New and seeking a little advice :)

[Sazlee]

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and soon to be getting a Russian tortoise! .. I have done a lot of research from various sources and off this forum too. I just wanted to ask, what exactly will I need for my indoor enclosure? And what type of substrate would be best for Russians? I have been gathering information for months now, but so many sites contradict each other, it's hard to know which has the right info and which doesn't. Hope to hear back soon!

 

[Eloise's mommy]

I use Cocoa coir for my substrate and that has worked great for me an Eloise. I have her is a 54 gal rubbermaid tub inside and I am waiting (not so patiently) for the temps outside to get warm enough outside so she can spend some time in her kiddie pool enclosure which I used organic topsoil for the substrate. Inside I have a 18" UVB tube bulb and a small 50 watt flood light for basking...I have another light over the cool end too because my house gets preety cool in the winter time but with summer approaching I shouldn't need to use that one for a while. I give 3 soaks a week Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. During her Sunday bath her rubbermaid tub gets some house keeping and I add water to the substrate and mix it about. This is also the day that if I'm going to "redecorate" or move things about then I do it during houskeeping. Hope this helps!! and Welcome to the forum.

 

[Sazlee]

Thanks. I've not seen cocoa coir in any pet stores I've been too. Only repti sand, repti turf and aspen. But I'll keep looking for the cocoa coir. Does it need to be mixed with any other? Or just fine on its own? And thank you for the speedy response

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Also if its ok to add... I know this will probably sound silly, but should they be fed daily? As I have read on websites, some people feed them every other day. I just want to make sure before I go pick up my tort that I know everything I need too, to avoid any mistakes.

 

[Eloise's mommy]

It's fine on it's own....or you can mix it with top soil or a little sand (not too much it can cause impaction from what I've read) I got mine at Petsmart it comes in a brick form and you soak it in a gallon of water per brick to expand it. But I've read on other posts that some owners find it in the garden section at lowes or homedepot as a ground cover/mulch. It is also called coconut husk I believe.

 

[Sazlee]

Aaah ok. Thank you ill have a look on google and see where I can get some. Does it need to dry out before the tort can go on it? I'm from the uk. So we don't have the same pet stores. But I should be able to get ahold of it somewhere

 

[biochemnerd808]

Welcome to the forum. It is so great to see someone who is doing their research BEFORE they get a tortoise.

The coconut coir is also known as "Eco Earth" in some petstores, and is sold as bricks. You put the brick in a large bucket or bag, and add about a gallon of water. For my largest enclosure I use 6 bricks, but depending on what size you have, you should be able to get a 3-pack of bricks for about $8 total. I know both Petsmart and Petco have the coconut coir. Bricks are more economic than buying the little bag. If you are consistent about cleaning up poop, then you can leave it in the enclosure for 3 months. Then I just put it on the compost, and make a new batch.

I have read many different sites, and have found that www.russiantortoise.net has the best, most consistent and useful information. The articles aren't too long, the instructions are pretty straightforward. The guy who wrote it is Joe Heinen, and he has been keeping and breeding RTs for 30+ years, with great success. I have interacted with him personally, and he was SO helpful to me when I was rescuing several tortoises last year.

The very basic list of what you will need:
- An enclosure - NOT an aquarium, preferably something that is at least 2ftx4ft, but larger is always better. Ideas would be a bookshelf that is put on its back, with the shelves removed and a tarp liner, or a very large rubbermaid bin (Home Depot has some for $20 that are heavy duty and about 4ftx2ft). Or you can build one. I have several examples on my blog (link in my signature)
- substrate (coconut coir or organic topsoil e.g.)
- Proper lighting. Either an all-in-one bulb (MVB) that produces UVB and heat, or separate basking lamp and UVB tube light. NOT the coil kind.
-Water dish. Don't believe anyone who tells you that tortoises don't need a water dish. You'll also need to soak your tortoise at least once a week in water that is about 1 to 1.5 inches deep. I use a cat litter pan for the soaks, because the tortoise can't get out. The dollar store also has a variety of basins that would work.
-some kind of hide - a flower pot works well, or you can build a little house
-a flat stone to place under the basking light, and another flat rock to place the food on.
-a cuttlefish bone - so your tortoise can help himself to some calcium as needed
-TNT supplement powder from Carolina Pet Supply http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=58 to be sprinkled on the food a few times a week - I keep mine in a salt shaker.
-a temp gun (infrared thermometer) - Amazon has some for around $15-18. I bought one by ETEKCITY that I am very happy with for $17. Your temps should be about 70 on the cool end (room temp), about 95-100 degrees F under the hot spot of the heat lamp, about 80ish near the heat lamp, and somewhere below 70 and above 60 at night.

