Advice on my Beginner enclosure/ should I keep my WC tort

daynatorty

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Feb 22, 2020
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Hi my name is Dana and I am from Savannah,GA. I recently purchased a Russian from PetSmart on an impulse. Which I regret knowing that my tort is probably WC. I still love him, but is it okay for me to keep him if he is WC? Can I give him a good life? Or should I take him back? ( I don’t want to). He has been eating and walking around a lot and interacts with us he seems healthy. Anyway I am posting his enclosure below and I will greatly appreciate any criticism and tips. I really just wanna give my tort the best care possible . ( His temps are 90,83 and 73)
A1B3D655-6441-4072-8CD4-20D2D7343318.jpegF0A5F6D0-3788-4899-A597-D4816FD32310.jpegF214F9F2-4DC0-47E1-9073-0FDAF97D13D5.jpeg802653C4-EC1D-4944-8ACC-ED0A77BC8315.jpeg
 

ZenHerper

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Hi my name is Dana and I am from Savannah,GA. I recently purchased a Russian from PetSmart on an impulse. Which I regret knowing that my tort is probably WC. I still love him, but is it okay for me to keep him if he is WC? Can I give him a good life? Or should I take him back? ( I don’t want to). He has been eating and walking around a lot and interacts with us he seems healthy. Anyway I am posting his enclosure below and I will greatly appreciate any criticism and tips. I really just wanna give my tort the best care possible . ( His temps are 90,83 and 73)

If you take him back to the store, they will just offer him for sale to someone else. So there's that.

The enclosure seems small for full-time (Russians walk...and walk...and walk...and walk). Is that moss? Not a fan of it personally (it may cause blockages if a smaller tort munches on it a lot). Humid hides for Russians are easier to maintain since you don't need a soaked Tropical level for adults, just keep the substrate moist. Be sure to take your temp and humidity readings at shell-height, and consider investing in the probe-type units that are far more accurate than the sticky-strips (most do temp and humidity together, and have probe cords long enough to customize position).
Forex: https://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-02067M-Digital-Thermometer-with-Wired-Temperature-Probe/402227678

Him living with someone who's already obsessed with his well-being won't be so bad. =))

*offers donuts*
 

daynatorty

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Feb 22, 2020
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Georgia
If you take him back to the store, they will just offer him for sale to someone else. So there's that.

The enclosure seems small for full-time (Russians walk...and walk...and walk...and walk). Is that moss? Not a fan of it personally (it may cause blockages if a smaller tort munches on it a lot). Humid hides for Russians are easier to maintain since you don't need a soaked Tropical level for adults, just keep the substrate moist. Be sure to take your temp and humidity readings at shell-height, and consider investing in the probe-type units that are far more accurate than the sticky-strips (most do temp and humidity together, and have probe cords long enough to customize position).
Forex: https://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-02067M-Digital-Thermometer-with-Wired-Temperature-Probe/402227678

Him living with someone who's already obsessed with his well-being won't be so bad. =))

*offers donuts*
Thank you!
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Of course you should keep him. But please read our care sheets shown at the tops of the Russian section. Your enclosure needs some tweaking. Also, the UVB rays can't penetrate through the screen top you have over the enclosure. (You DO have a UVB light, right?)
 

daynatorty

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Feb 22, 2020
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Georgia
Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Of course you should keep him. But please read our care sheets shown at the tops of the Russian section. Your enclosure needs some tweaking. Also, the UVB rays can't penetrate through the screen top you have over the enclosure. (You DO have a UVB light, right?)
Thanks for the advice :)
And the tube light is UV. Should I get a different fixture and take the top off ?
 

Maro2Bear

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Wild Caught, captive bred...megh, looks like a great looking Russian. One thing i would do is sink your water dish down into the substrate so it is even or even lower than “level” ground. This way your tort will walk over & down inside for a drink or soak. Their shell doesnt permit an easy up & over for a drink the way u have the dish.

You might want to get a better temp gauge too. Those trmp strips don’t work well for tort enclosures.
Check out AccuRite gauges from Walmart or Lowes or HomeDepot. Gauges with remote probes work much better.
 

bouaboua

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Hello and Welcome to the forum. Good to have you here and nice looking torts you have there. Welcome.
 

Randy Micheals

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Hey welcome! You are concerned and caring, and you found your way here, which imo is two big pluses for the quality of life your tort will have!

Totally understand your feelings towards WC, but you can take some joy in giving him the best captive life possible! Number one is definately a bigger living space with lots of space to wander. They are always curious, so good to break sight lines and keep them exploring. Good luck! ?
 

Cathie G

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Hi my name is Dana and I am from Savannah,GA. I recently purchased a Russian from PetSmart on an impulse. Which I regret knowing that my tort is probably WC. I still love him, but is it okay for me to keep him if he is WC? Can I give him a good life? Or should I take him back? ( I don’t want to). He has been eating and walking around a lot and interacts with us he seems healthy. Anyway I am posting his enclosure below and I will greatly appreciate any criticism and tips. I really just wanna give my tort the best care possible . ( His temps are 90,83 and 73)
View attachment 287026View attachment 287027View attachment 287028View attachment 287029
Hello. I have a Russian too. Even though he was probably wild caught too I'm still glad I didn't send him back. I didn't understand that at the time I bought him. You found the TFO right away. They can help you give him a beautiful life. Even though it seems like a lot to learn at first, Russians are probably easiest. And they are sooo much fun!
 

Archie's mom

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Hi Dana, I have a Russian too and I love him to death, got him at Country Max, probably wild caught cuz he's always trying to escape. Went for a "walk" once and was gone for 9 days! When I found him I was so excited, he was sunning himself in a patch of sun in our woods. When I said his name he drew in his legs and turned the opposite way to run, felt bad "locking him up" again. What I've found with my guy is to give him lots of space and make his enclosure a playground for him, lots of climbing stones and light(drift) wood he can push around and even a ping pong ball with plenty of substrate to dig in. I change it up every few weeks too to give him verity, he loves it!
 

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