dry tortoise shell?

[Yingg]

hello, i've been periodically boiling small pesky bugs in the enclosure (there's like, nearly 100 i swear) and i realized i only have 1-2 inch of substrate between the pool lining and where i pour the water. to be honest i'm not too concerned bc i do it so rarely (every 2-3 month) and she doesn't... actively eat the substrate. it's only accidental chomps here and there. i'm investing in sticky tape traps tomorrow.

if the boiling water is a huge issue, i can do a replacement of the substrate. please let me know! thanks

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

What kind of bugs you get? Some of them can be beneficial (preventing mold growth, eating waste etc.)

Probably, if your tortoise is not in the enclosure when you pour boiling water - it should not be an issue (but check if pond liner can withstand high temperatures).

You can take substrate once in a while and bake it in the oven - this should be more effective. Also, many bugs colonize substrate when it's too damp - adding more water isn't helping in that sense.

Recommended substrate thickness is about 4-6" if enclosure height allows.

 

[Yingg]

What kind of bugs you get? Some of them can be beneficial (preventing mold growth, eating waste etc.)

Probably, if your tortoise is not in the enclosure when you pour boiling water - it should not be an issue (but check if pond liner can withstand high temperatures).

You can take substrate once in a while and bake it in the oven - this should be more effective. Also, many bugs colonize substrate when it's too damp - adding more water isn't helping in that sense.

Recommended substrate thickness is about 4-6" if enclosure height allows.

okay! i'm not sure what type of bugs they are. i can try to take a video, but they are genuinely tiny. some can fly.

you're right, they could be multiplying because it's damp. however this section was originally very dry when i first discovered the bugs. i will add more substrate (im thinking orchid bark)

 

[Yingg]

the liner is HDPE. when i pour water it isn't a crazy boil, but definitely hot. i'll avoid this from now on because HDPE seems to soften from 180f and up.

i'm going to buy orchid bark on amazon prime day. I think the ratio will be 3:1 orchid bark to coco coir. is this okay? I will take out the coco coir with the bugs.

To be more specific, this section of the enclosure has less substrate but the rest of her digging areas has more

 

[Yingg]

do you think it's still safe to use this pond liner after i poured boiling water on it?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

the liner is HDPE. when i pour water it isn't a crazy boil, but definitely hot. i'll avoid this from now on because HDPE seems to soften from 180f and up.

i'm going to buy orchid bark on amazon prime day. I think the ratio will be 3:1 orchid bark to coco coir. is this okay? I will take out the coco coir with the bugs.

To be more specific, this section of the enclosure has less substrate but the rest of her digging areas has more

3 parts of coir to 1 part of bark? Sounds ok. If 1 part coir to 3 parts of orchid bark then just using bark would be easier.

I guess liner is still fine to use.

 

[Yingg]

i think the bugs are mites... they don't fly and they're tiny.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

i think the bugs are mites... they don't fly and they're tiny.

Are these bugs white/grey and jumpy?

 

[Yingg]

Are these bugs white/grey and jumpy?

no, they're small and run very quickly. they're lighter than the black slate, but on a lighter surface appear black.

 

[Yingg]

no, they're small and run very quickly. they're lighter than the black slate, but on a lighter surface appear black.

To be honest i think i'm just going to tear apart the whole enclosure and then dump in new substrate. 1 layer of Coco coir on the bottom, 2 layers of orchid bark on top.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

They’re probably nothing concerning, all sorts of random bug life can start happening in the substrate, some even act as a helpful clean up crew, but to help keep population down, keep turning the substrate over, they’ll die down eventually

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

no, they're small and run very quickly. they're lighter than the black slate, but on a lighter surface appear black.

Do they float in water? Sounds like springtails to me if they do.

Soil and grain mites are round and slow moving. And less tolerable of dryer substrate than springtails.

Fast moving tiny orange round bugs are predatory mites: harmless to tortoise and hunting smaller bugs like springtails, other mites and roly-polies babies.

 

[Yingg]

Do they float in water? Sounds like springtails to me if they do.

Soil and grain mites are round and slow moving. And less tolerable of dryer substrate than springtails.

Fast moving tiny orange round bugs are predatory mites: harmless to tortoise and hunting smaller bugs like springtails, other mites and roly-polies babies.

i'm not sure if they float in water. How do you suggest i test this? I'm a bit scared of bugs... haha....

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

i'm not sure if they float in water. How do you suggest i test this? I'm a bit scared of bugs... haha....

Just pour some water over them. You'll see them floating on surface and then jumping and running away

 

[Yingg]

hi! can anyone please explain calcium supplements with d3 and without? I haven't given my tortoise calcium in a very long time. I will buy another one soon but i don't know which one to buy.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

1. To absorb calcium and make use of it, tortoise needs vitamin D3.
2. Tortoise can produce vitamin D3 in its skin when has access to natural sunlight or basking + UVB lamps.
3. If we suspect that UVB exposure is insufficient we can provide supplemental vitamin D3 with food. Dietary vitamin D3 is less effective but still better than nothing. E.g. in UK it's often recommended because sunlight UV index is low most time of the year.
4. There is a risk of overdose with dietary vitamin D3. However, it's not likely when low-D3 supplements are used (e.g. ZooMed Repticalcium).

If you don't have a good UVB lamp and tortoise spends less than 2-3 hours a week outside, I suggest you to get calcium powder with D3 and use it once a week (a tiny pinch, as with usual calcium powder).

Given that UV index in California is pretty high, you let your tortoise to go outside daily - you can use plain calcium powder without D3 + Mazuri pellets (they contain some vitamin D3 too).

 

[Yingg]

1. To absorb calcium and make use of it, tortoise needs vitamin D3.
2. Tortoise can produce vitamin D3 in its skin when has access to natural sunlight or basking + UVB lamps.
3. If we suspect that UVB exposure is insufficient we can provide supplemental vitamin D3 with food. Dietary vitamin D3 is less effective but still better than nothing. E.g. in UK it's often recommended because sunlight UV index is low most time of the year.
4. There is a risk of overdose with dietary vitamin D3. However, it's not likely when low-D3 supplements are used (e.g. ZooMed Repticalcium).

If you don't have a good UVB lamp and tortoise spends less than 2-3 hours a week outside, I suggest you to get calcium powder with D3 and use it once a week (a tiny pinch, as with usual calcium powder).

Given that UV index in California is pretty high, you let your tortoise to go outside daily - you can use plain calcium powder without D3 + Mazuri pellets (they contain some vitamin D3 too).

Thank you very much! recently, it's been way too hot and i worry about her overheating so she goes out every other day for 1.5hrs (before the sun sets. it's more shady.) Should i give her calcium with d3 this week and not for other weeks? or does it not really matter to that extent?

reminds me i need to buy another lamp. it's been 1 yr lol

she still won't eat mazuri!!

 

[Yingg]

she's been really picky this past month... mostly only eating romaine lettuce and frisée and some radicchio. and this week she's accepted hibiscus. i should probably force her to have mazuri, she's only had water this month!!

healthy poop though. past few weeks, i havent seen urates. is this concerning?

 

[Yingg]

oh my gosh... i was looking at the light and i must have misread the instructions!!! This WHOLE YEAR I've had the lamp 11-12 inches away from the ground... and the minimum was 15 inches away from the shell!! Ah, i feel so bad... I'm quickly making a wooden structure to raise it. What should i do?? do you think she could be sick??? oh no

 

[Yingg]

this is how it's looking ^^ about 18-20 inches above the ground for now.