Indoor Enclosure Update (Russian Tortoise)

[ChloeCrull]

For my outdoor enclosure I use a combination of organic topsoil, it's cheap at Home Depot, and Pete Moss. In my indoor enclosure I use coconut core and pathway Mark mixed together. I have heard there can be some issues with mold so I don't put the pathway bark outside. But I could be wrong, I like the idea of the tortoises having regular old dirt so to speak today again. I also plant broadleaf seed mixes, that's a whole other thread , in the enclosures for the tortoises to eat. you can also buy the seed mixes and grow them indoors in the winter. But again that's another thread. I Degrasse
Russian tortoises actually have a pretty wide range of natural habitat. And although they may be considered "desert" they burrow down under ground where it is more humid. The increased humidity will not hurt your older tortoise. I would go with at least two females to one mail. But it is difficult to find females sometimes so if you are seriously considering adding another female start looking now. There are always Russians on craigslist etc. and sometimes here on the for him also. you don't usually find females very often at the pet stores but it never hurts to look. but the more tortoises you have the bigger the enclosure must be. So when you make that outdoor enclosure make it as large as you can. And your 2 x 6 enclosure will definitely not be big enough for three tortoises, it barely works for two for a short time. two indoor enclosures is always an option. A 2 x 6 x 1' tall horse trough also works, especially for the one that is younger and may need more humidity. Have you read @Tom threads on Russian tortoises? He has a very good care sheet that explains things much better than I do.
I have one room in my house that basically holds one tortoise pen, one box turtle pen, and a desk with the computer on it. And gosh darn it anyway there's room for one more pen! I guess what I'm saying is watch out it never ends!

Hehe! Tortoises can be addicting little beasts—they're so much fun!

With the enclosure now, what would you suggest to "expand" when I (hopefully) purchase another female Russian?

Also, I usually provide the tortoises with an aloe plant, and some kind of succulent (elephant bush) that apparently (according to an experienced member of this forum) actually directly translates to "tortoise food."

Is this greenery okay? What would you suggest? The spider plants look very enticing!

Thank you for your all of your help; every time I receive an alert, my mother and I scream "Leigti! Leigti!" lol

 

[leigti]

Hehe! Tortoises can be addicting little beasts—they're so much fun!

With the enclosure now, what would you suggest to "expand" when I (hopefully) purchase another female Russian?

Also, I usually provide the tortoises with an aloe plant, and some kind of succulent (elephant bush) that apparently (according to an experienced member of this forum) actually directly translates to "tortoise food."

Is this greenery okay? What would you suggest? The spider plants look very enticing!

Thank you for your all of your help; every time I receive an alert, my mother and I scream "Leigti! Leigti!" lol

I see you live in Fresno California. I don't know where that is or what the claimant is like. Would you be able to keep the tortoises outdoors most of the year? if so then the emphasis on indoor enclosures can be decreased drastically and we can put more emphasis on the outdoor one. Sorry for my poor geographical knowledge.I personally think it is just about impossible to make an indoor enclosure large enough for three Russians. But I'm sure other people could give you more advice on that. This time of year you can get the Christmas tree storage boxes or a 55 gallon Rubbermaid bin from Home Depot etc. to make indoor enclosures but I would only put one tortoise in each one of them. your 2 x 6 zoo madhouse may be able to handle two females but I would not put the Mail in there, and there's no guarantee the females will work either.Russians are great, they are feisty and fearless and tough which also makes them difficult to keep together. But many people have done it so it's not impossible. I have never heard of elephant bush but I would say go for it if it is safe. One caution though, in my opinion, too much of the succulents and aloe and cactus can cause diarrhea. So I would not let them eat it every day or in large quantities. One tip, if your tortoise needs more fluid in their diet for some reason give them a piece of cucumber. Not much nutrition but lots of fluid. I have also bought Pothos plants and draceana plants from Walmart. For Russians I would suggest putting the plants in pots or hanging them from above.they are very hard on plants. I tried a couple fake plants but my Russian kept nibbling on a one and I got scared so I threw them out. fake plants do not help with humidity either. I'm humbled that you value my posts, I am relatively new to this compared to most people on here. I have definitely made my mistakes and I continue to learn every day. there are some very good people on this forum, sometimes they come across pretty strongly because they care about the animals. So if people sound a little harsh sometimes try not to get offended they mean well.

 

[leigti]

I bet there are other members here from Fresno. Start a thread and look for some and maybe they can give you some first-hand advice for your climate. The more you can keep them outside the better, and cheaper you can make heated hides, little green houses, all kinds of things.it's way too darn cold where I live, Washington State, so my tortoise and turtle have to either be inside all winter or hibernate also inside. . I am not comfortable with hibernating them so I choose to keep them up all winter indoors.