Aquarium's are pricy $$$

[LoganValentine]

I have a new Russian and for now I have to keep him in a smaller pen which I know is quite small... But I am saving up for a massive aquarium... Is it alright to keep him in the smaller one for now?

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Logan

How big is your Russian? You measure the straight carapace length like this
http://www.tlady.clara.net/measure.htm

A photo will help us as well.

Russians are very active and, if your Russian, is much bigger than a baby then no aquarium will have a big enough floor area.

A larger Russian needs a minimum of 4' x 8' (1.5 x 2.2metres floorspace) An old bookcase with the shelves knocked out, and lined with pond liner before putting in the substrate, makes a good tortoise table for a larger tortoise. It's much cheaper too!

Have you read the care sheets for Russians properly yet?

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

And if you have a baby, Baby Russian Care
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

 

[wellington]

You will do much better to build a 4x8 then to put all that money in an aquarium. I think you would have to special order one the size an adult Russian needs, 4x8 and that's the minimum. Even purchasing a few large plastic tote boxes and joining them together end to end will cost a lot less. There are some nice portable greenhouses that make great enclosures and will cost you around a 100 bucks or less.

 

[Yvonne G]

You're correct, aquariums ARE pricey! It's much cheaper to buy a plastic tub or a water trough.

 

[Eric Phillips]

Try Craigslist if you don't have Bob the Builder around.

 

[LoganValentine]

I happen to have a friend who can make me an aquarium for about 20 bucks but it will take him a week to make until then is it ok if i keep my tortoise in a smaller aquarium? I will let him walk around the room whenever I am home.

 

[JoesMum]

I happen to have a friend who can make me an aquarium for about 20 bucks but it will take him a week to make until then is it ok if i keep my tortoise in a smaller aquarium? I will let him walk around the room whenever I am home.

If your tortoise is out of its enclosure it is away from the heat, UVB and humidity it needs to be healthy.

There is also a high risk of your tort being stepped on (we had one on this forum only a couple of weeks ago ) or escaping. You only have to be distracted for a moment.

The final risk is that your tort will eat something it shouldn't; they're not very bright. Hair and dust bunnies will impact in the gut and brightly coloured things look food to torts whether or not they actually are.

So the answer is no, a small aquarium and roaming free round your home is not good for your tort and is not recommended.

You still haven't said how big your tort is. Please tell us and we can help you come up with an affordable solution that will work for you and your tort.

 

[Tom]

I happen to have a friend who can make me an aquarium for about 20 bucks but it will take him a week to make until then is it ok if i keep my tortoise in a smaller aquarium? I will let him walk around the room whenever I am home.

Please give these a read:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Your tortoise should never be loose on the floor.

An adult russian needs at least 4x8 feet of floor space. This is not a practical size for an aquarium as it would be WAYYYYYY too heavy. Just get a full sheet of plywood and put 16-18 inch tall sides on it. Prime and paint it, let it dry and air out for a week with a fan on it, then move it in and set it up for your tortoise. Put legs on it if you like.

Your tortoise should never be loose on the floor. It is not safe. Many tortoises get sick, injured or dead that way every year, and every single person was sure it was safe and they were watching very closely. Just don't risk it.

 

[LoganValentine]

OK but how can I keep my tortoise in a safe place that will not injure him and keep him happy until I get my aquarium?

 

[JoesMum]

Again: How big is this tortoise? Please tell us!

We can't tell you what you need until we know!

This is how to measure the length of your tortoise
http://www.tlady.clara.net/measure.htm

 

[jptv]

Hi Logan, you may use a large rabbit cage or garden bed.

 

[domagoj]

Please listen to all of the suggestions you received. That rabbit cage idea is not bad. Just get the biggest one you can. Also I don't know why you are so persistent on getting an aquarium( at least that's my impression). If your tort is smaller than 2 inches an aquarium should be fine for some time, but I would still go straight for the table.

 

[JoesMum]

If an aquarium is too small then so is a rabbit cage in all likelihood . Keeping the humidity up and getting the lighting in one is hard too.

We still need to know the size of this tortoise

 

[TerraTheRussian]

I have a Russian and I traded in my large aquarium for a table. The table os more spacious and has better air flow. He is much happier now.