Need help with food for tortoise

nathanlevi

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2018
Messages
81
Location (City and/or State)
California, North Hollywood, LA
Just a few things.
- you need hides. Tortoises need a dark place where they can feel secure. You have none. A regular hide and a humid hide are perfect.
-the lights. The red light you have makes tortoises think that the substrate is food, and they will try to eat it. Also, tortoises need total darkness to sleep, and can see the red lights. It needs to be replaced with a ceramic heat emitter for night heat.
I’m also going to assume that you have a coil/compact uvb bulb in there. If not, please correct me. They are known to cause eye problems, and are not very effective. You need a fluorescent tube light, or a mercury vapor bulb. Please look these up, and ask us about them when you are trying to choose one.
-the thermometer. Those disk thermometers are not reliable at all, and you could take 30 off of one shelf and they’d all read something different. You need a digital thermometer with a probe, or a temperature gun. You can find temp guns on amazon for 15 dollars, and they are an absolute life saver.
The substrate- your substrate needs to be MUCH deeper, like 4+ inches.

Keep in mind, the temperatures need to remain above 80 degrees at all times everywhere in the enclosure, and the basking spot needs to be around 100.

I’m just going to warn you, tortoises are very expensive animals that require a lot of space. I have had mine for a little over a year, and have already spent 500-1500 dollars on it, and it’s only 6 inches or so long.That tiny tank is going to be out grown in a few months, so I would suggest to start building a very large closed chamber. Your tortoise will have to go outside full time, if you have the right weather for it. Are you ready for a ft-ft and a half long tortoise?

I will also change the tank to a much bigger inclosure in the summer. Thank you so much for all your help for my tortoise. I live in California in la do you think that it could stay outside in that heat because temperatures get above 100
 

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
For the lights part I will change the red light but do you know where I can find a ceramic heat emitter?

Online or at pet stores. I would recommend a high wattage one. Online is cheaper.

Did you say that you had a uvb bulb but you’re taking it out?
Tortoises absolutely need uvb lights, but coil ones are bad. You need a mercury vapor bulb, which supplies heat and uvb, but has to be replaced every 6 months,IMG_1516244106.321741.jpg
Or my personal favorite, the fluorescent tube lights.IMG_1516244197.569334.jpg
 

nathanlevi

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2018
Messages
81
Location (City and/or State)
California, North Hollywood, LA
Online or at pet stores. I would recommend a high wattage one. Online is cheaper.

Did you say that you had a uvb bulb but you’re taking it out?
Tortoises absolutely need uvb lights, but coil ones are bad. You need a mercury vapor bulb, which supplies heat and uvb, but has to be replaced every 6 months,View attachment 227979
Or my personal favorite, the fluorescent tube lights.View attachment 227980
I use both of these for my tortoise are they good?1516551727099.jpg
 

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Is this a good Calcium supplement for my leopard tortoise.(his name is mikey)

I would use the one without D3 if you have a proper, non compact uvb light. I use their calcium without D3, but other members might have different opinions so I would wait :)
 

New Posts

Top