Hello Everyone!

MisterElrond

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Jun 13, 2014
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Columbus, Ohio
My name's Julia, I'm from Ohio, and I just got my first tortoise a couple of weeks ago! He's a 15 year old Russian I named Richard. He used to spend his time going on trips to educate children with the owner of the shop he lived in so I like to think of his move in with me as his retirement.

Apparently the little guy has lived in a 20 gallon long tank his entire life, so that's what I have for him now but it's such a small space and so sad looking. I'm planning on making him a tortoise table next week since that's what people seem to recommend for indoor tortoises. If you have any advice on setting that up it would be greatly appreciated!

Attached: Richard playing around outside
 

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G_Vincey

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Hey Julia, congrats on your new tortoise and welcome to the forum..

He sounds like a nice calm, well educated Tort who deserves his early retirement..

Now about your indoor enclosure..

The recommended size is 4ft by 2ft and maybe 1ft deep.. Of course this is big, so people tend to use Rubbermaid tubs or wooden tables..

I would say make it as big as possible.. What are the dimensions of your 20gallon tub?

What lighting do you have?
What substrate are you using?
The size of your enclosure will effect your temperature gradients.. Are your temps ok?

What do you want to know exactly?
A plan on how to make it?
Or
How the set up should be in general?

When you say "this is Richard playing outside" is that in a secure outdoor enclosure or is he free roaming in the garden?
I ask, so that I can understand whether he will be mostly in an outdoor enclosure or the indoor?
 

MisterElrond

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Location (City and/or State)
Columbus, Ohio
The tank is only 30" x 12" x 12" but if I disassemble the tank stand I should have about just enough for the recommended size, I might only have to go a few inches shorter in any direction.

Since it's a small tank it's a small lamp, I'd have to dig out the box to check exactly what it is. I know I'd have to get something bigger for his new space. Based on the information I was given his temps are okay in the tank now, though because it's short the cooler side is a bit warm. The substrate in the tank now is crushed walnut shell.

I've seen a lot of plans and they seem pretty simple, I'm more concerned about the actual set up, substrate, lighting, any plants that would be good in there, that sort of thing. A lot of what I've found online for that is for different breeds, and I wanna make sure it's ideal for a Russian.

I live in an apartment complex so I can't set up an outdoor shelter for him at all right now. I just take him out and watch him in the flower beds on nice days so he can get some exercise.
 

G_Vincey

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Ok the first thing I would recommend is reading the care sheets and relevant threads on this forum specifically for Russians.. I found them really helpful..

When you say tank, do you mean like a fish tank/vivarium? If so, they are not ideal due to a lack of sufficient airflow, humidity problems and the glass is not ideal either.. I wouldn't suggest converting your current tank unless you can do it without encountering the 3 problems I just mentioned..
Therefore, go with an open top table and if your happy with your dimensions use them and adjust accordingly..

You say "its a small lamp" but does your bulb emit uvb rays? If not you will need to get a uvb light ASAP..
What kind of lights are you using and how many? Heat lamp, UVB/UVA lamp, mercury vapour bulb?

His basking temp should be between 90*-95* F with a gradient down to around 75*-80* I believe and a cooler end with a hide..

Humidity should be around 60-70, possibly 80 I'm hoping someone else will chyme in on this as I can't remember of the top of my head.. But humidity is important and if not adjusted correctly can cause problems with respiration as well as pyramiding problems.. Do you know your humidity levels?

To be completely honest with you,
I have never heard or read of using crush walnut shells.. I'm not saying it is wrong as I truly don't know, but I would guess that is hard to keep moist. You don't want a completely bone dry substrate.. Most people on this forum prefer 100% coconut coir, although elsewhere the most popular substrate appears to be a mix of around 80%/90% organic top soil and 10%/20% play sand.. Although if you go with sand there are impaction risks which @Tom on this forum has some interesting insights and has seen enough evidence to probably sway your mind on it..

As for plants in the enclosure; I can't help you, that is a section I am still exploring myself.. However, please be careful about the type of plants you use, make sure they have no pesticides, herbicides and all that nonsense in them and make sure they don't contain toxins that may harm Richard.. Someone on here gave me a really useful website on plant selection and identification, I will try and look that up for you..

That's good, I'm glad you get him out in the sun.. If you cannot provide an outdoor enclosure atm, you are stuck in the same boat as me.. In order to make up for this I have tried to make his enclosure as big as possible and as accommodating as possible, for eg, my Russian is 6 months old, So maybe 2/12 inches long, and he has a 75cm sq enclosure, which I find is big enough for him; he moves a lot more then he did in his 70cm x 35 cm x 20 cm enclosure, which he hardly did.. So that maybe something to consider.. I hope I have been able to help you..
 
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MisterElrond

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Columbus, Ohio
I trusted the man I bought it from's directions more than I probably should have, I had just read a lot of conflicting things online. The more research I do the more I realize how unfitting his enclosure is, and I'll probably even move up making the table since I'm getting concerned about the health effects living like that. I have no plans to convert the tank itself.

The lamp is kind of like this one: http://www.petsmart.com//-zid36-5195504/cat-0-catid-0?green=CE641BEB-C1A9-50C6-9F51-51A2821CE2EF
two bulbs, one UVB.

