Hello from upstate NY

Status
Not open for further replies.

bettinge

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
921
Location (City and/or State)
Upstate NY
Hello, I'm new to the forum. I have a hatchling (2008) greek. Cute little guy. He seems to eat well, but has put on very little weight since I got him in December. He is 28g now.
 

Jentortmom

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
1,445
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Hello and welcome to the forum. Do you soak your little guy?
 

bettinge

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
921
Location (City and/or State)
Upstate NY
jenrell23 said:
Hello and welcome to the forum. Do you soak your little guy?
Yes, He gets soaked several times a week. I soak for 30 minutes or until he poops.
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Welcome to the forum :)

What did he/she weigh when you got him/her? You should be soaking a bit more often, but for a shorter amount of time (about 15 minutes)
What are you feeding? Are you supplementing? How do you have your Greek set-up? These will all help us to know whats gong on so we can better help you take care of your tortoise. :D

Danny
 

bettinge

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
921
Location (City and/or State)
Upstate NY
I did not get a sacle until early Jan 2009. He weighed 25g then. His SCL was 1.8inches when I recieved him. I have an open table enclosure with hides and reptisun 100w bulb. Its at a height so basking temp is about 95 degrees. I feed only greens, the ones recomended by tortoise trust. I use repti-cal daily, and Herptivite a every few days. Some greens he eats, others he does not! I would say escrole and dandelions are favorites. He loves apple and cantilope, but I don't like giving him those, just the greens. I have an outdoor enclosure all ready, just waiting for warmer days.

He was at the vet early last month because I was woried he was not eating. I tube fed him for 15 days on critical care fine grind, and the vet perscribed an antibodic for 10 days. After the 10 days, he seems more normal, both activity and eating. I do see him drink water, both in the soak and on his own. He also tested negative for parasites.

I still worry since he does not gain weight, as I see other posts where their tort gains 2g per week. I hope the outdoor enclosure will be a big help. I sometimes wonder if I did not have the lights on long enough during the winter. The temps were right, but the lights were on 9 hours per day. I think these longer days are helpful. Maybe he was confused wether to hibernate or not.

I was told it was a greek, but I wonder if its a Hermans. I do not see spurs on the thighs. Should I post photos?
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
What are your temperatures in the table?, other than under the basking light. Also what is the night time temperature? I do believe you didn't have the lights on long enough this winter. If you want to keep a tortoise up you need to have the lights on 12 to 16 hours a day.
By all means post pictures of his carapace and plastron and we should be able to tell you what he is. :D

Danny
 

bettinge

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
921
Location (City and/or State)
Upstate NY
egyptiandan said:
What are your temperatures in the table?, other than under the basking light. Also what is the night time temperature? I do believe you didn't have the lights on long enough this winter. If you want to keep a tortoise up you need to have the lights on 12 to 16 hours a day.
By all means post pictures of his carapace and plastron and we should be able to tell you what he is. :D

Danny

Nighttime temp is 64-70. Daytime temp is 68-75. Basking about 95. I will find a camera and post as soon as I can.

I believe that he was not eating right because of the short day (lights on) length. It seems you would agree. I plan to hibernate next winter if he decides to put some weight on and looks healthy.
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
They also need to be warm to even digest food. Hatchlings like it and need it warmer than adults in addition to that. If where you are feeding him in the enclosure is not in the 80s (someone confirm this for me though) or so, the tort may not feel like eating as they cannot physically digest the food. An infrared laser thermometer (the PE1 model is $25 for example) is great to check the temp quickly and accurately anywhere in the enclosure. Upping the temperatures a bit if possible, although not too much higher for the basking temp if any (100 is probably the top you want, and for a hatchling), and maybe moving the food to a warmer spot can help.

If the tort isn't eating regularly and is so young, I'd personally be offering a variety of food at all time for it, any amount you can get it to eat, but healthy choices of course. My little guy is gaining a few grams a week and I've heard that is typical, but maybe on the high end of the growth rate. I keep my light on 14 hours a day although he sleeps through some of that. Mine likes to eat twice a day mostly, but snacks on his food throughout the day and goes back and forth between basking and eating.

Another thing to think of is if you tort has a place it feels safe in the warm area (basking). You may need a hide or even a pile of hay for it to be near or under so that it feels safe enough to be out in the "open" like that. In the wild, hatchlings spend almost all their time hiding. When I first got my tort, he wasn't basking because I didn't have a hide for him there. He just stayed in the cold area, not eating, and not being very active. Once I put a hay pile near the basking area he felt safe there. He'll sometimes lay out in the open, but mostly he'll have his front legs on the hay, or be completely under it while getting his "sun".

Just to check, what kind of UVB bulb do you have? Is the tort's shell hardening up?

Pictures will definitely help us. Welcome!
 

bettinge

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
921
Location (City and/or State)
Upstate NY
tortoisenerd said:
They also need to be warm to even digest food. Hatchlings like it and need it warmer than adults in addition to that. If where you are feeding him in the enclosure is not in the 80s (someone confirm this for me though) or so, the tort may not feel like eating as they cannot physically digest the food. An infrared laser thermometer (the PE1 model is $25 for example) is great to check the temp quickly and accurately anywhere in the enclosure. Upping the temperatures a bit if possible, although not too much higher for the basking temp if any (100 is probably the top you want, and for a hatchling), and maybe moving the food to a warmer spot can help.

If the tort isn't eating regularly and is so young, I'd personally be offering a variety of food at all time for it, any amount you can get it to eat, but healthy choices of course. My little guy is gaining a few grams a week and I've heard that is typical, but maybe on the high end of the growth rate. I keep my light on 14 hours a day although he sleeps through some of that. Mine likes to eat twice a day mostly, but snacks on his food throughout the day and goes back and forth between basking and eating.

Another thing to think of is if you tort has a place it feels safe in the warm area (basking). You may need a hide or even a pile of hay for it to be near or under so that it feels safe enough to be out in the "open" like that. In the wild, hatchlings spend almost all their time hiding. When I first got my tort, he wasn't basking because I didn't have a hide for him there. He just stayed in the cold area, not eating, and not being very active. Once I put a hay pile near the basking area he felt safe there. He'll sometimes lay out in the open, but mostly he'll have his front legs on the hay, or be completely under it while getting his "sun".

Just to check, what kind of UVB bulb do you have? Is the tort's shell hardening up?

Pictures will definitely help us. Welcome!

The bulb is a ZooMed Powersun 100w mercury vapor for basking. I am also using an old reptisun 5.0, just for light over the food....not for UV, as the bulb is 10 months old.

He has hides in both hot and cold areas of the enclosure, but does not seem to have a problem basking in the hottest open area. I do have an infrared thermometer.
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Like Kate said your temperatures are to cold. You need to have 86F at the warm end and 75F at the cool end during the day. Night time temperatures should be around 70F. If you can get the temperatures up I think you'll get your tortoise eating much better. :D

Danny
 

tortoisenerd

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
3,957
Location (City and/or State)
Washington
Thanks for the backup Danny! :) I made this mistake myself when I first got my tort, so I want to make sure other torts don't have to go through the same thing little Trevor did.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top