Finally! 2 weeks later we have the 55 gal

[H20nyxx]

She’s been exploring ever since. I know the hide is too small, I’m working on finding a bigger one (link recommended ones welcome!)


Note: I live in high desert and we take her outside 3-5 x a week and will be increasing that as possible without baking her. We will still be adding the recommended uvb blub shortly.

Any plant recommendations that I can consistently plant for her? Is a bio active tank okay for them? I couldn’t really tell on that specific point. Thanks!

 

[wellington]

I wouldn't keep that hill, it's a flipper ng hazard. No red bulbs either, it makes them want to eat things they shouldn't.
Wish you had come here before buying the aquarium, we could have suggested much cheaper and it would have lasted her to adulthood. This tank will not.
Pothos and boston ferns are okay.
You also need to put a tent like enclosure over the tank and hang all lights/heat inside to keep humidity at 80% so she doesn't pyramid.
An incandescent flood bulb for basking of 95-100
Tube fluorescent for uvb(not needed if you get her outside 3-4 times a week
Ceramic heat emitter for any added day heat needed and for night heat.

 

[H20nyxx]

I wouldn't keep that hill, it's a flipper ng hazard. No red bulbs either, it makes them want to eat things they shouldn't.
Wish you had come here before buying the aquarium, we could have suggested much cheaper and it would have lasted her to adulthood. This tank will not.
Pothos and boston ferns are okay.
You also need to put a tent like enclosure over the tank and hang all lights/heat inside to keep humidity at 80% so she doesn't pyramid.
An incandescent flood bulb for basking of 95-100
Tube fluorescent for uvb(not needed if you get her outside 3-4 times a week
Ceramic heat emitter for any added day heat needed and for night heat.

I didn’t buy it, it was gifted and I thought I made the slope gentle enough but thank you. This is why I posted it. As I stated before it is a TEMPORARY. I never expected it to last till adult hood as we are building her an outdoor environment (and the tank is at is at the 80/80 I followed the care instructions to the letter on that) but everyone has a different set up on enclosures like this which is why I’m posting. It does NOT have a red light, that is a plant light that as far as I was aware, wouldn’t hurt her. I also mentioned she gets lots of outdoor sun, and the light you probably think is “red” is the ceramic light. She has a variation of 84-92 so I must have misread that part and will adjust. But really, I promise the humidity is high; that’s the first thing I did for her when we adopted and I’ve been obsessive with it cause I found the page with the respiratory issues and I do not want to risk that at all..


Do you have a recommendation way to tent though, because I would like to have failsafes but I feel like plastic is dumb and foil would bake the tank. We are getting a cut acrylic lid also so advice before I send in the measurements is also appreciated. Thank you!

Edit: hill gone, finding more plants for said tank, and have adjusted the heating light

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Yea, I’m old.
If I had to walk down that hill to eat
I might as well just stay there.
Do you know how hard it would be for him/her to walk UP that steep hill with those skinny little legs 🦵?????
😭

 

[Chefdenoel10]

I see your post about fixing the hill.
Never mind what i said.
I just want YOU to be better prepared as a new parent than I was.
I have sooooo many regrets it’s not even funny.
I want you to have the life (for your tort) that I never gave to mine.
😭😭😭😭😖

 

[wellington]

I didn’t buy it, it was gifted and I thought I made the slope gentle enough but thank you. This is why I posted it. As I stated before it is a TEMPORARY. I never expected it to last till adult hood as we are building her an outdoor environment (and the tank is at is at the 80/80 I followed the care instructions to the letter on that) but everyone has a different set up on enclosures like this which is why I’m posting. It does NOT have a red light, that is a plant light that as far as I was aware, wouldn’t hurt her. I also mentioned she gets lots of outdoor sun, and the light you probably think is “red” is the ceramic light. She has a variation of 84-92 so I must have misread that part and will adjust. But really, I promise the humidity is high; that’s the first thing I did for her when we adopted and I’ve been obsessive with it cause I found the page with the respiratory issues and I do not want to risk that at all..


