Help with russian tortoise

[stehowarth]

Was just wondering if anybody knows weather coco coir will be better to use in a vivarium than alfalfa pellets until my tortoise table gets deliverd at end of month cos I got told that it will make humidity to high and lead to shell rot thanks

 

[mctlong]

Coco Coir is a thousand times better than rabbit pellets -

 

[stehowarth]

Will it not make the humidity to high the man who sold me bread said cos she's a horsefield she is prone to shell rot thanx

 

[Q'sTortie]

I agree. Humidity is a good thing especially for babies. Just don't let it get too cold at night if the humidity level is high.

 

[stehowarth]

Thanx the man in the pet shop said humidity was bad but after finding this site I now no he nos about as much about tortoises as I do about moon exploration

 

[shellibelli72]

Thanx the man in the pet shop said humidity was bad but after finding this site I now no he nos about as much about tortoises as I do about moon exploration

Ha Funny! My Russian is on coco coir mixed with a little sand. Works great!

 

[stehowarth]

How wet do u make it cos the one I got today is the brick that u soak in water they only sell that one and I have sum children's play sand

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

How wet do u make it cos the one I got today is the brick that u soak in water they only sell that one and I have sum children's play sand

I use the brick one and I soak it in a bucket in the sun for a hour so it dries out a bit.

 

[Laurie]

How wet do u make it cos the one I got today is the brick that u soak in water they only sell that one and I have sum children's play sand

Make it wet enough so tat it sticks together in a ball when you squeeze it, like when you make a snowball, but not wet enough to be able to squeeze water out of it.

 

[stehowarth]

Cheers do u need any other source of heat except for a heat bulb when I get my table comes so I can buy it all beforehand thanx

 

[Laurie]

You need a daytime heat source and a uv source. You can buy an all in one bulb (mvb) which will provide both, or you can go with two different bulbs. It's your preference. Stay away from coiled UVB bulbs, they can damage eyes. If you use a tube UVB , you can just use a plain old household bulb for basking, just adjust to a higher wattage for a hotter spot and vice versa. Unless your house is quite cold at night, you do not need nighttime heat.

 

[stehowarth]

I already have both them bulbs and its a tube UVB and a basking light I was just wondering if there would need to be a heat mat or anything like tat and will she try eating fake pants

 

[Laurie]

You do not need a heat mat. I dont think she'll try to eat the plants because they don't smell like food, she may though, you will have to watch. I've been recently adding live plants to my indoor enclosures.

 

[stehowarth]

How deep would u put the substrate I've bin told 4 inch . Sorry for all the questions

 

[Laurie]

I have a lot of substrate! I like when my torts can dig. I would say 4" is good. I have 4" for part of my enclosure, then I mounded up a few deeper spots.

 

[stehowarth]

Thanks for the help I better get started soon it nearly seven already just wanna make sure everything ok

 

[lynnedit]

Sounds like you are off to a great start, post pics when you are done!

(ratio of coir:sand, IF you add it, is one dry coir brick to the same volume of play sand. Less sand/more coir is fine).

 

[kanalomele]

A lot of people like to use a sand coir mixture. I don't use any sand at all. Russians tend to eat their substrate and sand can cause impactions. It is probably fine for adults, but I never use it for babies. I just don't want to run that risk. I use a coir/organic topsoil mix. Or sphagnum moss and dirt from the yard. I like to get them have chances to burrow, so mine is quite deep in areas. Especially in their humid hide.

 

[crussellii]

I've had my Russian for a month and use playsand coco brick coir mixture. I got suckered into a heat,mat from the pet store. I don't use it, but maybe during the winter I will. After I bought Leonardo I've probably spent another 600.00 after getting on this forum. He was dehydrated when I brought him home. I soaked twice a week for first two weeks. Now he's healthy , vet checked, and I'm obsessed. When I'm on my way home from work I'm thinking of what new foods I can get.

 

[lynnedit]

A lot of people like to use a sand coir mixture. I don't use any sand at all. Russians tend to eat their substrate and sand can cause impactions. It is probably fine for adults, but I never use it for babies. I just don't want to run that risk. I use a coir/organic topsoil mix. Or sphagnum moss and dirt from the yard. I like to get them have chances to burrow, so mine is quite deep in areas. Especially in their humid hide.

I don't use sand either, but someone had mentioned it previously .
Some owners swear by it as a way to retain moisture, but I think the coir/topsoil does this very well. I like Cypress mulch too, but it is expensive in my area of the country.

I've had my Russian for a month and use playsand coco brick coir mixture. I got suckered into a heat,mat from the pet store. I don't use it, but maybe during the winter I will. After I bought Leonardo I've probably spent another 600.00 after getting on this forum. He was dehydrated when I brought him home. I soaked twice a week for first two weeks. Now he's healthy , vet checked, and I'm obsessed. When I'm on my way home from work I'm thinking of what new foods I can get.

And this will never stop, lol. You will wonder what you thought about previously