etc, - different species have different needs.
The Enclosures thread is full of great ideas, and the Beginners Mistakes thread will help you learn from other people's mistakes.
So read as much as you can and ask as many questions as you want there will always be someone around to help.
 
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