Many will disagree, but hear me out!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,908
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
Ok, I feel like it will get use to the one week switch. It isn’t surrounded by much at either house so it is about the same.
Sapphire gets the morning sun every day in his indoor enclosure. I have his hide at the back of it where he goes to bed every night after the sun goes down. The next morning 🌄 the sun shines in. He wakes up.🤗🐢 and waltzes out of his hide to eat. That's a part of our routine for his indoor enclosure. So if you can keep Rosie's enclosure oriented in the same direction as s/he is at home also, it will be better. Or should I call him Roosevelt?🤗
 
Joined
May 31, 2023
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma
Sapphire gets the morning sun every day in his indoor enclosure. I have his hide at the back of it where he goes to bed every night after the sun goes down. The next morning 🌄 the sun shines in. He wakes up.🤗🐢 and waltzes out of his hide to eat. That's a part of our routine for his indoor enclosure. So if you can keep Rosie's enclosure oriented in the same direction as s/he is at home also, it will be better. Or should I call him Roosevelt?🤗
Ok, it is! Thank you. I stay on the morning routine depending on what I have going on!
 

ryan57

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
298
Location (City and/or State)
PA
Hey guys, I recently got a tortoise as many know and apparently I don’t have all of the right supplies. I have already been lectured on everything, so I don’t need any more please. I just wanted everybody to know what I am doing. I am getting a 40 gallon fish tank for my baby sulcata tortoise to live in. Many people think that is too small, but that is what I am doing. This is a giant upgrade from the last cage and I am doing it because of all of the helpful people who have said my cage is too small. My tortoise spends most of the day roaming my back yard anyways, with me keeping an eye on it. I also have a UV lamp, that is not the wattage some people say is right. Some people also say that if your tortoise stays outside there is no use for a UV light. Because of this I am going to continue to take my tortoise outside daily, and use my UV light for 8-10 hours a day. I am getting a humidifier for my tortoise, and a humidity meter. A lot of people say that the humidity won’t stay in an aquarium, but I have had luck in the past. I feed my tortoise Iceberg lettuce, Roman lettuce, carrot, apple, and aloe. I also add calcium every other day. My tortoise usually eats normal grass when grazing outside, clover, dandelion, and more. Even though I offer all of the food in its bowl, it will only eat the lettuce. This is ok though because it eats a lot of variety’s outside. I soak my tortoise for 15 minutes every day, at about 80 degrees. It had a hide out which will need to be updated i about a month, because it is a little smaller than I had hoped. I am telling everybody all of this not to get feedback or for anybody to judge. I just wanted everybody to know what I am doing, whether is is wrong or right. In the future, I will update everything, and in 2 years it will live in my backyard. I am sorry if you have a problem with this, but this is how I will do it.
If you would take a nutrition tip, I fed Stump Mazuri LS small tortoise for 9 months and then Mazuri LS at 9 months at the recommended portion on the bag. Stump is 8.15lbs @ 1 year, 3 months and 5 days since hatching. Shell is almost 11" long. The tank is fine for a "burrow" when small if taken out often. At about 9 months they definitely get the itch to cool down significantly and leave the "burrow" (whatever you choose for it to be) if carapace temp is above 92 or so. Stump does NOT like it in the sun above 95 degrees and will seek shade quickly. What a joy! Sulcatas are great.
 
Joined
May 31, 2023
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma
If you would take a nutrition tip, I fed Stump Mazuri LS small tortoise for 9 months and then Mazuri LS at 9 months at the recommended portion on the bag. Stump is 8.15lbs @ 1 year, 3 months and 5 days since hatching. Shell is almost 11" long. The tank is fine for a "burrow" when small if taken out often. At about 9 months they definitely get the itch to cool down significantly and leave the "burrow" (whatever you choose for it to be) if carapace temp is above 92 or so. Stump does NOT like it in the sun above 95 degrees and will seek shade quickly. What a joy! Sulcatas are great.
Yes, thank you for the tips! The aquarium varies from 75 degrees to 95 usually. Thank you for the food advice, I may try it! I don’t know if my tortoise will eat it or not, because it has only eaten real vegetables!
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Yes, thank you for the tips! The aquarium varies from 75 degrees to 95 usually. Thank you for the food advice, I may try it! I don’t know if my tortoise will eat it or not, because it has only eaten real vegetables!
75 is too cold. No part of the enclosure should drop below 80 at any time. You need a ceramic heating element or a radiant heat panel set on a thermostat to regulate that 24/7.

