hello, ive recently acquired a 9 year old horsefield tortoise from a family member as they no longer wanted him/her. hes been living in a large vivarium all his life with wood chippings on the floor, no where to burrow or climb on and after doing some reading i have discovered that this isnt the correct way to house him. im not really sure whether i should be putting him outside or inside as hes 9 so is that classed as an adult or juviniel. also hes always had heat and tends to sleep more in the summer than in the winter as weve had him for a week now and he hardly moves only to try and dig into the plastic of the vivaruim. can anyone give me some advise on how to house him because i feel that i need some help to get his standard of living where it needs to be. thankyou.
need help
- Thread starter shaz
- Start date
- Status
Hello welcome!
This is a great website for russians. http://www.russiantortoise.org/
For bedding I think most use aspen shavings or coconut coir/play sand mixture (70% coir, 30% play sand). You can get the coir online (called Eco-Earth) or in pet stores like PetSmart / PetCo. You want it to be moist, not wet enough where if you squeeze water drips.
He can be housed outside definitely if the temperatures and humidity are Ok (check russiantortoise.com for that).
Just make sure it's big enough and I personally would completely enclose it, so nothing can get in or out. Even from the top, the tortoise can't get out, but birds and other animals can climb and get in. Make sure the bottom half is not see through. I'd use wood or cinderblocks for the bottom half of it so he can't see out.
Anyways more will chime in that have russians. Definitely read through the website, it has a lot of answers too.
This is a great website for russians. http://www.russiantortoise.org/
For bedding I think most use aspen shavings or coconut coir/play sand mixture (70% coir, 30% play sand). You can get the coir online (called Eco-Earth) or in pet stores like PetSmart / PetCo. You want it to be moist, not wet enough where if you squeeze water drips.
He can be housed outside definitely if the temperatures and humidity are Ok (check russiantortoise.com for that).
Just make sure it's big enough and I personally would completely enclose it, so nothing can get in or out. Even from the top, the tortoise can't get out, but birds and other animals can climb and get in. Make sure the bottom half is not see through. I'd use wood or cinderblocks for the bottom half of it so he can't see out.
Anyways more will chime in that have russians. Definitely read through the website, it has a lot of answers too.
www.russiantortoise.org is a great website for Russians. At 9 he would be concidered an adult. If you post a pic of his belly and tail someone could help ID if it is a she or a he. I would get him off the wood chips as soon as possible. He may be sleeping alot because he is too warm what are the temps you have him in at substrate level? What is the humidity? Does he have access to water at all times? Whether you keep him in a tort table inside or outside he will climb. so make sure his enclosure is set so he can't get out Russians seem to love to climb. Also he will need some UVB. This can be in the forum of lights or you can take him outside daily for sunshine. I personally like them to get natural sun I think it is the best.
And welcome to the forum.
And welcome to the forum.
thankyou for your replys websites have good info on, basicaly leading me to think that his whole set-up is wrong. (i say his not really sure will have to get some pics on). temp is about 74 degrees far, humidity to my knowledge is nothing. how would i set that for him. he has uv light on through the day and the heat is constant. was given some tortoise pellets to feed him which i moisten for him and have also been giving him fresh greens (rocket, kale,spinach,etc) however havnt seen him eat any of it or drink water. hes very quiet and inactive. i was thinking of seting him up indoors for about a year and then getting an outside setup for him because i think it would be too stressful to take such a huge change all in one go. hes about 7inches long what size indoor area would he need.
any advise is greatly appreciated,thankyou.
any advise is greatly appreciated,thankyou.
Sounds as if your Russian may be too cold.
I am not A Russian expert. But here is what I would do.
Enclosure, substrate and humidity:
I would set him up indoors for now so I could keep a close eye on him. Place him in a 50 gallon Rubbermaid tote. Use play sand and coir brick (coconut fiber) mixed about 30% sand 70% coir. Mix it well and place it in the tote (if you bought the coir in brick form you have hydrated it to the directions and squeezed most of the water out of it before adding it with the sand) So your substrate is now damp. The heat lamps will dry the top layer so no worries. About once a week or when you see the enclosure really getting dry (you can stick you hand down into the substrate) you will need to pour some luke warm water into and mix it up. I like to do this to half the enclosure. This allows him a damp and a dry area. Get a good hydrometer and thermometer and test these at substrate level. The key is cold & damp is bad.
Light (UVB), heat and Tempratures:
Get a clamp on lamp with a ceramic socket this should be rated at least what the bulb is I like to get ones rated about 250-300 watt (in the event I need a larger bulb). Purchase a MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulb) I personally like the T-Rex 100 watt. Clamp it on one end of the enclosure. You may need to add additional heat in the form of a Ceramic heat emitter or infrared bulb (also use ceramic sockets with the correct rating for these).
If you want you could use a florescent tube that is rated 10 uvb but then you will need a basking light and heating for nighttime. Make sure you have an area were his temps get to 90-95 F (32.22C-35C ). For basking. And a cold side that get in the low 70s F, 74F or (23.33C) is fine. At night the bright lights need to be turned off and the temps drop to the 60s F (17.22C) (Bright lights will be on about 10-14 hours a day.)
Food:
Your tort needs a varied diet follow the diet given on www.russiantortoise.org it’s a good one.
