A few questions from a new guy

[beanmachine]

I plan on getting a russian tortoise soon and I know that they are hardy pets, so I hope the supplies I have should be fine.

first of all, are there any breeders or reptile events around Dallas texas where I could buy a young Russian? I'd like to avoid pet stores.

Also, I have a large reptile aquarium (30-40 gallons, not sure) with a 75 watt heat lamp and a uv light. Will this be fine for a younger tortoise? I know the tank is a bit small, but it would get plenty of excersize time in my room and outside (under a watchful eye of course)

thoughts?

 

[Seiryu]

I plan on getting a russian tortoise soon and I know that they are hardy pets, so I hope the supplies I have should be fine.

first of all, are there any breeders or reptile events around Dallas texas where I could buy a young Russian? I'd like to avoid pet stores.

Also, I have a large reptile aquarium (30-40 gallons, not sure) with a 75 watt heat lamp and a uv light. Will this be fine for a younger tortoise? I know the tank is a bit small, but it would get plenty of excersize time in my room and outside (under a watchful eye of course)

thoughts?

The aquarium isn't the best for any tortoise. Some can get them to work, others like me, had a tortoise that constantly wanted out (because he could see out) and flipped.

If you get an juvie/adult russian, that tank will be FAR too small for it. If you get a hatchling, it might last 6 months or so? Or less if you see it constantly clawing at the tank walls. You could just build a "sandbox" type enclosure, that will cost you around $20 to make. Or convert a bookshelf (make sure the walls would be high enough).

Is the UV light, UVB or just UV? You need a bulb made specifically for reptiles that says it has UVB in it.

As far as walking around the room/house. I wouldn't recommend it. It can eat things you don't see, get impacted or die from eating nasty things. Taking it outside is great!

Hope this helps and you find the tortoise you are looking for!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I plan on getting a russian tortoise soon and I know that they are hardy pets, so I hope the supplies I have should be fine.

first of all, are there any breeders or reptile events around Dallas texas where I could buy a young Russian? I'd like to avoid pet stores.

Reptile show in Arlington July 24/25...THE ELKS LODGE 601 W. Pioneer Parkway, 76010...saw quite a few Russians at the last one, in May.

Also, I have a large reptile aquarium (30-40 gallons, not sure) with a 75 watt heat lamp and a uv light. Will this be fine for a younger tortoise? I know the tank is a bit small, but it would get plenty of excersize time in my room and outside (under a watchful eye of course)

A better choice (on-the-cheap, too) is a WalMart/Target plastic sweater/storage box (buy the largest you can find)...easier to clean, too.

thoughts?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi BeanMachine:

Welcome to the forum!!!

http://dfwturtletortoiseclub.blogspot.com/

This one's in Houston, probably too far away from you:
http://www.gctts.org/

and here's a whole list of shows in the D/FW area. Maybe there's one coming up soon.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...dallas/fort+worth&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

 

[beanmachine]

Thank guys! I will definitely be going to the Arlington one come the 24th. I liked the idea of the plastic tub, but what about a lid? I know that a lid isnt needed to keep the tortoise in, but how would i set up the uvb light and heat lamp? I guess i could use a piece of metal screen over the top...

 

[Laura]

hey New Guy.. welcome!
Russians are escape artists.. and can move fast.. I would not recommend outdoor time unless its in a secured enclosure.. Kiddie pools work great and you can frame chicken wire over the top for safety..
You can look for rescues in your area as well.. they are pretty common to be found in need of a new home.. wathc Craigs List in your area for them as well.

 

[earthyman71]

a great site to guide you as you move into the wonderful world of russians (i have 11!)

www.russiantortoise.org

 

[khanvict]

I plan on getting a russian tortoise soon and I know that they are hardy pets, so I hope the supplies I have should be fine.

first of all, are there any breeders or reptile events around Dallas texas where I could buy a young Russian? I'd like to avoid pet stores.

Also, I have a large reptile aquarium (30-40 gallons, not sure) with a 75 watt heat lamp and a uv light. Will this be fine for a younger tortoise? I know the tank is a bit small, but it would get plenty of excersize time in my room and outside (under a watchful eye of course)

thoughts?

Thank guys! I will definitely be going to the Arlington one come the 24th. I liked the idea of the plastic tub, but what about a lid? I know that a lid isnt needed to keep the tortoise in, but how would i set up the uvb light and heat lamp? I guess i could use a piece of metal screen over the top...