Do you have a recommendation way to tent though, because I would like to have failsafes but I feel like plastic is dumb and foil would bake the tank. We are getting a cut acrylic lid also so advice before I send in the measurements is also appreciated. Thank you!

Plastic is not dumb. That's what most everyone uses. The greenhouses work great. I will post pics. You can get one that will slip over the tank.

 

[H20nyxx]

I didn’t buy it, it was gifted and I thought I made the slope gentle enough but thank you. This is why I posted it. As I stated before it is a TEMPORARY. I never expected it to last till adult hood as we are building her an outdoor environment (and the tank is at is at the 80/80 I followed the care instructions to the letter on that) but everyone has a different set up on enclosures like this which is why I’m posting. It does NOT have a red light, that is a plant light that as far as I was aware, wouldn’t hurt her. I also mentioned she gets lots of outdoor sun, and the light you probably think is “red” is the ceramic light. She has a variation of 84-92 so I must have misread that part and will adjust. But really, I promise the humidity is high; that’s the first thing I did for her when we adopted and I’ve been obsessive with it cause I found the page with the respiratory issues and I do not want to risk that at all..


Do you have a recommendation way to tent though, because I would like to have failsafes but I feel like plastic is dumb and foil would bake the tank. We are getting a cut acrylic lid also so advice before I send in the measurements is also appreciated. Thank you!

Edit: hill gone, finding more plants for said tank, and have adjusted the heating light

My apologies I must adjust as I mistyped/read something idk exactly but we are getting the needed light on Friday. The “red bulb” is the ceramic heating one, sorry for the weird angle. Anything else I need to adjust? Thanks!

 

[H20nyxx]

I see your post about fixing the hill.
Never mind what i said.
I just want YOU to be better prepared as a new parent than I was.
I have sooooo many regrets it’s not even funny.
I want you to have the life (for your tort) that I never gave to mine.
😭😭😭😭😖

And I am grateful! I apologize if it comes off as anything other than that (yay autism). I absolutely want the best for Taffy and any info is greatly appreciated!

 

[H20nyxx]

Yea, I’m old.
If I had to walk down that hill to eat
I might as well just stay there.
Do you know how hard it would be for him/her to walk UP that steep hill with those skinny little legs 🦵?????
😭

So I got rid of it but she did crawl up and down it a few times before I did and seemed happy as a clam. I really did think I made it soft enough and thought she’d appreciate the varied landscape. My bad 😅

 

[H20nyxx]

Plastic is not dumb. That's what most everyone uses. The greenhouses work great. I will post pics. You can get one that will slip over the tank.
View attachment 373366View attachment 373367

Well ****. I stand corrected. Thank you very much. I will get one shortly

 

[H20nyxx]

I see your post about fixing the hill.
Never mind what i said.
I just want YOU to be better prepared as a new parent than I was.
I have sooooo many regrets it’s not even funny.
I want you to have the life (for your tort) that I never gave to mine.
😭😭😭😭😖

Would you kindly share some of your biggest regrets/learning experiences?

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Would you kindly share some of your biggest regrets/learning experiences?

Ummmm….🤔
My regrets….

Here goes :
All of the wrong stuff I used and did…

Lighting
Humidity
Housing
Food!!!!!!
Bowls
Water
Soakings
Flooring substrate
The list goes on and on my friend.
That’s why I want to help you not repeat the mistakes I have made.
My torts shell alone says a lot. It’s bumpy in places instead of flat and smooth. I think she has a cateract in one eye and now….
I see black stuff on her skin that I am being told could be …. MOLD!!
The water in my area has all kinds of bad things in it. (Lead and dangerous levels of arsenic!!! to name just a few)
Yea…. How would you like to find that out after it’s too late???
When I finally got a hold of Toms care sheet I tore through it in ONE NIGHT and have been sooooo much happier since.
Bladder stones are another concern I got under control and they have not come back

All our dear friends on here have gone through trial and error so they help us newbies BEFORE we 🤬 it up…😂
God bless each and every one of them!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

 

[H20nyxx]

Ummmm….🤔
My regrets….

