Enclosure revamp!

[GreenE]

My first week being a tortoise parent and as I kept learning I realise the tortoise I rehomed has been sorely neglected. Not enough moisture, fed on mostly pellets, and terrible wood shaving and pellet substrate in her small enclosure.

Now, I can’t wave a wand and create the perfect tortoise home - if only I had all the money in the world she’d have an entire room! But I have managed to create a lot more space in there for her, better hidey holes and coconut coir substrate! She genuinely seems so happy with the change, rummaging round and exploring her new space.
More improvements to come, I am so happy with this upgrade !

 

[Yvonne G]

Very nice upgrade, and a great improvement over her old space. . . but I'm afraid I have to burst your bubble. It'd not nearly big enough! I see the tortoise down in the corner of the second picture and she looks like full grown. She needs maybe three or four times bigger than that, and even bigger would be better.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Looks much better!
A few suggestions:
1. Plain coir is a bad substrate for plants - too low in nutrients. You can use small flower pots buried in substrate and filled with organic soil (without perlite). This way you can replace plants easier and they will have better medium for growth. You can also fix plants to the walls to leave more walking space (e.g. using hanging storage pockets).
2. You can add another ramp on the other side of the "gallery" so she can circle around.
3. Tramp coco coir a bit - it will be easier to walk, will dry out slower and there will be less mess.

I would also recommend to replace the "all in one lamp" with an incandescent flood bulb for heat (Arcadia Solar Basking Floodlight or ProRep Flood Spot) and separate UVB lamp (Arcadia ProT5 or Reptile Systems EcoT5). In long-term this will be cheaper than replacing all-in-one bulbs every 6 months and will provide better heating and UV exposure. You will be able to set the lamps on different timers and adjust UVB level and basking area temperature independently.

 

[GreenE]

My first week being a tortoise parent and as I kept learning I realise the tortoise I rehomed has been sorely neglected. Not enough moisture, fed on mostly pellets, and terrible wood shaving and pellet substrate in her small enclosure.

Now, I can’t wave a wand and create the perfect tortoise home - if only I had all the money in the world she’d have an entire room! But I have managed to create a lot more space in there for her, better hidey holes and coconut coir substrate! She genuinely seems so happy with the change, rummaging round and exploring her new space.
More improvements to come, I am so happy with this upgrade !

She has already found her own way up there !

 

[GreenE]

Very nice upgrade, and a great improvement over her old space. . . but I'm afraid I have to burst your bubble. It'd not nearly big enough! I see the tortoise down in the corner of the second picture and she looks like full grown. She needs maybe three or four times bigger than that, and even bigger would be better.

Not full grown, she is 14cm, female horsfields can reach up to 20cm, only four years old - BUT it is absolutely my intention to build a much bigger enclosure for indoors, I just can’t make that happen right now

 

[GreenE]

Looks much better!
A few suggestions:
1. Plain coir is a bad substrate for plants - too low in nutrients. You can use small flower pots buried in substrate and filled with organic soil (without perlite). This way you can replace plants easier and they will have better medium for growth. You can also fix plants to the walls to leave more walking space (e.g. using hanging storage pockets).
2. You can add another ramp on the other side of the "gallery" so she can circle around.
3. Tramp coco coir a bit - it will be easier to walk, will dry out slower and there will be less mess.

I would also recommend to replace the "all in one lamp" with an incandescent flood bulb for heat (Arcadia Solar Basking Floodlight or ProRep Flood Spot) and separate UVB lamp (Arcadia ProT5 or Reptile Systems EcoT5). In long-term this will be cheaper than replacing all-in-one bulbs every 6 months and will provide better heating and UV exposure. You will be able to set the lamps on different timers and adjust UVB level and basking area temperature independently.

Thank you so much for these tips, better lighting and uv is next on my to do list ! I plan to slowly but surely upgrade until she has a much better life than before

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you so much for these tips, better lighting and uv is next on my to do list ! I plan to slowly but surely upgrade until she has a much better life than before

You are on the right track. Keep us updated! You can also check with us heating/lightning equipment before placing an order.