I am also in the dallas area and just went through the newbie processes of researching and getting a russian a few weeks ago and will share some basic info that you may take with a grain of salt as you do your own research and find what works best for you:

I could not find a russian anywhere here in this area from a breeder and ended up getting one from a petco in rockwall. They have a 14 day guarantee that if for any reason you decide not to keep the tortoise or if something is seriously wrong with it you can bring it back for a refund. I chose one based on the properties I read to look for; clear eyes, one that is more active than others, and responds to touch (even if that means being scared) and I am satisfied with my decision and tortoise. I may visit the arlington expo to find a buddy/mate for my tortoise as well but my point is I would not shy away from a pet store as an option if you know what to look for.

I think every (non pet store) opinion I have read is to not use the aquariums. Those tubs/bins are a good choice and if you need more ideas or suggestions visit the enclosures section on the forums. People use a lot of methods and styles and you can use the examples to generate a habitat that is suitable for the tortoise and one that fits within your abilitites and space. It was a great resource for me to view the different set-ups. I would not worry about having the perfect habitat off the bat as I've already adjusted mine several times finding out what the tortoise likes and needs.

I read it was easier and more cost-effective in the long run to get a mercury vapor bulb (one that combines both the uv light and heat lamp together). I was able to purchase one for $40. With this choice you only need one lamp socket and you were asking how to fix the lamps to the bin or enclosure, if you purchase a clamp lamp (i think a popular manufacturer you will find at the pet store is fluker) then it will cling to the edge of any surface. I would look for the clamp lamp that has a built-in dimmer because one thing I found difficult is how to find the appropriate distance to hang the lamp from. Just a few inches increases and decreases the temperatures and the amount of uv exposure a lot and having a dimmer gives you an advantage of decreasing the light if you have to mount the lamp at a distance that is closer than recommended to stabilize the temperature.

That was probably more info than you asked for but if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[Tom]

I read it was easier and more cost-effective in the long run to get a mercury vapor bulb (one that combines both the uv light and heat lamp together). I was able to purchase one for $40. With this choice you only need one lamp socket and you were asking how to fix the lamps to the bin or enclosure, if you purchase a clamp lamp (i think a popular manufacturer you will find at the pet store is fluker) then it will cling to the edge of any surface. I would look for the clamp lamp that has a built-in dimmer because one thing I found difficult is how to find the appropriate distance to hang the lamp from. Just a few inches increases and decreases the temperatures and the amount of uv exposure a lot and having a dimmer gives you an advantage of decreasing the light if you have to mount the lamp at a distance that is closer than recommended to stabilize the temperature.

It was all good advice up to this point. Two things:
1. You can't use a dimmer with MVB as they are self-ballisted like a flourescent bulb, sort of. It is not good for it and will drastically shorten the lifespan, and probably mess with the UV output too.
2. Most of us who have been doing it for a while have nearly burned down the house AND/OR killed an animal by clamping the lamps to the side of a container like that. They should be suspended directly over one end of the enclosure and will work best if you bury a flat rock, like slate or flagstone, so that the surface of the flat rock is roughly even with the surface of the substrate. Basking temp for a Russian should be right around 100 at the hottest point of the basking spot. I usually build things out of wood for this purpose or put the tub under a shelf somehow. Tortoisenerd has recommended an adjustable lamp stand a few times. You might PM her if you can't find what you need in a google search.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Welcome to the forum! So glad you are doing your research.

Rob had a great post. Please return the tank and spend a fraction of the amount building a wood tort table (build large and block off part so you can expand it as the tort grows) or a plastic tub (Rubbermaid, cement mixing tub, xmas tree bin, or Waterland tortoise tub). Tort enclosures should be large enough that the tort doesn't need to be let out for exercise. They should only be let out into secure outdoor enclosures, or their indoor enclosure. Roaming the house is too cold for them, dangerous, and doesn't have the hides and security of being their home to make them feel safe. Hatchlings especially look for safety before thermoregulation and food, meaning they will hide and feel safe before they will venture out to get food and warm up if they don't feel it is a safe area. When you have the tort outside, the reason you need an actual enclosure even if you are there watching is so that it isn't more than 2-3 times the size of their indoor enclosure (so they don't feel closed in when brough back home), and so they have a set up area with their hide and water and such that they are used to.

If your UV bulb isn't a Mercury Vapor bulb, I'd return it. Form what you say, I guess its a tube UVB light. The basking bulbs the stores sell to go with the tube UVB set up are overpriced. If you did go with a basking light + tube UVB, I'd just use a household light bulb. With that set up you might need a ceramic heat emitter too, as if you are using an adequately large enclosure, that isn't enough heat. MVBs are top of the line. Tube UVB bulbs put out a fraction of the UVB of a MVB. Coil UV lights were found to be dangerous in the past and frankly I just don't trust them. T-Rex and Mega Ray are the two best brands to get (they are actually the same bulb). You want a 100 Watt, plus a wide and deep ceramic socket hood fixture, plus a lamp stand, and a temp gun to measure temps (the PE1 is $25 for example). With a MVB it is heat, UVB, and light all in one, so unless the temps are below 60 F at night (adult tort) or 65/70 F at night (hatchling), you don't need anything else. If you have low night temps, buy a ceramic heat emitter with a fixture such as a cage fixture. These are ok to clamp to the enclosure if done in a safe manner (as opposed to a MVB which must be mounted with the bulb face parallel to the substrate).