Here goes :
All of the wrong stuff I used and did…

Lighting
Humidity
Housing
Food!!!!!!
Bowls
Water
Soakings
Flooring substrate
The list goes on and on my friend.
That’s why I want to help you not repeat the mistakes I have made.
My torts shell alone says a lot. It’s bumpy in places instead of flat and smooth. I think she has a cateract in one eye and now….
I see black stuff on her skin that I am being told could be …. MOLD!!
The water in my area has all kinds of bad things in it. (Lead and dangerous levels of arsenic!!! to name just a few)
Yea…. How would you like to find that out after it’s too late???
When I finally got a hold of Toms care sheet I tore through it in ONE NIGHT and have been sooooo much happier since.
Bladder stones are another concern I got under control and they have not come back

All our dear friends on here have gone through trial and error so they help us newbies BEFORE we 🤬 it up…😂
God bless each and every one of them!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you!

Honest to science, I haven’t even used anything BUT Tom’s guide. I am also getting a track by sheet as well so we can track all of her data; temp, humidity, etc. I do know she’s gained 20 grams in the time we’ve had her and it’s been “what does tortoiseforum say” if there are ANY questions. she’s been pooing consistent (big ones too for how tiny she is!) and her appetite is strong. We also got her a bunch of marble queen pothos and a maidenhair fern today.

I love her personality! You walk up to her enclosure are she starts bobbing her head and moving quicker towards you if she’s awake. Gods forbid if you wake her up though, such a grump!

 

[H20nyxx]

Ummmm….🤔
My regrets….

Here goes :
All of the wrong stuff I used and did…

Lighting
Humidity
Housing
Food!!!!!!
Bowls
Water
Soakings
Flooring substrate
The list goes on and on my friend.
That’s why I want to help you not repeat the mistakes I have made.
My torts shell alone says a lot. It’s bumpy in places instead of flat and smooth. I think she has a cateract in one eye and now….
I see black stuff on her skin that I am being told could be …. MOLD!!
The water in my area has all kinds of bad things in it. (Lead and dangerous levels of arsenic!!! to name just a few)
Yea…. How would you like to find that out after it’s too late???
When I finally got a hold of Toms care sheet I tore through it in ONE NIGHT and have been sooooo much happier since.
Bladder stones are another concern I got under control and they have not come back

All our dear friends on here have gone through trial and error so they help us newbies BEFORE we 🤬 it up…😂
God bless each and every one of them!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

And yes! I agree I am SOOOO GRATEFUL FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND THIS SITE! yay for fellow caretakers! (I can’t possibly consider myself an “owner” with how long lived they are if properly cared for, or is that dumb?) I hope to have a photo with this creature when I’m wrinkled and grey, and it’s still young with DECADES ahead of it.

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Thank you!

Honest to science, I haven’t even used anything BUT Tom’s guide. I am also getting a track by sheet as well so we can track all of her data; temp, humidity, etc. I do know she’s gained 20 grams in the time we’ve had her and it’s been “what does tortoiseforum say” if there are ANY questions. she’s been pooing consistent (big ones too for how tiny she is!) and her appetite is strong. We also got her a bunch of marble queen pothos and a maidenhair fern today.

I love her personality! You walk up to her enclosure are she starts bobbing her head and moving quicker towards you if she’s awake. Gods forbid if you wake her up though, such a grump!

Let’s just say…
ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS!!!!!!

POOPING NO MATTER THE SIZE IS …
A GOOOOOD THING!!!
Never get mad if she poops 💩

A sick tortoise is one that does NOT poop.

Till this day I am ALWAYS glad to see, clean up 🧽 and well… smell (from a distance) that my booger pants has poop waiting for me! I actually THANK her! 🤣

 

[Chefdenoel10]

And yes! I agree I am SOOOO GRATEFUL FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND THIS SITE! yay for fellow caretakers! (I can’t possibly consider myself an “owner” with how long lived they are if properly cared for, or is that dumb?) I hope to have a photo with this creature when I’m wrinkled and grey, and it’s still young with DECADES ahead of it.

While she/he is still young and can be carried why not take her for a
“Photo with Santa”? I used to do it!
It makes for a great Christmas card!!
And you’ll have the memories forever.
❤️