Hello!

[MARC4]

I usually just read but figured I'd do a hello post.
Last Nov my family adopted 3 baby desert tortoises, Thomas, Kyle and Turtle. They were born (hatched?) Sept 14/15. We are mainly a dog family but my middle son isn't much of a dog person and while all 3 of my boys love the tortoises and check on them throughout the day the middle one is definitely the most interested. Our goal is to have them free roaming the yard once they are big enough so we are slowly working on a plan for how we want to landscape it and secure it. For now they have a tank in the house where they get romaine and mazrui food and a kiddy pool outside that has grass and some different plants and weeds for them to snack on (working on a better variety in the pool but I have never had a green thumb so getting things to start growing is hard lol I recently found a seed mix I want to buy and plant that has a nice variety).
We didnt have much prep time prior yo getting them so we are learning as we go but they seem happy and healthy (we had a scare with one back in Dec but I figured out they were to cold so we got the tank which helps trap heat better and it was alnost an instant difference)

 

[TechnoCheese]

Welcome to the forum, we’re glad to have you!
Desert tortoise care is similar to the care of Russians. We would appreciate it if you could give this a read
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Your babies are adorable!

 

[wellington]

Welcome, glad you are joining in.

 

[MARC4]

Thank you, I will take any good info anyone has to offer. We have become quite attached to our little babies

 

[MARC4]

Welcome to the forum, we’re glad to have you!
Desert tortoise care is similar to the care of Russians. We would appreciate it if you could give this a read
Russian Tortoise Care Sheet https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Russian-Tortoise-Care-Sheet.80698/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Your babies are adorable!

Thank you for thoss. I have been hesitant on how Im doing in their care and actually feel better now. My main concern is I know romaine isnt ideal but I dont have anything growing that i can use just yet. Are the grocery salad suggestions on the Russian page also good for desert tortoises? Id like to offer a better variety there but I have found contradicting information on what good options are. Also ive never gotten a straight answer on how much mazuri to give. I have been doing 1 pellet each about every other day.
So far they all get along but I do watch them often and are very friendly. My boys (especially my middle son) love how they run up to you when you walk over to the tank and they all let you pet their heads without it scaring them. One is growing quite a bit faster than the other two are but they all see to ve growing consistently

 

[MARC4]

This is their indoor set up

 

[TechnoCheese]

This is their indoor set up

Ok, so a few things need to be changed.

-Those water bowls are flipping and drowning hazard. I would replace it with a terra cotta saucer, like the one you put under plans pots.

-you need a feeding bowl or slate.

-I would separate those two log hides so that there are two hides, and even add another hide with one entrance to make a humid hide.

Romain definitely isn’t ideal, and it takes more energy to eat than it gives. Give this a read. You can feed everything on it-For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

Everything else looks pretty good!

 

[MARC4]

Ok, so a few things need to be changed.

-Those water bowls are flipping and drowning hazard. I would replace it with a terra cotta saucer, like the one you put under plans pots.

-you need a feeding bowl or slate.

-I would separate those two log hides so that there are two hides, and even add another hide with one entrance to make a humid hide.

Romain definitely isn’t ideal, and it takes more energy to eat than it gives. Give this a read. You can feed everything on it-For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

Everything else looks pretty good!

Thank you for your input. I'll get something different for their water. We were using a Tupperware lid but I was to hard to keep clean and I had a small very shallow rock type dish but it got to small for the bigger one to sit in on the occassion he wanted to actually soak. I'll definitely get the pot saucer instead. With the logs, I had them separate until just a couple days ago actually but all 3 crammed into 1 together and they barley fit so I put them together since they all insist on being together.
What are better hide options? They have been climbing on the log a lot recently and occasionally walking right off the edge and flipping over. They love to climb on stuff. In their outside pool I have put a bunch of rocks and have tall grass because they love to climb. I'm surprised by how much all 3 love to climb (i would expect a creature who can die flipping over to want to stay on the ground more lol)

 

[TechnoCheese]

Thank you for your input. I'll get something different for their water. We were using a Tupperware lid but I was to hard to keep clean and I had a small very shallow rock type dish but it got to small for the bigger one to sit in on the occassion he wanted to actually soak. I'll definitely get the pot saucer instead. With the logs, I had them separate until just a couple days ago actually but all 3 crammed into 1 together and they barley fit so I put them together since they all insist on being together.
What are better hide options? They have been climbing on the log a lot recently and occasionally walking right off the edge and flipping over. They love to climb on stuff. In their outside pool I have put a bunch of rocks and have tall grass because they love to climb. I'm surprised by how much all 3 love to climb (i would expect a creature who can die flipping over to want to stay on the ground more lol)

You can take flower pots and bury half some people get large pvc pipes and do the same thing.
You can also get a dishwashing tub from Walmart and cut a hole in it to make a humid hide.
There are a lot of options, so I would just do some looking around

 

[MARC4]

Oh I was just reading the sucata page you shared and Im so glad I havent cut my pool grass yet (tortoise garden is what my son has named it. Tortoise land is the inside tank). I will cut some and bring that inside for them! I never thought about cutting the grass! The smaller 2 havent tried eating the grass yet but the larger one just tried it out today (its been about a week since they have been out in the pool with the grass so still getting used to it) I also do feed the mazuri on small Tupperware lids i just take them out after. I'll have to find something better. Thank you again. I'm very excited to make the upgrades.

 

[Kristy1970]

Welcome and your babies are beautiful

 

[MARC4]

Welcome and your babies are beautiful

Thank you!