Brand new Russian tortoise mommy HELP

[molly.b]

 

[dannylozano10]

Lol I am too! and I'm not quite sure what that stuff is sorry

 

[Tom]

Molly, please read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

What is in those two lighting hoods?

Your tortoise needs a much larger enclosure and a humid hide.

Few tortoises will eat those pellets plain. You need to mix in one single soaked pellet with the greens for the day.

I would grow the food separately and then cut as much as you need to feed to him. Trying to grow the food in the enclosure will likely result in trampled sprouts. Some people grow the food in trays that fit into a depression in the substrate. Then they rotate the trays in and out as needed. Be careful with the soil. Some have dangerous additives.

 

[Tom]

We'd need to see the ingredients to answer your question. Growing things in the enclosure with the tortoise will usually not work as the new plants will e trampled or eaten.

I answered this in your other post more thoroughly.

 

[molly.b]

The plant is trapped away so he isn't able to get to it, also he has the lamp that came with the reptile cage they said it's a basking lamp and a night time lamp....the cage stays about 90 degrees during the day with 30% humidity.

 

[Tom]

The plant is trapped away so he isn't able to get to it, also he has the lamp that came with the reptile cage they said it's a basking lamp and a night time lamp....the cage stays about 90 degrees during the day with 30% humidity.

Molly, you need to read those threads above.

Russians usually don't need night heat, and you can't use the same heat source for daytime basking where they need light, and night time heat where they need dark.

90 degrees where? There are four temps you need to know and control. Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low.

30% humidity is too low. Sounds like you need to make some adjustments.

Its all explained in the care sheet.

 

[molly.b]

The nighttime is lower heat and it's not bright at all

 

[Tom]

The nighttime is lower heat and it's not bright at all

I don't want to argue with someone who doesn't want my help. Please just let me know if you would prefer I leave you alone, or if you would like me to continue trying to help you and your tortoise.

 

[molly.b]

I am very sorry I did not mean to come across to you as rude. I was only trying to explain to you what the light was like. I need your help as much as possible considering the fact that I went to a pet store and bought a tortoise thinking that I was very capable of caring for a tortoise because the pet store let me to believe that my sweet babytortoise would be perfectly fine and comfortable in a tiny little tank with a nightlight in a day light . And I would've never known any different because I've never known anyone that had a tortoise. I plan on making an enclosure much bigger for him as soon as possible. If you could please just tell me how many lights I need and what kind of bulbs I need I would truly appreciate it

 

[molly.b]

The whole tank is 90° because it's such a small tank there's no way to get two different temperatures and it's 30 inches. And I was so dumb to believe the pet store when they said that the reptile tank would be big enough I even asked why it didn't have tortoise is listed on the tank list of different reptiles that could go in it

 

[molly.b]

Also how do you change bedding in an open top enclosure , i'm currently talking to someone who is going to come and build it and I wanted to see how it's going to be able to keep humidity? Do you prefer a mulch that's damp for the whole enclosure? Or is bark better?

 

[molly.b]

I guess I'm just confused on how heat Will stay in the enclosure if it's open

 

[gamera154]

it will be warmer the closer it is to the light and cooler the farther away it is you need a cool side and a warm side so your little guy dosent overheat

 

[Tom]

I am very sorry I did not mean to come across to you as rude. I was only trying to explain to you what the light was like. I need your help as much as possible considering the fact that I went to a pet store and bought a tortoise thinking that I was very capable of caring for a tortoise because the pet store let me to believe that my sweet babytortoise would be perfectly fine and comfortable in a tiny little tank with a nightlight in a day light . And I would've never known any different because I've never known anyone that had a tortoise. I plan on making an enclosure much bigger for him as soon as possible. If you could please just tell me how many lights I need and what kind of bulbs I need I would truly appreciate it

You weren't rude at all. Sometimes I get pushy with the info and some people don't want it or like it. I was just making sure that was not the case here.

 

[Tom]

If you could please just tell me how many lights I need and what kind of bulbs I need I would truly appreciate it

If your house satays above 60-65 at night, then you only need one single heat lamp for day time and no night heat.

If your tortoise gets regular sunshine in a safe enclosure outside, then all you need is a 65-100 watt flood bulb in a ceramic based lighting dome and set on a timer, so the tortoise can warm up when its in its inside enclosure. If your tortoise dose not get regular sunshine, then use a Powersun mercury vapor bulb instead of the regular hardware store type flood bulb.

 

[Tom]

Also how do you change bedding in an open top enclosure , i'm currently talking to someone who is going to come and build it and I wanted to see how it's going to be able to keep humidity? Do you prefer a mulch that's damp for the whole enclosure? Or is bark better?

I prefer fine grade orchid bark for adult russians and coco coir for babies. You don't need a lot of humidity for an adult russian. Damp substrate and a humid hide should get it done.

To change the bedding, I just scoop out the old stuff with a dustpan and dump in the new stuff, but I only change the bedding when I moving the old tortoise out and bringing a new one in to that enclosure. I don't change the bedding any other time.

You can always use a closed chamber for russians and just let it be a little drier in there than you would for a species that needs a "monsoon season" simulation.

 

[Tom]

I guess I'm just confused on how heat Will stay in the enclosure if it's open

It won't. You don't need it to for a russian. They just need a basking light for them to warm up under.

 

[molly.b]

I've been searching all over here looking for a good enclosure that will be big enough yet not too big to where there's no room in the room. Also one of my daughter cannot put her hands into and here is some that I've been looking at my uncle is going to come build it. Unfortunately I live in Ohio so it's way too cold to take the tortoise outside

 

[molly.b]

R
Most likely I would make one of those sides plexiglass half the way up so that my daughter can look in and see the tortoise. I really like the idea of having that little ramp and I thought about making it longer than it is wide

 

[molly.b]

I really like the little Built in hideout with an. Opening up top that I can open up and get him out. If I went with something looking like this where would I put his basking lamp?