Hello! From me and my brand new baby 2 yr old torty :3

[octalfox]

So excited! ok this is my first time owning any type of tortoise but i have done alot of research over the past 3 months and finally found my perfect little tortie! He is a horsefield (we think he's a he!) and i got him from a garden centre/pet shop! So i know these places can sometimes be a bit dodgy but i tottally fell in love with him!, wonderd if you could let me know if he looks ok!? He's very active, eating plenty of veggies already! (only got him yesterday too!) He has his vivarium (i know tortoise tables are better but we have cut out alot of large vents in the top! for circulation of air) he has a UV light, his basking / heat light and a thermometer to check on the temp his basking side is currently at 28-32 degrees and im keeping a close eye, going to be getting a thermostat and also he has water, and a hide!, he is on A specialised tortoise substrate just for tortie's!

Wondering if he needs a bath because he had a bit of a mucky underside (plastron) when we got him yesterday, but unsure on whats the best way to do this without scaring him when i only got him yesterday!

He has been out his cage and running around the living room a couple times (wow he's fast!)

Is there anything else i should do/know to keep him super comfy and healthy? (i have calcium powder for tortys that i sprinkled on some dandilions yesterday he munched that down, he has also had dandilions and carrots today.... whats the best veg for a super healthy happy torty?)


nawwww isnt he so awesome and cute guys?


My name's Becca, My partner is Richard and torty doesnt have a name yet were deciding but suggestions might be nice?

Thanks and... Hi!

 

[octalfox]

Well i did write out like and essay of stuff and somehow it disapeared! Sooooooo.... here i go again....

My new baby... (he hasnt got a name yet) We bought him yesterday from a garden centre/pet shop, i know these arnt the best places to purches a tortie but i fell in love with him <3 I've been reading about tortie's for about 3 months and knew i wanted 1 since then! So i just wonderd if you could take a look (ill add some piccies) and from the info i give you advise/let me know of any improvements i can make for my little guy.

So, He has a vivarium (Large) i know they arnt ideal but i have cut a larrrrgeee hole throughout the roof and top sides to create ventilation, he has a basking/heat lamp a UV lamp, Water, tortoise food and dandilions and fresh carots finely chopped, i dusted his dandilions with calcium dust for torties yesterday and he eat them up! He has been out several time running around the living room floor! (wow he's fast lol) He is on a tortie specific substrate and has a hide away too! i have a thermometer monitoring temps (currently at 30c in the basking end) and i am planning on picking up a thermostat!

Just wonderd what veggies are there favorties and best for there health!? (shop bought)

He is soooo sweet and lovely so i want him as healthy and comfy as possible! Any advice?

Also he needs a bath as when we got him his lil underside (plastron) was coverd in muck but throught it would be too much stress when he just got here! so should i leave him a few days still? he's running around, eating lots and basking in his heated area! He seems fine but just to be safe i'd like advice considering where he came from

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Becca, and welcome to the Forum!

New members' first five posts have to be approved, and if there isn't a moderator online when you post, you have to wait until one becomes available. I merged your two posts together because they're a bit different from each other and I didn't want to delete something important.

The approval process is so that we can catch spammers and keep them off the Forum.

 

[pam]

Welcome Russians are awesome

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome

 

[Spn785]

Welcome! What type of UV light are you using? How big is the vivarium? What is the substrate exactly? One thing I noticed is that the basking spot should be 34-35C not 28-32. I would suggest using something to cover the bottom few inches of the glass (or plexiglass) of the vivarium so your tortoise can't see out. Carrots are okay to feed every now and then, but they are too high in sugar to be a staple. Find other greens to feed (mustard greens, collard greens, red and green leaf lettuce, raddiccio, kale, romaine, Radish greens, etc). Check out www.russiantortoise.net for other food ideas, and The Tortoise Table has a database of plants that will tell you what is edible and what isn't. Variety is very necessary for their diet. Feel free to ask any questions you might have! Your little Russian is very cute by the way!

 

[Dar's mum]

Hello!
Awwww, your baby is so cuuuuuuute!
I've just got my little Horsfield a couple weeks ago and just joined the forum as well.
My Darwin is around 2years old (2011 hatch but no exact date), so roughly the same age as yours?
How heavy and how tall (long?) is he??
I've put some photos of Darwin and his enclosure on my "Hello!" thread, so please take a look!

 

[octalfox]

Welcome! What type of UV light are you using? How big is the vivarium? What is the substrate exactly? One thing I noticed is that the basking spot should be 34-35C not 28-32. I would suggest using something to cover the bottom few inches of the glass (or plexiglass) of the vivarium so your tortoise can't see out. Carrots are okay to feed every now and then, but they are too high in sugar to be a staple. Find other greens to feed (mustard greens, collard greens, red and green leaf lettuce, raddiccio, kale, romaine, Radish greens, etc). Check out www.russiantortoise.net for other food ideas, and The Tortoise Table has a database of plants that will tell you what is edible and what isn't. Variety is very necessary for their diet. Feel free to ask any questions you might have! Your little Russian is very cute by the way!

http://www.komodoproducts.com/products/basking-spot-bulb-es?id=21 He has this heat lamp


http://www.komodoproducts.com/products/fluorescent-bulb-t8-uvb-50?id=24
This UVB light (on for 12hrs of the day)

http://www.komodoproducts.com/products/calcium-supplement-for-herbivores-115g?id=41 He has this on his dandilions

http://www.littlebigpet.co.uk/reptiles/pro-rep-tortoise-life-substrate-25-litres-p-1570.html thats his substsate

Andd theres a piccy of his viv and him in it! its bland at the moment but were going to get him some decs and fun stuff and a proper hidey place this weekend!

Also he comes out everyday twice! to run around and lovessss it

 

[octalfox]

Oh! and also we made sure the vivi was deep so that he didnt get confused by the glass so theres a lip at the front

(forgot to add we're looking at torti tables aswell as his viv/ (fixing them together so he can wander in and out of the viv onto a table)

 

[Spn785]

Sounds good! I would still cover some of the glass so he can't see out, also his substrate should probably be deeper. How deep is it? My Russian baby (which is a little over 2", or about 5-6 cm) digs down a good 18" or 0.5 meters sometimes. Russians LOVE to dig, so the deeper the better.