Eating habit issues!

[littleleo]

My 3 month old tortoise was used to eating a mixture of foods like orchard grass, tiny portion of cucumber, hay, and cactus but last week I was able to take him outside given the beautiful sunny days. However, the weather has been fluctuating and it is too cold for him to be out. But now he doesn't want to eat his food. I think he got used to being able to graze grass outside. I have been bringing grass in but he doesn't seem to want it in that way either. What do you recommend me for feeding him now when I can't take him outside and he refuses to eat the other things? I fed him tortoise food today and a Mazuri pellet but he barely wants to eat that either. /: I'm stuck with my little one!

 

[Tom]

What are your four temperatures? Warm side, cool side, basking area and over night low?

What equipment are you using to achieve those temps? UV? What type? Any red or infrared bulbs?

 

[littleleo]

Tom: These are being used. basking is at ~100-105. all around during the day its about ~84-88 and at night it stays around ~76

 

[Robber]

Tom: These are being used. basking is at ~100-105. all around during the day its about ~84-88 and at night it stays around ~76

That seems like a pretty low wattage night bulb to keep it warm enough at night(unless it is a very small enclosure), but 76 isn't too bad if that is accurate(I would shoot for a little closer to 80).

Sometimes it can throw them off for a few days when you change their routine; could be as simple as that.

 

[Yvonne G]

Leopard tortoises will eat grass, however, they much prefer broad-leaf plants and weeds. Get your temperatures set up correctly, then offer broad leaf weeds instead of grass.

 

[Tom]

The fluorescent fixture is fine. I'd swap the spot bulb out and replace it with a flood. The 15 watt night light probably isn't doing much and I prefer to have it dark at night anyway. I would use a CHE controlled by a thermostat to maintain ambient temps day and night. Once you do that, try keeping the little guy just a few degrees warmer at night, and see if that helps the appetite.

Are you soaking daily?

Also try offering some endive or escarole, mulberry or grape leaves, dandelion, or some of the broadleaf plantain he was eating in the picture above. I've observed the same thing as Yvonne that most leopards don't much care for grass, even though some will eat it sometimes.

Also, how long have you had him, and what was he eating before you got him? Where did you get him? This will give us clues about how he was started.

 

[littleleo]

He's in a 15 gallon tank right now. Going to switch to a 20 or probably bigger once I get my apartment. So should I do a 25 W night light? And I don't know what a flood is or a CHE. I got him at Amazon Reptile Center in Montclair. They weren't taking proper care of them. Species were mixed (leopard and Greek). They were feeding him romaine lettuce everyday. That's all. And they had sepia bones in the tank but honestly I don't think mine ever ate any. Poor thing. I feel so bad but I just want to get him on the right track without hurting him or making him sick.

 

[littleleo]

And I do soak him everyday. For about 25-30 minutes. I usually take him out once he starts "climbing" out. And his humidity levels tend to range from 66-97. I mist when it goes down.

 

[littleleo]

Also, I bought him March 26. So still getting used to him

 

[littleleo]

I bring him dandelions and leaves and the broad leaves but he only picks at them and then doesn't touch them after. Same goes for outside at times. He approaches ones, gets like 2 bites out of it and then moves on to another one or something else.

 

[JoesMum]

I bring him dandelions and leaves and the broad leaves but he only picks at them and then doesn't touch them after. Same goes for outside at times. He approaches ones, gets like 2 bites out of it and then moves on to another one or something else.

Torts are great at being picky. A hungry tort will eat! Soak him twice daily while he's holding out for what he wants and he will give in. You have to be strong, they have amazing stubbornness!

 

[Alexio]

Mine love dandelion greens, and collards greens too every once and a while . I try to feed mine grass they seem to like the African grazer mix , but they do seem to be fonder of the greens and weeds. It's possible he's not fully digesting at night if he's not getting fully warmed up. Is he active through out the tank? My experience is 15 and 20 gallon tanks are just too small for tortoises because it's hard to get a good gradient with your temperatures. Ceramic heat emitters are the way to go for night heat for leopards I use them in all my enclosures on thermostats.

 

[littleleo]

He's very active in the morning and throughout the day. It's too cold right now to take him out so I've been bringing things in. And I know 15 is too small. It's just a temporary thing because I live in like a shoebox at the moment until I can lease my apartment. So in that case should I up the watts and change my 15 bulb to a 25 one?

 

[Tom]

He's in a 15 gallon tank right now. Going to switch to a 20 or probably bigger once I get my apartment. So should I do a 25 W night light? And I don't know what a flood is or a CHE. I got him at Amazon Reptile Center in Montclair. They weren't taking proper care of them. Species were mixed (leopard and Greek). They were feeding him romaine lettuce everyday. That's all. And they had sepia bones in the tank but honestly I don't think mine ever ate any. Poor thing. I feel so bad but I just want to get him on the right track without hurting him or making him sick.

I would suggest a minimum of 40 gallons for his tank.

25 watts, is likely not going to be much different than 15 and it still does not solve the darkness problem.

A flood bulb is like a spot bulb, but the light is not concentrated in such a narrow beam. The light and heat is spread out over a greater area. You can find them in 6 packs at the hardware store.

CHE = Ceramic Heating Element. Like this:

They also come in black. The color does't matter. These "bulbs" screw in to the same ceramic based dome that you are already using and they give off all heat and no light. You will need a thermostat to automatically turn it on and off for you, depending on the temperature. When the temperature drops, the thermostat will turn the power on to the CHE. When the temperature is warm enough, the thermostat will shut the heater off. Thermostats are ver easy to set up and use. Just plug the thermostat into the wall, and plug the CHE into the thermostat. Then set the dial for the temperature you want, check it, and adjust the dial if needed. Here are two thermostat that I use and like:
http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller
https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/MTPRTC

Sounds like your guy had a poor start. Nothing you can do about that now. Best to focus on doing everything correctly now and hope that he makes it through.

Have you read these?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[littleleo]

I would suggest a minimum of 40 gallons for his tank.

25 watts, is likely not going to be much different than 15 and it still does not solve the darkness problem.

A flood bulb is like a spot bulb, but the light is not concentrated in such a narrow beam. The light and heat is spread out over a greater area. You can find them in 6 packs at the hardware store.

CHE = Ceramic Heating Element. Like this:
View attachment 171503
They also come in black. The color does't matter. These "bulbs" screw in to the same ceramic based dome that you are already using and they give off all heat and no light. You will need a thermostat to automatically turn it on and off for you, depending on the temperature. When the temperature drops, the thermostat will turn the power on to the CHE. When the temperature is warm enough, the thermostat will shut the heater off. Thermostats are ver easy to set up and use. Just plug the thermostat into the wall, and plug the CHE into the thermostat. Then set the dial for the temperature you want, check it, and adjust the dial if needed. Here are two thermostat that I use and like:
http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller
https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/MTPRTC

Sounds like your guy had a poor start. Nothing you can do about that now. Best to focus on doing everything correctly now and hope that he makes it through.

Have you read these?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Oh okay got it! I'll look into that further. So 80 should be a set temp throughout the night? Thank you so much for the help!!!

 

[Alexio]

Yeah I would think of 80 as a good night low point I usually shoot for 80-85 but there will be some variance depending on size of enclosure and distance from heat emitters.