- Joined
- Dec 5, 2012
- Messages
- 2
Hi there! I am from Southern Ontario and purchased a red footed tortoise for my son last spring. We have him in a 4 foot terrarium and have been experimenting with substrate, bathing pond and feeding and temperature (any advice from those experienced owners would be welcome.
I have been using a coco husk and vitamin sand mix as the substrate and just recently added cypress bark. He has a cork hiding spot, some rocks and a small bathing pool. After adding the cypress, (a few weeks later) and I noticed small bugs beneath water dish and rocks. Some appear white and others dark brown. They run fast and seem to jump on occasion.
I have just removed my tortoise; I soaked him for 20 minutes (did not see any bugs either in the water or on him) and put him into a plastic tub with newspaper a cardboard shelter & heat lamp. Any advise as to whether newspaper is harmful would be appreciated.
I am going to remove all of his substrate and clean his terrarium with a diluted bleach and water solution. I have purchased coco husk to replace the substrate.
My local pet store suggested using Benson & Sons snake oil on the tortoise. It's ingredients include safflower oil, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil, avocado oil, tea tree oil and Neem oil-it's suggested use is for cuts, scrapes mites bites on reptiles. Any advice as to whether any of these ingredients may be toxic to Red footed tortoise's would be welcome.
The local pet store also suggested using a mite powder but also cautioned that it is toxic if ingested. The girl suggested using it in the terrarium after removing substrate and then cleaning with diluted bleach solution. Any advice would be appreciated. Someone else suggested using vinegar to clean but I understand that acidic substances are dangerous to red footed torts-again your advice would be welcomed.
Thank-you again in advance.
I have been using a coco husk and vitamin sand mix as the substrate and just recently added cypress bark. He has a cork hiding spot, some rocks and a small bathing pool. After adding the cypress, (a few weeks later) and I noticed small bugs beneath water dish and rocks. Some appear white and others dark brown. They run fast and seem to jump on occasion.
I have just removed my tortoise; I soaked him for 20 minutes (did not see any bugs either in the water or on him) and put him into a plastic tub with newspaper a cardboard shelter & heat lamp. Any advise as to whether newspaper is harmful would be appreciated.
I am going to remove all of his substrate and clean his terrarium with a diluted bleach and water solution. I have purchased coco husk to replace the substrate.
My local pet store suggested using Benson & Sons snake oil on the tortoise. It's ingredients include safflower oil, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil, avocado oil, tea tree oil and Neem oil-it's suggested use is for cuts, scrapes mites bites on reptiles. Any advice as to whether any of these ingredients may be toxic to Red footed tortoise's would be welcome.
The local pet store also suggested using a mite powder but also cautioned that it is toxic if ingested. The girl suggested using it in the terrarium after removing substrate and then cleaning with diluted bleach solution. Any advice would be appreciated. Someone else suggested using vinegar to clean but I understand that acidic substances are dangerous to red footed torts-again your advice would be welcomed.
Thank-you again in advance.
Am I correct to assume that you bake your substrate when you first get it not on a weekly/biweekly basis?
