HELP me feed my Rex!

[Scoffy20]

Hi everyone,

Ive been getting a lot of great feed back from everyone here on the forum but I still worried. Rex hasnt seemed to eat anything to my knowledge in almost a week.....maybe even more. These are the foods ive tried to give him: Kale sprayed with calcium supplement- he at all of this the first day and second day i brought him home.
T-rex dry tortoise formula- he only would eat the green pellets lol
Red leaf lettuce- not noticeable if it was touch or not
Bib lettuce- unnoticeable if it was touch
Romane lettuce- i did spray it and he mouthed it but then didn't eat it.
Ive tried to feed him by hand but he isn't about it. I'm not totally concerned though because he is very active in the early to late after noon. i find him climbing onto the roof of his hut the last couple mornings. He is still making solid poo too. should i be worried?

 

[ascott]

No, you should not be worried....I looked back at your other prior posts and it would seem that he is still new to you....

I would say to design a routine for him and stick to it....get him on a lights on, soaking, eating, exercise routine...then you stick to that...you will be doing him a favor by not make alot of changes as the variety of changes you are making in the beginning are giving him a harder time falling into a routine and in turn becoming settled....

Elect a variety of food items (spring mix is usually a successful mix to offer as a starting food)...and offer this...once he shows interest then continue to feed that item for a couple of weeks...then you can progressively add a new item or two with that spring mix ...also,if you spray water heavily onto the pile of food as he begins to take interest then he will be taking in much needed water....

I would do daily soaks and make this the main time you lay hands on him...other than that I would let him be....also when you offer food you should place it in the enclosure and well, go away

Also, what type of set up is he in right now? What type of uva/uvb does he get each day? What type of substrate is he on?

Keep in mind that it can take a tort up to a month or so to begin to give you some normal behavior....so be patient and make sure that all of your temps are bang on...and that you keep a fairly regular lighting schedule/outside time schedule...and let him do his part of relaxing and setting in....I would set up his enclosure and let it be so he has a regular feeling about where he is at....just what I would do...they just don't work within our realm of time...tort time is a bit more laid back and they are masters of the "wait"....

 

[Scoffy20]

No, you should not be worried....I looked back at your other prior posts and it would seem that he is still new to you....

I would say to design a routine for him and stick to it....get him on a lights on, soaking, eating, exercise routine...then you stick to that...you will be doing him a favor by not make alot of changes as the variety of changes you are making in the beginning are giving him a harder time falling into a routine and in turn becoming settled....

Elect a variety of food items (spring mix is usually a successful mix to offer as a starting food)...and offer this...once he shows interest then continue to feed that item for a couple of weeks...then you can progressively add a new item or two with that spring mix ...also,if you spray water heavily onto the pile of food as he begins to take interest then he will be taking in much needed water....

I would do daily soaks and make this the main time you lay hands on him...other than that I would let him be....also when you offer food you should place it in the enclosure and well, go away

Also, what type of set up is he in right now? What type of uva/uvb does he get each day? What type of substrate is he on?

Keep in mind that it can take a tort up to a month or so to begin to give you some normal behavior....so be patient and make sure that all of your temps are bang on...and that you keep a fairly regular lighting schedule/outside time schedule...and let him do his part of relaxing and setting in....I would set up his enclosure and let it be so he has a regular feeling about where he is at....just what I would do...they just don't work within our realm of time...tort time is a bit more laid back and they are masters of the "wait"....

This all makes great sence, Im giving him spring mix and timothy hay now. seems to pic at it and i put it in his habitat every morning around 10:00-10:30, he seems to be up and about around this time. thats when the UVB bulb goes on. I then soak him for as long as he is willing to stay in the bowl ( usually 10-15 mins) then I let him do his own thing I turn on his heat lamp around 12 right before i leave for work and the temp gets to average 90-95. I get home around 11:30 turn off the uvb and the heat lamp and then i kind of just let him do his thing....sleep. also i notice hes been climbing on top of his house a lot. Almost every morning i find him on top of it and then he walks off it and then climbs back on it. Is it because hes just active and likes to climb or do you think it might be to get closer to the heat lamp. if its for heat id be afraid he'd cook under the 100w bulb?

thanks for the advice, also i live approximately 5 blocks from central park i was thinking of taking him there twice a week for an hour or so to get outside....good or bad idea/ too soon or should i wait?

 

[Laura]

trying something colorful. Squash, tiny slice of berry. DOnt spray the greens until he is really eating well. Sometimes the spray makes them not want to eat it.
Also try mazuri..

 

[ascott]

In addition to uva/uvb in the morning, you really need to turn the heat lamp on as well---while uva/uvb has a feel good affect, the heat is so necessary....so I would do the following;

am;

-turn on the heat/uva/uvb (around 8am)....let him warm up
-soak your tort
-offer food to your tort, place your tort nose touching food
and then leave him be to feel private and eat

It is alright if he is climbing up on the hut/hide---so under the basking you are at 90-95? If he is climbing up higher it could be simply to feel the king of his roost and/or wanting more heat (perhaps lower the heat lamp a nudge to achieve 100...see how he reacts, as long as he has a cooler retreat this will be fine...

Central Park---that thought just totally freaked me out more than words could ever express....so, if it were me I so would not do that....are you able to offer sun time on a balcony or porch (secure area of course) that is not, well, Central Park....

 

[Scoffy20]

In addition to uva/uvb in the morning, you really need to turn the heat lamp on as well---while uva/uvb has a feel good affect, the heat is so necessary....so I would do the following;

am;

-turn on the heat/uva/uvb (around 8am)....let him warm up
-soak your tort
-offer food to your tort, place your tort nose touching food
and then leave him be to feel private and eat

It is alright if he is climbing up on the hut/hide---so under the basking you are at 90-95? If he is climbing up higher it could be simply to feel the king of his roost and/or wanting more heat (perhaps lower the heat lamp a nudge to achieve 100...see how he reacts, as long as he has a cooler retreat this will be fine...

Central Park---that thought just totally freaked me out more than words could ever express....so, if it were me I so would not do that....are you able to offer sun time on a balcony or porch (secure area of course) that is not, well, Central Park....

haha yes i have an area that i could do that instead of central park, i just choose there because its very nice, open and where im located they have lots of fields trees etc. but i get your concern. Also RT being adaptive creatures Im trying to get him to sleep/be awake more around my schedule that is a chef's schedule. up by ten work by noon home by 12. he seems to be getting the hang of it i feel seeing as he sleeps untill 9:30 -10ish and romps around until i get home.