 

[GreenE]

Not full grown, she is 14cm, female horsfields can reach up to 20cm, only four years old - BUT it is absolutely my intention to build a much bigger enclosure for indoors, I just can’t make that happen right now

Edit: she’s 10cm from head to tail, 14cm is from toe to toe ie her walking width

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Well done for making some positive changes for her already that platform was a good addition!

 

[GreenE]

You are on the right track. Keep us updated! You can also check with us heating/lightning equipment before placing an order.

Definitely will do, this stuff is too expensive to be buying wrong stuff. I’m really hoping to be her healthy forever home. So glad I found this forum!

Well done for making some positive changes for her already that platform was a good addition!

This is the food pellets that previous owners gave me, is it any good? I’ve been reluctant to give her any as I want her to eat more fresh greens, which she is reluctant to do, mostly fed these pellets before

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Definitely will do, this stuff is too expensive to be buying wrong stuff. I’m really hoping to be her healthy forever home. So glad I found this forum!

View attachment 395341This is the food pellets that previous owners gave me, is it any good? I’ve been reluctant to give her any as I want her to eat more fresh greens, which she is reluctant to do, mostly fed these pellets before

Can you make a photo of the label with composition, nutritional value and such? I can't find it anywhere on websites. Other Komodo tortoise foods were okay to feed as supplements but not as good as Hikari Mulberific, Arcadia Optimized52 or Agrobs Pre Alpine.

 

[GreenE]

Can you make a photo of the label with composition, nutritional value and such? I can't find it anywhere on websites. Other Komodo tortoise foods were okay to feed as supplements but not as good as Hikari Mulberific, Arcadia Optimized52 or Agrobs Pre Alpine.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you!
The list of ingredients doesn't look good to me.
Oats, beet pulp and maize aren't good - you can see that sugars and starch make more than a half of contents (NFE 56%).

I would ditch these pellets in favour of fresh greens and better prepared foods (like ones I've listed above).

 

[GreenE]

Thank you!
The list of ingredients doesn't look good to me.
Oats, beet pulp and maize aren't good - you can see that sugars and starch make more than a half of contents (NFE 56%).

I would ditch these pellets in favour of fresh greens and better prepared foods (like ones I've listed above).

Okay thank you! I have a big garden so she has fresh daily weeds, grasses and flowers picked for her. Just doesn’t seem that interested yet. I have read tortoises can be stubborn with this

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Okay thank you! I have a big garden so she has fresh daily weeds, grasses and flowers picked for her. Just doesn’t seem that interested yet. I have read tortoises can be stubborn with this

Yes, they don't rush and eat unfimiliar foods. You have to slowly introduce new items. On the bright side, sometimes they "unlock an achievement" and start eating a whole new set of foods after trying only one of a kind.

 

[GreenE]

Yes, they don't rush and eat unfimiliar foods. You have to slowly introduce new items. On the bright side, sometimes they "unlock an achievement" and start eating a whole new set of foods after trying only one of a kind.

She finally ate some dandelion flower and leaves, after I tied them and hung from the side. Due to beak overgrowth, she find it hard to tear them. I’m going to find a vet with good tortoise experience to have an overall check up and proper beak trim.

 

[GreenE]

You are on the right track. Keep us updated! You can also check with us heating/lightning equipment before placing an order.

Is this any good? Is this company generally good? I need basking and uvb light

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Is this any good? Is this company generally good? I need basking and uvb light

Arcadia is a good brand. They have some "epic fail" products but also make the best UVB kits on the market.

For a Russian tortoise you need a strong source of UV and it would be Arcadia ProT5 kit. 22" (24W) is the smallest one, and while it's tad too long for the current enclosure, but still can be used. I would suggest to get Desert 12% kit but it should be placed at 18-20" over substrate (probably you will need two lamp stands or build a simple frame to hang it). If it's not possible - you can use Forest 6% kit placed at 11-12" above substrate (but, generally, it's better to have lights at greater distances).

Here is the link:

Arcadia Pro T5 UVB Kit - Desert 12%

Highly adaptable lighting kit producing UV-rich light Links up to multiple kits Fix inside a vivarium or place upon a wire mesh glass terrarium

www.reptiles.swelluk.com