Take the time to gradually introduce your tortoise to the new foods. It doesn't matter if the tortoise ignores the new foods and doesn't want to eat it at first. Go through the introduction process we talked about previously, and get your tortoise eating the right foods.
 
Joined
May 31, 2023
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma
75 is too cold. No part of the enclosure should drop below 80 at any time. You need a ceramic heating element or a radiant heat panel set on a thermostat to regulate that 24/7.

Take the time to gradually introduce your tortoise to the new foods. It doesn't matter if the tortoise ignores the new foods and doesn't want to eat it at first. Go through the introduction process we talked about previously, and get your tortoise eating the right foods.
It is in the 80-95s all arround, but like in the very corners. And in its hide out it gets into the 75s.
 
Joined
May 31, 2023
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma
@Rooseveltthetortoise - how are things going?
Great! Roosevelt is starting to eat some unfamiliar things, and I am getting everything down (for the most part) because nobody can know everything. In the new cage, he/she is a lot more active, and loves to explore. I still do all of the regular things like soaking, and taking it outside (in a cage), and all of that stuff. I don’t currently have any questions, but you guys have been such a good help!
 

SinLA

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Joined
Apr 19, 2022
Messages
1,941
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
Great! Roosevelt is starting to eat some unfamiliar things, and I am getting everything down (for the most part) because nobody can know everything. In the new cage, he/she is a lot more active, and loves to explore. I still do all of the regular things like soaking, and taking it outside (in a cage), and all of that stuff. I don’t currently have any questions, but you guys have been such a good help!

glad to hear!
 
Joined
May 31, 2023
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma
Ok, guys… We FINALLY got a heat lamp for our tortoise (aka it finally came in) so now we don’t have that cheap little up light for heat anymore! The tortoise has been absolutely loving it!
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.9 MB · Views: 9

zolasmum

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
2,003
Ok, guys… We FINALLY got a heat lamp for our tortoise (aka it finally came in) so now we don’t have that cheap little up light for heat anymore! The tortoise has been absolutely loving it!
I don't like to say this, because I'm not an expert, but I thought one should never use red light lamps, because it confuses the tortoise and gets him thinking that everything is food.
Angie
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
THANKFULLY my tortoise will not eat anything red or colorful. Only green things. If it does start to think that, I will change it out right away. It has had no problem with it yet, and loves to sun bath under it.
As long as you realize, that most, if not all advise you have been given, can be hurtful or deadly to your tortoise when you wait to see if this or that happens. Once you actually realize the red bulb is bad, it may be too late for your tortoise.
 

PollyAda

Active Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2022
Messages
146
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands, England
Ok, guys… We FINALLY got a heat lamp for our tortoise (aka it finally came in) so now we don’t have that cheap little up light for heat anymore! The tortoise has been absolutely loving it!
If your tortoise has been without an adequate basking bulb, then they will of course be attracted to the heat and bask under the red bulb, as that is it's only option. Unfortunately, that does not make those bulbs adequate, especially when you can buy a flood lightbulb for a small amount of money. Put it this way, if I was subjected to red light during the day, I would be uncomfortable and confused.
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,908
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
Just a tip. If you try something from a legitimate pet store like Pet Smart, and it doesn't work for you, they'll give you your money back. Even if it's opened food. I've done it. So truely, you won't be out much except for a shopping trip to find what you really need.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Ok, guys… We FINALLY got a heat lamp for our tortoise (aka it finally came in) so now we don’t have that cheap little up light for heat anymore! The tortoise has been absolutely loving it!
These paragraphs are copy/pasted from the care sheet that has been linked for you multiple times. Please. Just read the material and follow what it says. Your tortoise will be healthy and you will avoid disaster.

