Alright, let me get this straight.

Mikaive

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2020
Messages
8
Location (City and/or State)
Eugene
I'm going to get a Russian tortoise hatchling soon and I just need to make sure I have the husbandry correct, because the research that I have done online is very mixed and not firm on some aspects of husbandry.

The enclosure: (L x W x H) 4' 3' 1', 2 hides, eating tile and water dish, some rocks and sticks to climb on for recreation

Substrate: either orchid bark or 70:30 mix of play sand a straight up top soil with out fertilizer (depends if I want to have live plants if I go the play sand/top soil route)

Humidity: 50-60% and one of the hides is around 80%

Heat: ambient is around mid 80's and basking spot is around 95 degrees Fahrenheit

Lighting: A HO t8 or t5 uvb strip (need some suggestions on which light is best)

Bathing: 20 minutes of soaking with warm water every day

Food: Kale, the usual lettuces, squash (the leaves, the flowers and the squash itself), dandelion leaves and flowers, turnip greens, mustard greens and collard greens, (I will switch up his diet every now and then).

Calcium: dust the food lightly about 3-4 times a week

Outside time: should I even give the tort outside time when their a baby? If so I did make a little outdoor enclosure for the tort and I would plan on giving the tort about an hour and a half every 2 days of the week if the weather permits.

Am I forgetting anything? Should I tweak something?Thank you for taking the time to read this
 

Srmcclure

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Joined
Mar 10, 2020
Messages
1,791
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma city
I dont have a russian, but don't do ANY sand or top soil. Sand is an impaction risk and can kill your tort, and you never know what other things they put into top soil. Stick to orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir.

Also, russians need A LOT of room. If you can, go BIG with the enclosure. The size your looking at won't last very long.
 

Blackdog1714

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5 Year Member
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Jul 30, 2018
Messages
4,666
Location (City and/or State)
Richmond, VA
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/suggested-guide.173138/ and https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
I have a very healthy and grumpy Russian that is 3 years old now thanks to this care sheet. I went from Zero reptile knowledge to not scaring myself to sleep everynight with WHAT AM I DOING! I used a 65 gallon rubbermaid for the first year and space was fine. The key is a closed chamber with DIALED IN HEAT, LIGHT, AND HUMIDITY. I grew plnats in mine for weeks first to give me a safety margin. Good Luck and ask your seller how they are raising them- Warm/Humid environment our is Exactly how they live in the wild. Babies need heat and humdity-with each type of toroise being just a little different and TFO it has discussed and researched each for years. Not perfect knowledge, but darn good enough to give me a healthy tort. The Russian attitude is often grumpy and that is what makes them so special.
 

Rogue097

Member
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
20
Location (City and/or State)
Tennessee
Hi! If you want live plants (I have some in cypress mulch) you can just sink a little starter pot mostly into the mulch. That way he can’t trample it plus you can still have them growing in soil. Also check out the tortoisetable website/app for food and what plants he can have in the enclosure, it’s helped me a lot. But other people on here will help you way more! I’ve learned so much more going through these threads :)
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I'm going to get a Russian tortoise hatchling soon and I just need to make sure I have the husbandry correct, because the research that I have done online is very mixed and not firm on some aspects of husbandry.

The enclosure: (L x W x H) 4' 3' 1', 2 hides, eating tile and water dish, some rocks and sticks to climb on for recreation

Substrate: either orchid bark or 70:30 mix of play sand a straight up top soil with out fertilizer (depends if I want to have live plants if I go the play sand/top soil route)

Humidity: 50-60% and one of the hides is around 80%

Heat: ambient is around mid 80's and basking spot is around 95 degrees Fahrenheit

Lighting: A HO t8 or t5 uvb strip (need some suggestions on which light is best)

Bathing: 20 minutes of soaking with warm water every day

Food: Kale, the usual lettuces, squash (the leaves, the flowers and the squash itself), dandelion leaves and flowers, turnip greens, mustard greens and collard greens, (I will switch up his diet every now and then).

Calcium: dust the food lightly about 3-4 times a week

Outside time: should I even give the tort outside time when their a baby? If so I did make a little outdoor enclosure for the tort and I would plan on giving the tort about an hour and a half every 2 days of the week if the weather permits.

Am I forgetting anything? Should I tweak something?Thank you for taking the time to read this
All of your research has led you to a mix of good and bad info...

A hatchling will do best in a closed chamber. Its much easier to maintain the correct conditions that way. Open tables are only good if the room temp and humidity, are what your tortoise needs.

No sand, no soil. Coco coir is best for babies, and orchid bark is best for adults.

Humidity is not critical. Damp substrate and a humid hide should give your baby what it needs to make its own humid microclimates.

You temperatures sound good. I like to let the overnight low drop to 68-70 ish for testudo babies.

The is no T8 HO. Only T5s in the HO variety. More on lighting later...

I like to soak for 30-40 minutes. 10 minutes is enough. 120 minutes is not too much.

Food: Stay out of the grocery store. You need broadleaf weeds, leaves, flowers, etc... Not lettuce. If you must use grocery store foods, like in winter when there is snow outside, you'll need to supplement the foods with mix ins.

Calcium: A tiny pinch twice a week and/or cuttle bone.

Outside time: YES! Make a safe and secure enclosure, be sure there is lots of shade, watch the temperature closely, and let the baby see the sun. Your time frames sound perfect for a baby. More outside time for a growing juvenile or adult.

I re-did the care sheet that blackdog linked. Here is the new version:
 
Last edited:

Maro2Bear

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Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
All of your research has led you to a mix of good and bad info...

A hatchling will do best in a closed chamber. Its much easier to maintain the correct conditions that way. Open tables are only good if the room temp and humidity, are what your tortoise needs.

No sand, no soil. Coco coir is best for babies, and orchid bark is best for adults.

Humidity is not critical. Damp substrate and a humid hide should give your baby what it needs to make its own humid microclimates.

You temperatures sound good. I like to let the overnight low drop to 68-70 ish for testudo babies.

The is no T8 HO. Only T5s in the HO variety. More on lighting later...

I like to soak for 30-40 minutes. 10 minutes is enough. 120 minutes is not too much.

Food: Stay out of the grocery store. You need broadleaf weeds, leaves, flowers, etc... Not lettuce. If you must use grocery store foods, like in winter when there is snow outside, you'll need to supplement the foods with mix ins.

Calcium: A tiny pinch twice a week and/or cuttle bone.

Outside time: YES! Make a safe and secure enclosure, be sure there is lots of shade, watch the temperature closely, and let the baby see the sun. Your time frames sound perfect for a baby. More outside time for a growing juvenile or adult.

I re-did the care sheet that backlog linked. Here is the new version:

Trust in Tom!
 
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