Russiantortoise.net has a good list of edible plants, and there is also a good list here: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/files/Booklet 2nd edition_March 2012.pdf

I hope this helps!

Thanks. I've not seen cocoa coir in any pet stores I've been too. Only repti sand, repti turf and aspen. But I'll keep looking for the cocoa coir. Does it need to be mixed with any other? Or just fine on its own? And thank you for the speedy response

---

Also if its ok to add... I know this will probably sound silly, but should they be fed daily? As I have read on websites, some people feed them every other day. I just want to make sure before I go pick up my tort that I know everything I need too, to avoid any mistakes.

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[Sazlee]

Thank you very much for the tips and the web link I am getting a tortoise table built. The tort from the breeder is 2 years old apparently. So I want to make sure I get the most suitable size made. Would you say 3" x 6" would suffice for a tort that age? I also am planning the outdoor enclosure for a little later on when it warms up some more. Unfortunately British weather isn't great at the best of times lol. About feeding... How often would you say is right? I have read mixed information about that too, some day daily, others day every other day. I just know if I made any mistakes and the tort was unhappy or in bad health i wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I think people misinterpret tortoises as being simple pets to keep, and too often rush into it. But I've been doing daily research now for just over 3 months. It's become a bit of an obsession. I've waited 3 years also, before commuting to get one, so I could be sure to give it an outdoor enclosure in my garden. (Never had a garden before). And now im rambling! Apologies!

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Committing * to get one. Silly auto correct on phones.

 

[LolaMyLove]

Garden centers also carry the coco coir cheaper then the pet stores do. In fact I get mine from Target for $2.57 a brick.

 

[WillTort2]

Decide which room in which to put the table. Not in sunlight, the heat would be too much in the direct sunlight. Then measure the space available in that room. If you can fit an 8 foot length (or whatever metric equiv. for your plywood sheets) then that would be an ideal length. The width will depend on how far you can reach. Build the top of the wall height equal to your waist off the floor. Then bend at the waist and see how far you can easily reach into the table. If your tort is shy, he will dig into the furthest corner.

So, in summary, make the length equal to a sheet of plywood and the width as wide as you can easily reach. If space allows.

Don't be afraid to get creative by using 2 stories or by making a L shape or a C shape or even an E shape. Allow the tort as much room as possible and put in some plants and objects for him to focus on and explore.

 

[lynnedit]

Among others, in the UK, try the Shelled Warriors Shop (also a forum).

http://www.shelledwarriorsshop.co.uk/komodo-terrain-compact-half-brick-1272-p.asp

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For the coir and other supplies, that is

 

[Chinque]

Okay, I got most of my stuff from both petco and the east bay Vivarium, where the professionals helped me out (they helped me and I hope I'll help you!). For lighting I use a reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb and a zilla black night heat 150 watt bulb. In her tank, I have a medium-sized petco log, some assorted fake plants, and a piece of slate that I got at the Vivarium. And, for substrate I use a mix of ecoearth loose coconut fiber substrate and premium organic orchid mix. If you live in northern California, you should just take a day to go to Berkeley and go to the Vivarium! The people there are super nice and helpful--they even got me started on my first tort (Daisy the Russian)!

 

[Sazlee]

Thank you very much! You've all been really helpful I'm really excited to get things set up and get the tort )