  • You won't find most of what you need to set up a tortoise at a pet store. What you will find is expensive stuff that is bad for your tortoise and lots of bad advice. This is true even at most reptile specialty places. Where to get tortoise supplies then? The hardware store or large department stores. There are a few exceptions like reptile thermostats, some reptile heating elements, and UV tubes. I get these from on-line sellers.
  • Some common mistakes to avoid, with more explanation later: Buying from the wrong ( overly dry) source, getting advice and products from a pet store, free roaming indoors or out, feeding a diet of mostly grocery store foods without amendments, not soaking hatchlings daily, cool temps, wrong UV bulbs, wrong basking bulbs, letting dogs around your tortoise, small enclosures, overly dry enclosures, sand or soil substrates, bad vet care or advice, too much outside time for little babies, keeping a pair of tortoises in the same enclosure...
Heating And Lighting:
I use a 45-65 watt incandescent flood bulb on a 12 hour timer and adjust the height of the fixture to get a basking area of around 95-100 directly under the bulb. In some closed chambers I go with lower wattage bulbs. This depends on many factors and no one can tell you exactly what wattage you will need in your enclosure. Let your thermometer be your guide. I use LED bulbs when I want to brighten up the whole enclosure and I run these on the same timer as the basking bulb. There are other ways to do some of this, but trial and error have shown time and time again, that the above is what works the best. Don't use "spot" bulbs, reptile specialty bulbs, halogen bulbs, any cfl, or mercury vapor bulbs. You want a plain old, regular incandescent flood bulb from the hardware store.
 
Joined
May 31, 2023
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Oklahoma
Hi guys, please no hate! My tortoise was at my moms house, and she took it outside while she was gardening. She lost him/her, and now we can’t find Rosie! I have warned her many times not to take him outside, but she never listens. It has been about a week, and the weather has been really hot. I am pretty sure it is long gone, and it is just horrible. My mom feels so bad about it, and has looked for hours. No luck! I guess this is goodbye… Thank you for everything!
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,388
Hi guys, please no hate! My tortoise was at my moms house, and she took it outside while she was gardening. She lost him/her, and now we can’t find Rosie! I have warned her many times not to take him outside, but she never listens. It has been about a week, and the weather has been really hot. I am pretty sure it is long gone, and it is just horrible. My mom feels so bad about it, and has looked for hours. No luck! I guess this is goodbye… Thank you for everything!
Sorry to hear this. Tell your mother to keep looking, though. There have been some stories of tortoises found again after weeks of being lost. Tell her to look under and around clumps of grass and low growing bushes or plants with branches which hang down near the ground and provide hiding areas with shade.

Maybe she could running a sprinkler in the area where it was last seen. That might get it to come out in the open to enjoy the "rain". I would suggest running it for an hour or so, then turning it off and going out into the dampened area to see if the tortoise can be spotted walking around eating in the wet area.
 

Cathie G

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Messages
14,908
Location (City and/or State)
Lancaster
Hi guys, please no hate! My tortoise was at my moms house, and she took it outside while she was gardening. She lost him/her, and now we can’t find Rosie! I have warned her many times not to take him outside, but she never listens. It has been about a week, and the weather has been really hot. I am pretty sure it is long gone, and it is just horrible. My mom feels so bad about it, and has looked for hours. No luck! I guess this is goodbye… Thank you for everything!
I really think they just wonder off on a treck and come back around again if they can. That's what they do in the wild. That's why you have to try to do escape proof enclosures. So don't be surprised if Rosie shows up again. And don't stop looking. It could even be a long time. Also post something because people could rescue your tortoise and not realize that Rosie is yours. Hope 🙏🤗 you get Rosie back and soon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top