I will have to check the humidity. I have a gauge that came with my temp ones but haven't used it since I was told as a desert tortoise I wouldn't have to really worry about it because low humidity was better.

You've been very helpful, thank you! I will try and find some of the guides on this site and check those out too.

I do have one more quick question related to health. I've been looking into exotic vets near me just in case, and I was wondering if with reptiles it's the same as with other pets and they should go for semi-regular check ups, or if it's only normal to take him when something seems wrong?
 

G_Vincey

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Hey don't worry, the amount of times I read that a customer was mis told information upon sale and even mis sold things..
When I first started, I had pure sand, then pellets as substrate, and it was awful, all because what the pet store had told me.. One week later while shopping in a different pet store, I had to tell an employee about how to answer a customers question on trimming nails because he didn't know, yet he worked in the reptile section, yet I had only been reading info for a week.. Sorry well off topic but it just goes to show, my next tort is coming from a highly recommended breeder..

Back to this..

Yes the info online is very contradicting to say the least.. Best bet is to read all the information and filter through what you seem relevant and based upon what experienced (not me) people would recommend, in comparison to a petco care sheet for example..

As far as your light goes, it seems to be suitable enough for Richard, especially as you take him outside every day, but it says in the ad, a 7W uvb bulb, mine is 60W and I thought that was low end of the spectrum, but then mine is an MVB so I'm guessing differences apply.. However, the lights seem ok, hopefully someone with experience with these lights can confirm..
Can I just ask, it's not a coil bulb Isit? Because they can cause damage to the torts eye..

Yeah, that was my assumption when I first got my Russian.. Humidity is important, and I'm sure you will read about it, although it is more skimmed over in guides compared to food, lighting and temps etc.. You can also do a search on this forum in the 'russian section' to see previous threads about it.. I remember asking a question and even seeing a similar question posted ydai, so be sure to see what people have been saying..

Your welcome, anytime.. If I didn't have the people on here to help me, I'm sure my tort would be in a bad way right now, so to return the favour is always complimentary..

They say, by the time you realise something is wrong it could be too late but I can't confirm this as my tort is really young and hasn't become I'll thank God.. But when getting a new tort, you should take him to the vet to get fecal check and to check for parasites and worms etc... You can ask the vet when your tree how often to bring him.. But I read that it's around once maybe 2 a year if hibernating, again I can't confirm that as I do not know but as long as you look out for things like runny nose, soft shell, not eating, swollen eyes, you should be ok.. And unless it's an emergency, you can always post a picture on here with some questions and someone will help out and tell you if a vet visit is necessary.. I thought my torts eyes were swollen one day and asked on here and people said they looked fine, may just be a substrate issue, corrected the substrate and the eyes were fine.. No need for a vet visit..
 

G_Vincey

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Another thing, Russians love to burrow and is important for them to thermoregulate (I think that's the word) or in other words they need access to microclimates, so if it gets to hot they can escape underground, (especially if you mention that the cool end is pretty warm due to the size).. A hide in the cool end is of course beneficial, but I have two hides, one in the hot end and one in the cool end and he will still choose to burrow next to the hide rather than in it..

So, can your tort burrow in the walnut shells?
Like, he can dig in them no doubt, but when burrowed, is he benefiting from the cooler temps? See I use coconut coir and like soil it remains damper underneath, as does sand I suppose.. My assumption is, the walnut shells do not provide this..

Coconut coir, when bought in brick form can be relatively cheap, it is here in the UK so I'm guessing it must be relatively cheap in the US.. Put Richard on some of this or some organic top soil and he will absolutely love you for it...
Also when I was using the pellets as a substrate, which I assume are a similar surface medium as the walnut shells, It was advised to me that it could mess with the way he walks and make his feet or legs crocked or bent.. So you may want to make that one of your first changes..
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Julia, and welcome to the Forum!

Since your new tortoise is a full grown tortoise, the very best thing you could do for him is to build him a safe, escape-proof outdoor pen. Full grown Russian tortoises (any tortoise for that matter) belong outside.

The UV bulb you have is harmful to tortoise's eyes. I would not use that one.
 

MisterElrond

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Jun 13, 2014
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Location (City and/or State)
Columbus, Ohio
Thanks everyone!

I went out and got the coconut coir and a different uvb light today (one of the bar lights) and my roommate and I are about to start building the table. The walnut shells clumps up when it gets moist but doesn't really stay moist long enough for any burrowing. With the coconut, am I supposed to leave it in bricks and then just let him dig through or should I break it up when I put it in the habitat?

As I said before, I live in an apartment until I finish school so until I move back home I can't build him an outdoor space. For now I just try to take him out every day and watch him so he can run around the flower beds. I'd be a bit worried about leaving him out though even when I can eventually build one just because even in the summer Ohio can have the occasional cold day and we get a lot of coyotes up where my family lives.
 

G_Vincey

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With the coconut coir, you want to add approx 2.5-4.0 litres of warm water, leave it to stand for around 20 minutes and it will expand and become like soil.. Then you want to break it up and ring it out, so that there is no water leaking from it, then gently pat it down into the enclosure.. Not so much that it's compact but enough for him to walk on and burrow in..
 
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