BIT OF A CHANGE

[barnsleysime]

so, this tomorrow i am going to be making changes to Marvin's house.

this is how it currently looks.

by tomorrow it will have different substrate and live plants, a different water "bowl", basically all change.

watch this space.

 

[Yvonne G]

I would also work at making the ramp longer so the grade isn't so steep.

 

[barnsleysime]

I would also work at making the ramp longer so the grade isn't so steep.

that IS part of the plan to be honest. might even seal the right hand "door" and build up the substrate where the housebrick is to the level of the basking spot.

 

[barnsleysime]

so, been to see the supplier today and had a nice chat, remembered to ask how old Marvin is today (12 months), and we talked about substrate.
i WAS going to put something in that i can moisten and help with humidity. HE said no. keep Marvin on the beech chips that i have, the water will provide the moisture.
now the reptile centre is handily next to a garden centre, so i have had a visit and bought hime a few plants. he has, for mint, thyme, violet and lambs lettuce, again, all pre checked that they were safe and appropriate. if they work/last, there'll be a few more added.

i have built up the substrate so it is a lot deeper, got rid of the steep ramp and made a graduated one up to his upper platform and basking spot where there is a lovely bit of natural Yorkshire slate for him. also a much better water dish.
also got him a cuttlefish for his beak (not gonna stop with the calcium powder)

once i sorted it out, i put him back in, he had a wander then climbed INTO the violets, left him for a bit, then i thought i would encourage him to at least know he can get up to his basking spot easier. wandered around up there for a bit, having a nosey, then he ate some mint!
not a big deal normally, but this is the first food i have witnessed him eating since he came home. i know he HAS eaten, but the first i have seen.
he had a nibble at the cuttlefish, and knows he can come down from the upper level as well.

so all in all, i am happier, Marvin seems happier. that's a good day for us today.

ah yes, photos... (bear in mind there ARE doors on! this was post improving)

 

[Tom]

The pet shop person is giving you old, out-dated, incorrect advise about the dry substrate, and probably other things as well. Its not good for babies to be on dry substrate in a dry environment.

Also, the plants you mentioned are not toxic plant, but all the nurseries over here grow them with systemic pesticides. Did you make sure to ask about this? If the plant is not intended for human consumption, it is likely grown with toxic chemicals to keep it looking pretty and bug free for market.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I would be careful of using plants straight from the garden center you don't know what pesticides and chemicals might have been used to grow it.

 

[barnsleysime]

The pet shop person is giving you old, out-dated, incorrect advise about the dry substrate, and probably other things as well. Its not good for babies to be on dry substrate in a dry environment.

Also, the plants you mentioned are not toxic plant, but all the nurseries over here grow them with systemic pesticides. Did you make sure to ask about this? If the plant is not intended for human consumption, it is likely grown with toxic chemicals to keep it looking pretty and bug free for market.

cheers, i washed them thoroughly before hand. we've always bought our plants there, and never had an issue with any of our smaller family members.

 

[barnsleysime]

I would be careful of using plants straight from the garden center you don't know what pesticides and chemicals might have been used to grow it.

cheers, i washed them thoroughly before hand. we've always bought our plants there, and never had an issue with any of our smaller family members.

 

[Lyn W]

cheers, i washed them thoroughly before hand. we've always bought our plants there, and never had an issue with any of our smaller family members.

Washing is OK for the leaves but what about what's been absorbed by the plant. I was advised to re pot bought plants in chemical free soil and wait for up to a year to grow out any pesticides etc that may have been sprayed on them. Tortoises have slow metabolisms and toxins can build up in them rather than pass through then eventually cause problems and can make your tort very sick so it makes sense to wait. If you know of anyone with safe chemical free plants then ask for cuttings.
Beware of what pet shops or even reptile shops tell you - the shop assistants rarely keep tortoises themselves so aren't up to date with their information.
I would always follow the advice here, which I know is from people with experience of keeping tortoises and who genuinely only have the health and safety of torts at heart.

 

[barnsleysime]

Washing is OK for the leaves but what about what's been absorbed by the plant. I was advised to re pot bought plants in chemical free soil and wait for up to a year to grow out any pesticides etc that may have been sprayed on them. Tortoises have slow metabolisms and toxins can build up in them rather than pass through then eventually cause problems and can make your tort very sick so it makes sense to wait. If you know of anyone with safe chemical free plants then ask for cuttings.
Beware of what pet shops or even reptile shops tell you - the shop assistants rarely keep tortoises themselves so aren't up to date with their information.
I would always follow the advice here, which I know is from people with experience and who genuinely only have the health and safety of torts at heart.

appreciate that, and always welcome great advice, but also understand that the guy doesn't just work at the shop, he breeds. our dragons came from him, were set up as advised and have been fit and healthy for years. (until Stumpy passed. Spike still going strong) he's always been my first port of call for any questions.
but, as i say, appreciate all input. i shall take what you say under consideration. thanks.

 

[TechnoCheese]

appreciate that, and always welcome great advice, but also understand that the guy doesn't just work at the shop, he breeds. our dragons came from him, were set up as advised and have been fit and healthy for years. (until Stumpy passed. Spike still going strong) he's always been my first port of call for any questions.
but, as i say, appreciate all input. i shall take what you say under consideration. thanks.

Believe us, if he’s telling you that that substrate is okay, then his tortoise info isn’t great. If the plants came from somewhere where you know that they have not been chemically treated, or have been in chemically treated soil, then it’s fine to keep them there. But if they came from a hardware store, then I would definitely take them out, and wait a year before putting them back in. It’s not worth the risk.

 

[barnsleysime]

good lord, not a hardware store!
it is a very respected nursery. to MY knowledge they've never used pestisides. as i say, dragons, cats dogs and rabbits have enjoyed their wares on various levels.

 

[Tom]

good lord, not a hardware store!
it is a very respected nursery. to MY knowledge they've never used pestisides. as i say, dragons, cats dogs and rabbits have enjoyed their wares on various levels.

I don't know how it works over in the UK, but here all the nurseries, garden centers, and commercial growers that supply the local nurseries all use systemic pesticides. These are absorbed into the plants tissues and cannot be washed off. I was not aware of this until another member here who works at a commercial nursery told me.

It is worth an ask. That is all we are saying.

 

[barnsleysime]

I don't know how it works over in the UK, but here all the nurseries, garden centers, and commercial growers that supply the local nurseries all use systemic pesticides. These are absorbed into the plants tissues and cannot be washed off. I was not aware of this until another member here who works at a commercial nursery told me.

It is worth an ask. That is all we are saying.

oh indeed. i'm not disagreeing. and THIS is precisely why i came here.

 

[eternalnewb]

I like the changes you made to Marvin's enclosure, but I would have stuck with your original plan to change the substrate to something you can moisten and that Marvin can dig in. My Russian is 6yrs old now and from the time he was 2 months old I have had deep substrate that I kept moist so he could dig. I have used coco coir, jungle mix and now for the last couple years I have been using peat moss always kept deep and moist. Russians are diggers, and my tort has always loved to burrow and dig, I could often see him digging from one end of the enclosure to the other. His favorite day is when I dump a pitcher of water in and moisten the substrate, he immediately digs himself a burrow. I can't imagine wood chips would be very nice to dig in. It is a nice enclosure and you have a very cute little tort but think about giving him something to dig in.