HELP! PLEASE!

[Clock_Radio]

So i just got home from work and i forgot i had my torts light on, so i went to go check on him and turn his light off, but when i picked him up i noticed a very small insect on his shell, so then i investigated and i noticed about 4 more, so i have him now soaking in his bath tub to get them off but i dont know what they are! i'm freaking out so bad! is this somewhat normal or should i be very worried?! help please!

 

[Clock_Radio]

sorry they are down my drain already and i dont see any in the tank, but they were pretty small, maybe a couple millimeters, they were rather skinny just long. grayish maybe? really fast moving. i have him in repti bark with some spaghum moss and a wee bit of soil, i have had the tortoise for about 3 months and have used the same type of bedding the whole time

 

[Clock_Radio]

well i googled mites since i have never seen any in person, they seem to be more of a round shape and dark, these were like a light gray or brown and they were much longer than thick, so do you think it will be ok to put him back in the tank for the night, i'm gonna change my bedding and everything tomorrow after work

 

[Clock_Radio]

yeah, i let him soak for about 15 mins or so and i seen about 4 or 5 in the water, i'm gonna buy some new bedding tomorrow and i'll change everything out and clean the whole tank

 

[Clock_Radio]

ahhh gotcha, yes sir, will do for sure! idk what they are but i dont want anything crawling on my little baby!

 

[Tom]

Sounds like a young group of silverfish. They are harmless detrivores. Won't hurt your tortoise if that's what they are.

 

[jensgotfaith]

ugh! I can't stand silverfish. We used to have them quite a bit.

 

[Clock_Radio]

YES! i googled for images of silverfish and i'm 90% positive thats what they looked like, what exactly are they from?

 

[Floof]

If you're concerned about bugs being on your tort, it would be a good idea to bake (get it wet and put it in the oven at around 200F for an hour) or freeze (for a few days) the new bedding before using it, to make sure there's nothing icky in it. Mites can come in on anything even slightly porous that has passed through infected hands or store shelves, especially bedding and the like. Big issue with snakes... Though I've never heard of tortoises having mites, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Glad to hear they turned out to be something harmless.

 

[Tom]

YES! i googled for images of silverfish and i'm 90% positive thats what they looked like, what exactly are they from?

Those and phorid flies and substrate flies and lots of others are ever present in the environment around our homes. They can come from anywhere at any time. When they find suitable conditions and food, they move in. Even with tons of horrible pesticides, they can never be completely eliminated. As I said, they are harmless and are actually helping to clean your tortoises environment.

 

[Clock_Radio]

ooo well as long as i know that they werent dangerous i feel fine but i am still cleaning the whole thing out. i got all of his bedding out now and i am going to wash down the tank, now i was told vinegar but all i have is liek apple cidar vinegar, is that ok to use? or should i use the white vinegar? any info?

 

[Clock_Radio]

ended up just getting regular vinegar and taking care of it, everything should be good to go now, and i tell you what, i will never use any other bedding besides these coco blocks, this stuff is awesome! thanks everyone for helpin me out ! you guys/gals are the best!