My suggestion is to take your time and find both a captive bred tort (or an adoption) and a tort that is older than one year. Hatchlings are so fragile that even experienced owners can have a tough time keeping one alive. I think all the time how lucky I was that I didn't kill my hatchling that first year, being a first time owner, despite the research I had done my whole life leading up to getting a tort in my early 20s. Even with all the research, as a first time owner you will make mistakes, and hatchlings aren't as forgiving. That, and once you have some experience you can recognize signs of problems earlier. Missing one year of a tort's 50-100 years isn't bad at all, if it means you have a higher chance of it being happy and healthy. Many people also need to re-home their torts, so you can give one a loving home. Adoptions can be great for first time owners as almost always they are older torts. I recommend a vet check up with fecal test for parasites for all torts, regardless of background and age.

By the time you wait it out to find a good choice tort, you can have the enclosure set up more adequately. See russiantortoise.org From the top of my head you need: slate tile for food (dishes are tough for the tortoise to climb and slate is harder so it wears down the beak and nails), water dish (ramp or stairs is best, but you can make a paint tray or a plant saucer work), pure calcium supplement, hides (cardboard boxes or things with vertical sides are good for hatchlings so they don't climb and flip over; fake plants are also good if they can't be climbed; you want at least three hides so you can put them in different temperature zones), substrate (look at the following to see what you'd like to use and what you can find near you; the enclosure should allow for substrate twice as deep as the tort is long: shredded aspen, cypress mulch, orchid bark, organic potting soil, coconut coir; using at least part of the substrate as moist is recommended to prevent pyramiding, but Russians aren't very prone to pyramiding caused by lack of humidity, so I use shredded aspen), light/fixture/stand/thermometer/humidity gauge, find a local tort vet and have a fund set aside in case of medical emergencies, and plan out the tort's diet.

Read up on the importing of Russian torts and see if that is something you want to support or not. I strongly disagree with the practice of piling up torts in a crate from the wild and shipping them, where they arrive sick many times. Petco only sells wild caught Russian from what I know, despite what they tell you. They abide by the 4 inch law, and for a Russian to be over 4 inches it would be over 2 years old, so by then it would be more expensive and difficult to get.

I would look for adoptions, breeders, individuals on a forum, etc, and consider having one shipped. Although shows are a great place to get a tort, it is rare to get anything besides a very very young hatchling from there.

I 100% agree with Tom! Please be careful with MVBs. I posted a picture of how to set up a lamp stand with a clamp fixture once. Ideally you want a fail safe so that if it became unclamped from the stand, it wouldn't fall into the enclosure and start a fire. I have the cord looped so that it could hang from the cord and wouldn't fall more than a half inch or whatever if the clamp failed. My new fixture has a hook instead of clamping it, and I like it even better. My biggest fear in tort keeping isn't my tort getting ill, but fire. Fire is a fear of mine and add tortoise keeping with its hot bulbs and wood substrate (I use aspen), and you have to be very careful. I'm surprised someone using a dimmer on a MVB didn't have it blow out already. a main reason you use a lamp stand besides safety is so you can adjust the height as the room temperature changes.

With a plastic tub or wood tort table, unless you have pets you need to keep out (with which a screen top can't be relied on 100%), you don't need a lid. If you have pets, build a top out of hardware cloth or something that isn't so fine of a mesh that the UVB rays can't get through, and fasten or weight it down. The bulb can be mounted on a stand shining over the lid. Never set a bulb on a screen top. You need to adjust the height based on temp, and setting it on the lid (vs. fastening it) is dangerous.

Good luck!

 

[beanmachine]

Thanks for all the input, guys

I will most likely do the plastic tub idea and will make sure it's firesafe. Good thing is, i didn't buy this setup at a store, i got everything at a garage sale for 20 bucks lol. I sanitized the tank and will probably just sell it.

The UV light bulb has the chemical symbol "Hg" on it, so I'm assuming that means its mercury vapor, which means its UVB?? and the heat lamp is only 75 watts, so I'll get a 100 later on.

I also hadn't thought about how young the tortoises would be at the reptile expo. I bought two hatchling red eared sliders at an expo a long time ago, and they were dead within a week
I guess it would be a better bet to search craigslist or buy it at petco/petsmart.

Thanks again!