I GOT MY BABY <3333

[abra]

Yeah I'm going to post more tomorrow when he's more settled in so people can help me with a guess of an age

 

[BuffsTorts]

RE: MVB, how big is that cage? I use MVB on all of my cages however they do have a wide heat array, if the cage is to small it might be to hot in my opinion.

RE:vet costs
In Toronto, I have only found 2 qualified vets for tortoises.
45 for a fecal float
but you must first pay 75 for the initial assessment...
I have cheated twice and lied about whose fecal I gave for testing, but have 3/4 of them registered now.
costly...

Congrats on the tort, good looking beak and shell from that first pic.
I am loving a top soil/cypress mulch/coco coir substrate for all of mine.

 

[tortoises101]

The "kit" sounds APPALLING. A glass tank? No UVB? PELLETS AS SUBSTRATE??? That thing sounds more like a tortoise killer than a tortoise kit. Get him out of there immediately, or he will not live long at all. Get him a MVB like what other keepers said. Change that substrate to a 60/40 mix of play sand and coir. Give him some plants to explore, rocks, hidey-holes, a bit of timothy hay, etc.

Also, replace the aquarium with a tortoise table. Aquariums will not benefit Rambo at all and may possibly give him respiratory problems later on.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Tortoisetable.htm
And when the weather is good, give him an outdoor habitat where he can really enjoy the sun. An outdoor habitat is essential, and even in Canada it's possible. Provide an outdoor enclosure, and your tortoise will be all the healthier and happier for it.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/habitatdesign.htm

As for feeding, go outside into a pesticide free area where there are lots of dandelions, plantain, vetch, sowthisle, clover, and other weeds growing and pick them for Rambo. He'll enjoy them. Check out Tortoise Trust for some feeding hints and please do it quick!
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/plantfoods.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/webdiet.htm
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/enews/
This one is more of a dietary fibre discussion, but fibre is critical when it comes to tortoises. It's a pretty long read, but your endurance will reward you.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/dietaryfibre.html

 

[abra]

Yeah he's been off pellets for 2 weeks now and has an MVB for a week He also now has a 54 gallon rubbermaid tote instead of the tank. I posted his enclosure here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-New-enclosure-for-Rambo-almost-done

 

[keiraliang]

your picture are either too far or too close~ haha

 

[LeaCrystal]

Congrats on the adorable little torti. I seen a russian at my local pet store, they are really big
what is a coil light? a regular light bulb?
gee, pet stores these days suck at good torti info

 

[abra]

I just looked at the coil bulb last night, I've had it out for awhile but it does put out UVB rays it's this:

http://www.petco.com/product/108454...t-13-Watt-Coil-Bulb.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

 

[LeaCrystal]

oh it looks like the one in my bedroom lol maybe my skin will look colorful and amazing too

 

[abra]

Hahh

 

[tortoises101]

Yeah he's been off pellets for 2 weeks now and has an MVB for a week He also now has a 54 gallon rubbermaid tote instead of the tank. I posted his enclosure here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-New-enclosure-for-Rambo-almost-done

Ohhhhhhhhhh...okay.

---

Yeah he's been off pellets for 2 weeks now and has an MVB for a week He also now has a 54 gallon rubbermaid tote instead of the tank. I posted his enclosure here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-New-enclosure-for-Rambo-almost-done

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...okay.

---

Whoops, posted two times by accident.

 

[abra]

haha no problem

 

[darthsmozers]

Since it is a petco russian I hope you are planing a vet visit soon, they are WC and are usually (not always) loaded with parasites, congrats on the new russian I am sure you will enjoy him? or her?

Concur. We got ours at PetSmart (not Petco) but same story - parasites.

---

The "kit" sounds APPALLING. A glass tank? No UVB? PELLETS AS SUBSTRATE??? That thing sounds more like a tortoise killer than a tortoise kit. Get him out of there immediately, or he will not live long at all. Get him a MVB like what other keepers said. Change that substrate to a 60/40 mix of play sand and coir. Give him some plants to explore, rocks, hidey-holes, a bit of timothy hay, etc.

Also, replace the aquarium with a tortoise table. Aquariums will not benefit Rambo at all and may possibly give him respiratory problems later on.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Tortoisetable.htm
And when the weather is good, give him an outdoor habitat where he can really enjoy the sun. An outdoor habitat is essential, and even in Canada it's possible. Provide an outdoor enclosure, and your tortoise will be all the healthier and happier for it.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/habitatdesign.htm

As for feeding, go outside into a pesticide free area where there are lots of dandelions, plantain, vetch, sowthisle, clover, and other weeds growing and pick them for Rambo. He'll enjoy them. Check out Tortoise Trust for some feeding hints and please do it quick!
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/plantfoods.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/webdiet.htm
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/enews/
This one is more of a dietary fibre discussion, but fibre is critical when it comes to tortoises. It's a pretty long read, but your endurance will reward you.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/dietaryfibre.html

Can you elaborate on how a glass enclosure can cause respiratory problems?

 

[terryo]

Glass enclosure's are great for forest dwelling tortoises, and turtles. They hold humidity, keep the temperatures up...etc. I really don't know anything about Russians. I've used them for over 30 years with my box turtles, and now for my Redfoots. After trying tubs, tables, etc...I finally had success with glass vivariums. But for Russian Tortoises, I really don''t know. I really don't agree with too many things A. C. Highfield promotes....but that's just MHO. It's not written in stone.

 

[tortoises101]

Since it is a petco russian I hope you are planing a vet visit soon, they are WC and are usually (not always) loaded with parasites, congrats on the new russian I am sure you will enjoy him? or her?

Concur. We got ours at PetSmart (not Petco) but same story - parasites.

---

The "kit" sounds APPALLING. A glass tank? No UVB? PELLETS AS SUBSTRATE??? That thing sounds more like a tortoise killer than a tortoise kit. Get him out of there immediately, or he will not live long at all. Get him a MVB like what other keepers said. Change that substrate to a 60/40 mix of play sand and coir. Give him some plants to explore, rocks, hidey-holes, a bit of timothy hay, etc.

Also, replace the aquarium with a tortoise table. Aquariums will not benefit Rambo at all and may possibly give him respiratory problems later on.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Tortoisetable.htm
And when the weather is good, give him an outdoor habitat where he can really enjoy the sun. An outdoor habitat is essential, and even in Canada it's possible. Provide an outdoor enclosure, and your tortoise will be all the healthier and happier for it.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/habitatdesign.htm

As for feeding, go outside into a pesticide free area where there are lots of dandelions, plantain, vetch, sowthisle, clover, and other weeds growing and pick them for Rambo. He'll enjoy them. Check out Tortoise Trust for some feeding hints and please do it quick!
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/plantfoods.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/webdiet.htm
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/enews/
This one is more of a dietary fibre discussion, but fibre is critical when it comes to tortoises. It's a pretty long read, but your endurance will reward you.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/dietaryfibre.html

Can you elaborate on how a glass enclosure can cause respiratory problems?

---

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/horsfield_habitat.html
It's in under "Ventilation."

---

Glass enclosure's are great for forest dwelling tortoises, and turtles. They hold humidity, keep the temperatures up...etc. I really don't know anything about Russians. I've used them for over 30 years with my box turtles, and now for my Redfoots. After trying tubs, tables, etc...I finally had success with glass vivariums. But for Russian Tortoises, I really don''t know. I really don't agree with too many things A. C. Highfield promotes....but that's just MHO. It's not written in stone.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/horsfield_habitat.html
Under the ventilation section, it shows the main problem for russians that are kept in aquariums.