Instructions!

[philipgreece]

Ok new uvb lamps arrived! The only i could find is arcadia t5 6%! I measured the height and it's 12.5 inches from their shells! I hope its good for these lamps because i couldn't find the 12% of arcadia! How many hours should I work these lamps? And does the tortoise has to be exactly under the uvb lamp? Danny seems to get better when he exercises outside but still limps sometimes! Also he eats little but at least everyday! Also an important question! I have found a field that nobody goes there and I want to collect soil! The issue is that I see cats around there and im afraid about bacterial issues! I use only coco coir and I mist it!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Ok new uvb lamps arrived! The only i could find is arcadia t5 6%! I measured the height and it's 12.5 inches from their shells! I hope its good for these lamps because i couldn't find the 12% of arcadia! How many hours should I work these lamps? And does the tortoise has to be exactly under the uvb lamp? Danny seems to get better when he exercises outside but still limps sometimes! Also he eats little but at least everyday! Also an important question! I have found a field that nobody goes there and I want to collect soil! The issue is that I see cats around there and im afraid about bacterial issues! I use only coco coir and I mist it!

12 inches is fine for this lamp. You can set it for 4-6 hours a day. Tortoise has to spend some time under the lamp, of course. So you need to hang it over food dish, near basking area etc.

However, your 1-year old 12% lamp has stronger UVB than this new one. Initially it's has twice stronger UVB output and loses about 30% of its strength for every 4000 hours of run time.

I would still use coco coir for indoors (Zebra Pet Store has cheap 5kg blocks of good quality, they also sell ZooMed Reptisun T5 UVB lamps).

If you want to get soil for outdoors enclosure - you can use it. Rinsing it with boiling water will help to kill some parasites (not 100% but pretty much).

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

If you want to get soil for outdoors enclosure - you can use it. Rinsing it with boiling water will help to kill some parasites (not 100% but pretty much).

Some bake substrate to kill parasites, but I don't have the instructions for this, nor have I tried it myself.

 

[philipgreece]

12 inches is fine for this lamp. You can set it for 4-6 hours a day. Tortoise has to spend some time under the lamp, of course. So you need to hang it over food dish, near basking area etc.

However, your 1-year old 12% lamp has stronger UVB than this new one. Initially it's has twice stronger UVB output and loses about 30% of its strength for every 4000 hours of run time.

I would still use coco coir for indoors (Zebra Pet Store has cheap 5kg blocks of good quality, they also sell ZooMed Reptisun T5 UVB lamps).

If you want to get soil for outdoors enclosure - you can use it. Rinsing it with boiling water will help to kill some parasites (not 100% but pretty much).

Mmmm thank you so much! To be honest I didn't know that tortoise had to be exactly under the lamp! Maybe thats why my danny has flexible shell because he wasn't exactly under the uvb lamp in winters! But i had him in sun when I had sun! They 12% uvb lamp i had it 2 years! That's why I renewed it!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Mmmm thank you so much! To be honest I didn't know that tortoise had to be exactly under the lamp! Maybe thats why my danny has flexible shell because he wasn't exactly under the uvb lamp in winters! But i had him in sun when I had sun! They 12% uvb lamp i had it 2 years! That's why I renewed it!

After two years - yes, it's better to change it.

He needs to spend some time under the lamp (30-60 minutes) - walking under, napping, basking κ.τ.λ. The lamp itself has 120 degrees beam, so it's pretty wide area.

 

[philipgreece]

After two years - yes, it's better to change it.

He needs to spend some time under the lamp (30-60 minutes) - walking under, napping, basking κ.τ.λ. The lamp itself has 120 degrees beam, so it's pretty wide area.

Thank you for everything! My danny still hasn't mood to eat and he has lost weight! I really don't know what else to do!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you for everything! My danny still hasn't mood to eat and he has lost weight! I really don't know what else to do!

I think, try to be persistent - keep him warm, keep LED and basking lights on for 13-14 hours during the day, bath him and offer food.

How much weight did he lose?

 

[philipgreece]

I think, try to be persistent - keep him warm, keep LED and basking lights on for 13-14 hours during the day, bath him and offer food.

How much weight did he lose?

Should I soak him everyday? I think i gave him stress because I move him all the time outside to take sun! Both of them they have lost from September 60 gramms! But wilma eats good!

 

[philipgreece]

I think, try to be persistent - keep him warm, keep LED and basking lights on for 13-14 hours during the day, bath him and offer food.

How much weight did he lose?

Should I soak him everyday? I think i gave him stress because I move him all the time outside to take sun! Both of them they have lost from September 60 gramms! But wilma eats good! I wake him up while the temperature is 29-30 degrees! He eats a little and he immediately dig and sleeps! He seems weak! When he eats he looks like he sneezes!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Should I soak him everyday? I think i gave him stress because I move him all the time outside to take sun! Both of them they have lost from September 60 gramms! But wilma eats good! I wake him up while the temperature is 29-30 degrees! He eats a little and he immediately dig and sleeps! He seems weak! When he eats he looks like he sneezes!

60 grams is more than 10%, as I remember. Sounds worrying. Can you remind if you did fecal tests recently?

Soaking 2-3 times a week is more than enough. If you see gritty urates - you can soak more often. But just spraying water over greens can be more effective to keep them hydrated. If you can keep Danny at 27-28C at night, please, do so.

 

[Markw84]

Thank you for everything! My danny still hasn't mood to eat and he has lost weight! I really don't know what else to do!

