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MonkeyMMA

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My name is Ken and I live in Rhode Island. I recently adopted a 4 year old Russian Tortoise. I'm here to meet people that also take care of tortoises. I'm interested in hearing the different things people use for substrate and food.I' m also intersted in getting a better hide for her and maybe a basking rock. What kinds of rocks store bought or made do your tortoises like?
 

cemmons12

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I rescued my 8 yearold Russian Ophelia last year. I use coco coir substrate, she has a large hide that's made of a small log. She is in a 55 gallon tote with a Power Sun UVB 100 watt light for daytime, and a 75 watt black light for night time. She has a cuttlebone at all times to chew and eat on, which she will do a lot when they are new.
She gets spring mix, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, some romain because she was raised on it and loves it, Mazuri, and any other greens I can find. Hope this helps you a little! Have a good day! :)
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Ken:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

My favorite substrate is cypress mulch, second favorite fine grade orchid bark...deep enough that they can dig down into it.

I usually put a piece of ceramic tile directly under the light, but other than that, no "basking rock."

Russian tortoises prefer the broad-leaf weeds rather than grass-type. So if he can't be outside, then dark, leafy greens is the next best choice.
 

MonkeyMMA

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Hi thanks everyone. I am bringing her to the vet tomorrow for a check up and to have her nails clipped and her beak trimmed. The beak looks long so I called them and they want to look at it. Also they are going to test her stool for any parasites. She is a pet for my 4 year old and myself. So I want to get her checked out and make sure she's a clean bill of health. She seems very healthy. I just got her yesterday and she is eating like crazy and very active exploring the enclosure.
 

MonkeyMMA

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Yes she was chowing down on romaine, red leaf and some dandelions from the yard. She mowed though that. I gave her a good soak this am and let her get some exercise. When you say light do you mean the heat lamp or the florescent one?
 

Yvonne G

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I put a tile under the heat light.
 

MonkeyMMA

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Great I will grab one of those. Right now I have the basking light on the side of the tank with the food and water dish and the heat lamp 1/2 over the shelter and 1/2 over the middle of the tank. There is a heating bad stuck to the bottom I plugged in at night when the other lights went off. There is only one thermometer that he gave me but im planning one getting a second one as well as a humidity gauge.
 

MonkeyMMA

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The person I adopted her from gave me a new bag of the substrate he was using. Its a Coconut fiber? Its kind of loose and seems to do the job. I have heard the cypress mulch is good too. What are the positives and negatives of these. He also said he has used crushed walnut. There are just do many and I want her to be as happy as she can be. If I choose to change substrates should I start mixing it in or just change? I dont want her to be shocked and scared when she had carpet and now has hardwood floors (just an analogy... I would never use carpet as a substrate)
 
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