Water:
Make sure your tort has access to water at all times, though you may seldom see him drink. Place a shallow plant saucer in his enclosure. Place small stones (big enough he can’t swallow them) around his water to help keep it cleaner. Water will need to be changed at least daily if not more. Water should be place about half way between basking spot and cold end.
You will want to soak your tort about once a week as it is an adult. You do this in luke warm chin deep water for about 15 -30 minutes .
Hides:
He will need a hide in both the warm and cold ends. You can make these out of just about anything. Even a small cardboard box at first to see where he wants to sleep. That is where you want to place his hide. Hides can be half logs, half of a flower pot. Three sided box made of wood with a top. Even some dry hay will work. You name it.
You will need to spot clean your enclosure daily of any fecal matter or old food items.
Hope this helps please don’t hesitate to ask specific questions you may have.
Oh and may I inquire where you are at?
I am not A Russian expert. But here is what I would do.
Enclosure, substrate and humidity:
I would set him up indoors for now so I could keep a close eye on him. Place him in a 50 gallon Rubbermaid tote. Use play sand and coir brick (coconut fiber) mixed about 30% sand 70% coir. Mix it well and place it in the tote (if you bought the coir in brick form you have hydrated it to the directions and squeezed most of the water out of it before adding it with the sand) So your substrate is now damp. The heat lamps will dry the top layer so no worries. About once a week or when you see the enclosure really getting dry (you can stick you hand down into the substrate) you will need to pour some luke warm water into and mix it up. I like to do this to half the enclosure. This allows him a damp and a dry area. Get a good hydrometer and thermometer and test these at substrate level. The key is cold & damp is bad.
Light (UVB), heat and Tempratures:
Get a clamp on lamp with a ceramic socket this should be rated at least what the bulb is I like to get ones rated about 250-300 watt (in the event I need a larger bulb). Purchase a MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulb) I personally like the T-Rex 100 watt. Clamp it on one end of the enclosure. You may need to add additional heat in the form of a Ceramic heat emitter or infrared bulb (also use ceramic sockets with the correct rating for these).
If you want you could use a florescent tube that is rated 10 uvb but then you will need a basking light and heating for nighttime. Make sure you have an area were his temps get to 90-95 F (32.22C-35C ). For basking. And a cold side that get in the low 70s F, 74F or (23.33C) is fine. At night the bright lights need to be turned off and the temps drop to the 60s F (17.22C) (Bright lights will be on about 10-14 hours a day.)
Food:
Your tort needs a varied diet follow the diet given on www.russiantortoise.org it’s a good one.
Water:
Make sure your tort has access to water at all times, though you may seldom see him drink. Place a shallow plant saucer in his enclosure. Place small stones (big enough he can’t swallow them) around his water to help keep it cleaner. Water will need to be changed at least daily if not more. Water should be place about half way between basking spot and cold end.
You will want to soak your tort about once a week as it is an adult. You do this in luke warm chin deep water for about 15 -30 minutes .
Hides:
He will need a hide in both the warm and cold ends. You can make these out of just about anything. Even a small cardboard box at first to see where he wants to sleep. That is where you want to place his hide. Hides can be half logs, half of a flower pot. Three sided box made of wood with a top. Even some dry hay will work. You name it.
You will need to spot clean your enclosure daily of any fecal matter or old food items.
Hope this helps please don’t hesitate to ask specific questions you may have.
Oh and may I inquire where you are at?
Great advice Robyn. Shaz-if you can post enclosure pictures and measure the temperatures at more than one spot (it should vary in the enclosure; what type of heat/light do you have?) we could give you instructions of what to change. Torts need to have a temperature in the 80s for them to want to move and eat. How old is the UV light? If it's a tube it needs to be replaced every 6 months so I imagine you need a new one. If you get a new one, I suggest a Mercury Vapor bulb that has heat/light/UVB in one like Robyn suggested. The T-Rex, Mega Ray, or Powersun are the best ones. Be prepared to spend a couple hundred at least to get him set up and checked out by a vet (highly suggested to have hum checked for parasites, general health, and have a vet established for future emergencies). For food, organic spring mix (mixed salad greens in the produce section of the supermarket) is a great start. The things you listed aren't good staple foods for a tortoise. The spring mix will be fine for now and later on you can add things to it or try to grow him some food. Sprinkle a pure calcium carbonate supplement on the food. You can get the powder at a health food store and it is cheaper than the reptile stuff. I use a salt shaker.
What type of vivarium is it (usually people mean a glass aquarium but not always, and you said plastic)? You may be able to work with it if it is plastic or wood, not glass, and large enough (at least a few feet by a couple feet or so) to provide enough space and a temperature gradient. The tort should not be able to see out. How tall is it? I assume the tort is about 6 inches or so long?
At this point you need to get him warmed up, moving around, have hides and water, vet visit, and eating. Best wishes. I look forward to hearing some good news.
What type of vivarium is it (usually people mean a glass aquarium but not always, and you said plastic)? You may be able to work with it if it is plastic or wood, not glass, and large enough (at least a few feet by a couple feet or so) to provide enough space and a temperature gradient. The tort should not be able to see out. How tall is it? I assume the tort is about 6 inches or so long?
At this point you need to get him warmed up, moving around, have hides and water, vet visit, and eating. Best wishes. I look forward to hearing some good news.
- Status
