Looking for some help with new tortoise

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Just to check, how are your temps reading?(temp gun will come in handy) if they’re all fine this is highly likely him having a tantrum, they’re very dramatic little creatures🥲

 

[Stephenxiii]

Hello again, I wouldn’t worry about this behaviour too much yet, they absolutely hate any kind of change, even the positive ones lol! Keep offering food each day to entice him, but it could take a few weeks for him to truly settle, he’ll likely be the same once you have him in a new set up too

Okay and how long should I be worried that he’s not eating

 

[Stephenxiii]

Current temps and humidity

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Okay and how long should I be worried that he’s not eating

Let me ask @Tom

Current temps and humidity

If you can I’d try and get yourself some digital monitors because the dial ones aren’t very accurate, but even if you could get a temp gun in the meantime to check that’d be good🙂

 

[Stephenxiii]

Let me ask @Tom


If you can I’d try and get yourself some digital monitors because the dial ones aren’t very accurate, but even if you could get a temp gun in the meantime to check that’d be good🙂

I’m currently waiting on a digital one coming I just bought then until it arrived just to make sure

 

[Tom]

Current temps and humidity

This is much too hot. That is almost 37C, and its on the wall, not even under the heat lamp. That temperature is perfect if the thermometer was sitting directly under the heat lamp cooking, but that means the whole enclosure is much too hot. You likely need a lower wattage basking lamp.

Also, hand pack your substrate down. It is too loose and fluffy.

It looks dim in the picture. They won't eat if temperatures and lighting aren't right.

Are you doing daily warm soaks to get him hydrated and get him moving? Leave him in the soaking water for 30-40 minutes and keep it warm the whole time.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’m currently waiting on a digital one coming I just bought then until it arrived just to make sure

Perfect, hopefully that’ll give you a more accurate idea🙂

 

[Stephenxiii]

This is much too hot. That is almost 37C, and its on the wall, not even under the heat lamp. That temperature is perfect if the thermometer was sitting directly under the heat lamp cooking, but that means the whole enclosure is much too hot. You likely need a lower wattage basking lamp.

Also, hand pack your substrate down. It is too loose and fluffy.

It looks dim in the picture. They won't eat if temperatures and lighting aren't right.

Are you doing daily warm soaks to get him hydrated and get him moving? Leave him in the soaking water for 30-40 minutes and keep it warm the whole time.

Okay I’ll sort some new wattage lamps

Yeh he gets daily soaks and then gets to run around the house and we’ve had him supervised in the garden a few times too

It’s only dim looking the now as the room he’s in is our family room and we’re currently watching a film so the lights off and the blinds are closed
It’s usually pretty bright during the day

What does packing the substrate down do, I’m assuming he’ll still dig down but just make it more compact

 

[Stephenxiii]

I can move the lamp up another 3/4” would that help or am I better getting lower wattage

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I can move the lamp up another 3/4” would that help or am I better getting lower wattage

Can you make on overall photo of the enclosure so the basking bulb and thermometer can be seen? Rising a lamp should help - 3-4 inches is a meaningful difference.

Hand packing substrate will make it less dusty and messy. And it will hold humidity better.

 

[Stephenxiii]

So this is it currently but I can raise it as I said another 3/4” but I’ve also ordered another lamp with lower wattage.

Update on the new enclosure, we’ve got Ann the materials ready for it and is a wodden enclosure with a waterproof material to help the wood from rotting, it should roughly be about 8x4ft give or take a inch or two and about 12” inches height

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

So this is it currently but I can raise it as I said another 3/4” but I’ve also ordered another lamp with lower wattage.

Update on the new enclosure, we’ve got Ann the materials ready for it and is a wodden enclosure with a waterproof material to help the wood from rotting, it should roughly be about 8x4ft give or take a inch or two and about 12” inches height

If you can turn (not tilt) the lamp so it shines over the corner of the enclosure (over the stones, for example) and rise it - this should help to lower temperature. Unstick the thermometer from the wall and move it around or use temperature gun to get measurements in the hide, in the middle, in the cold corner, directly under the lamp. Leave the thermometer for an hour or so to let it warm up and cool down.

Great news about new enclosure! Please keep posting updates!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Good advice from Alex, hopefully it sorts things temporarily whilst you get the new enclosure together, the plans sound awesome and I can’t wait to see the results!😁

 

[Stephenxiii]

Sorry for being a pest and I feel like an idiot but this is all knew to me and there was so much miss information from the pest shop it’s unbelievable.