Russian tortoises shut down (brumate) for the winter. They stop eating and become very lethargic in preparation before retreating to their burrow and staying down until next late spring.

The biggest trigger for them to prepare for brumation is light - not temperature. Lower sun angle = reduced intensity and lower UV levels - and shorter days. Days with less than 12 hours of sunlight definitely means they should be underground.

Right now where you are the sun is only at 35° briefly midday. Your daylight is now 10 hours 19 minutes.

If you want to keep a tortoise active - you need to give it summer conditions. Unless you have provided bright daylight-like lighting and a photoperiod of 14 hours, your tortoise wants to shut down for the winter.

Most folks dramatically under-light enclosures. Windows in the room provide the added light in summer, but also tell the tortoise of the shorter days as your rooms are dramatically darker this time of year and bright for a much shorter time.

Summer daylight is BRIGHT! A bright indoor room is still much, much dimmer than summer daylight. I like at least 350-400 lumens per sq ft. ambient lighting in a "daylight" color = 5000k-6000k. On top of that, I add a basking light and the UV light. I then put in a few potted pothos plants for natural cover to give a photo-gradient.

Your enclosure is under illuminated. Add bright ambient light. Add a few plant in heavy pots. Ensure the photoperiod is 14 hours.

 

[philipgreece]

60 grams is more than 10%, as I remember. Sounds worrying. Can you remind if you did fecal tests recently?

Soaking 2-3 times a week is more than enough. If you see gritty urates - you can soak more often. But just spraying water over greens can be more effective to keep them hydrated. If you can keep Danny at 27-28C at night, please, do so.

Yes its worrying but I don't know what else can I do! I don't have vets here! I give my best! Maybe I handle them all the time! I wonder what went wrong from those injections! The problem is despite the temperatures I give them they don't wake up! I have to wake them up and i think is stressful for them!

 

[philipgreece]

Russian tortoises shut down (brumate) for the winter. They stop eating and become very lethargic in preparation before retreating to their burrow and staying down until next late spring.

The biggest trigger for them to prepare for brumation is light - not temperature. Lower sun angle = reduced intensity and lower UV levels - and shorter days. Days with less than 12 hours of sunlight definitely means they should be underground.

Right now where you are the sun is only at 35° briefly midday. Your daylight is now 10 hours 19 minutes.

If you want to keep a tortoise active - you need to give it summer conditions. Unless you have provided bright daylight-like lighting and a photoperiod of 14 hours, your tortoise wants to shut down for the winter.

Most folks dramatically under-light enclosures. Windows in the room provide the added light in summer, but also tell the tortoise of the shorter days as your rooms are dramatically darker this time of year and bright for a much shorter time.

Summer daylight is BRIGHT! A bright indoor room is still much, much dimmer than summer daylight. I like at least 350-400 lumens per sq ft. ambient lighting in a "daylight" color = 5000k-6000k. On top of that, I add a basking light and the UV light. I then put in a few potted pothos plants for natural cover to give a photo-gradient.

Your enclosure is under illuminated. Add bright ambient light. Add a few plant in heavy pots. Ensure the photoperiod is 14 hours.

Thank you for your informations! I have them both of them 5 years and I have never seen them to loose weight! In some posts I referred that did to them injections and for that moment insaw them lost weight! My wilma eats good though! My danny limps amd he seems weak! I have sun here in Greece but I think I give them stress! I send the feces yes! 11 o'clock in the morning I collect them and I put them.in the fridge and the last boat is 5 o'clock in afternoon! So it was there next day! The samples was there was 27 hours later! Is it ok or yje sample was expired? She told me its was clear! No parasites!

 

[philipgreece]

60 grams is more than 10%, as I remember. Sounds worrying. Can you remind if you did fecal tests recently?

Soaking 2-3 times a week is more than enough. If you see gritty urates - you can soak more often. But just spraying water over greens can be more effective to keep them hydrated. If you can keep Danny at 27-28C at night, please, do so.

Thank you for your informations! I have them both of them 5 years and I have never seen them to loose weight! In some posts I referred that did to them injections and for that moment insaw them lost weight! My wilma eats good though! My danny limps amd he seems weak! I have sun here in Greece but I think I give them stress! I send the feces yes! 11 o'clock in the morning I collect them and I put them.in the fridge and the last boat is 5 o'clock in afternoon! So it was there next day! The samples was there was 27 hours later! Is it ok or yje sample was expired? She told me its was clear! No parasites!

60 grams is more than 10%, as I remember. Sounds worrying. Can you remind if you did fecal tests recently?

Soaking 2-3 times a week is more than enough. If you see gritty urates - you can soak more often. But just spraying water over greens can be more effective to keep them hydrated. If you can keep Danny at 27-28C at night, please, do so.

send the feces yes! 11 o'clock in the morning I collect them and I put them.in the fridge and the last boat is 5 o'clock in afternoon! So it was there next day! The samples was there was 27 hours later! Is it ok or yje sample was expired? She told me its was clear! No parasites!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

send the feces yes! 11 o'clock in the morning I collect them and I put them.in the fridge and the last boat is 5 o'clock in afternoon! So it was there next day! The samples was there was 27 hours later! Is it ok or yje sample was expired? She told me its was clear! No parasites!

Such long transportation time definitely affects the results, but worms eggs and cysts of protozoans should be still visible. If results came back clean - that's good.

Follow the advice from Markw84 about ambient light over enclosure. He's one of the real experts on the forum. If you need some help with choosing lights etc. - feel free to ask more.