Help required with supplements

[Nerwen]

I have just adopted two marginated tortoises believed to be around 9 months ( the certificates do not contain ages). I haven't had a tortoise since my childhood and the one I had lived out doors with free run of the garden. I am keeping my new babies inside however they will visit the garden on warm days although they will be in a protected run.

What I really need help with is their suppliments and food. I have bought some calci powder, which I understand I sprinkle on their food daily. Should I also provide them with limestone powder? Also what other vitamins do they need?.

They came for tortoise pellets, the ones you soak, which they like but I would prefer to feed them weeds and flowers as I have been told this is better for them. Any advice?

Lastly am I right in bathing them daily?

I'm sure I will have more questions soon.
Thank you for your help.

 

[Nerwen]

This is their house. I'm in UK South East.

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome from Kent

I have just adopted two marginated tortoises believed to be around 9 months ( the certificates do not contain ages). I haven't had a tortoise since my childhood and the one I had lived out doors with free run of the garden. I am keeping my new babies inside however they will visit the garden on warm days although they will be in a protected run.

Tortoise care has moved on a long way over the years and you will find things are different to how they used to be.

We have some real experts on TFO working hard to correct the outdated information still in circulation from many pet shops and on the Internet and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

I recommend that you start by reading this - Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

You should also know that your torts are loners. They don't want, need or particularly like another tort around. Bullying is common - both physical and mental - and you must accept that sooner or later you will have to separate these two. See this
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...together-a-lesson-learned-the-hard-way.94114/

What I really need help with is their suppliments and food. I have bought some calci powder, which I understand I sprinkle on their food daily. Should I also provide them with limestone powder? Also what other vitamins do they need?.

Your torts eat leafy greens, preferably picked from outside rather than a supermarket.

They cannot digest sugars properly - it causes digestive and kidney problems - so fruit, carrot, tomato and peppers should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally. Banana is too sugary and should never be fed.

A tiny pinch of Calcium powder sprinkled on food three times a week is the only supplement that should be required.

They came for tortoise pellets, the ones you soak, which they like but I would prefer to feed them weeds and flowers as I have been told this is better for them. Any advice?

I'll post separately.

Lastly am I right in bathing them daily?

I'm sure I will have more questions soon.
Thank you for your help.

That's fine. For a soak to be effective it needs to be for at least 30 minutes.

Do it first thing in the morning before your tort has warmed up properly.

Use a high sided bowl that the tort can't see over or through.

The water needs to be warm, not hot - think baby bath.

If your tort poops, just scoop it out with your hand. If it pees, ignore it. If the water goes cold, change it.

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a list of suitable greens

Look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database if you're not sure what they look like.
http://thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plant_database_14.asp

Mulberry leaves
Grape vine leaves
Hibiscus leaves
African hibiscus leaves
Blue hibiscus leaves
Rose of Sharon leaves
Rose leaves
Geraniums
Gazanias
Lavatera
Pansies
Petunias
Hostas
Honeysuckle
Cape honeysuckle
Leaves and blooms from any squash plant, like pumpkin, cucumber, summer squash, etc...
Young spineless opuntia cactus pads

Weeds:
There are soooooooo many...
Dandelion
Mallow
Filaree
Smooth Sow thistle
Prickly Sow thistle
Milk thistle
Goat head weed
Cats ear
Nettles
Trefoil
Wild onion
Wild mustard
Wild Garlic
Clovers
Broadleaf plantain
Narrow leaf plantain
Chick weed
Hawksbit
Hensbit
Hawksbeard

 

[JoesMum]

Looking at your photo, a couple of things catch my attention.

Pet shop reptile bowls are a tipping hazard for torts and hard for them to use. A terracotta plant saucer makes a good safe water bowl. Food is best placed on a flat rock or slate which is both easy to eat off and helps with beak maintenance.

Your basking lamp needs to hang straight down to be effective. Clamps are not secure and a falling lamp is a fire hazard. I'll post a lighting summary separately.

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a lighting summary:

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from a hardware store will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Nerwen, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Joe's Mum has given you lots of sound information, so I'll just reiterate that pairs is not a good idea and that a balanced diet will give your tort all or most of the nutrition, vitamins and minerals it needs, but a bit of calcium sprinkled on is helpful, particularly for growing torts, and the other supplements are just a top up or treat to be given occasionally, just to be sure.

 

[Nerwen]

Thank you so much for all the helpful information. I was concerned about keeping the two together however that is how we adopted them. We do have spare tortoise table so as soon as they start fighting we will seperate them.

It looks like I have a lot to learn so will be visiting the forum regularly. The plant guide is very helpful as whilst I know some of the plants I do not know the name of the weeds growing in my garden. I have ordered a tortoise seed mix so I grow some inside so they have fresh weeds throughout the winter.

I will now order the temperature gun and prob so just need to know the correct temperature and humidity for my breed.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I'm not so sure the steps are a good idea in getting the tortoises up to the second level. It might be a tipping hazard. I would change that out to some sort of ramp with carpet on it.