New owner needs some basic advice

[ICanICan123]

The calcium he gets is reptocal powdered nutritional supplement that includes calcium and vitamin D3. How much should I give him and how often?

Also, when he soaks it looks like he is swallowing even though he hasn't made an attempt to drink. Is this normal?
(again, sorry for the billion and one questions. You're all just making me feel so much more confident in keeping him! He's soaking now )

 

[Tom]

The calcium question comes up frequently. The answer is: It depends. Some people use none, but have a good diet and lots of sun. Others use a little everyday. Either way works. I like to give it twice a week sprinkled over their food in a small amount. I also offer cuttle bone, and occasionally they'll eat a little of that too.

For substrate you want something that can be damp and not get moldy or rotten. Cypress mulch, coco chips or coir, and orchid bark are my favorites.

The humidity info is in the links from Kristina in page one. You can add a bigger shallow water bowl, cover most of the top of the enclosure, wet the substrate more and more often, spray the enclosure and the tort, use a fogger, add some safe potted plants, etc... Just DON'T let them get cold wit humidity. Keep it around 80. And remember that this is for babies. When he gets around 6-8" you can let things dry up a bit and cool off at night, if you wish.

Now here is the big thing. You may fail, but its worth trying anyway. Please go tell your pet store lady that her info was wrong 20 years ago and its still wrong today. But do it in a nice way, if possible. She's repeating the same wrong stuff that we ALL used to believe. We know better now..... Well, at least some of us do...
Refer her to this website or print out one of the aforementioned links and give it to her. Some of these "experts" get their feathers all ruffled, but some are receptive. The goal is to help the torts.

 

[jbean7916]

I've been using coco coir for my little sully and really like it. He loves to dig in it and make a mess of everything and it holds moisture really well without being *wet* all the time. As for humidity, I'm doing a humid hide as well. I have a small plastic bowl that I cut a door in and filled with moss.

Hope this helps

 

[mel262011]

My vet told me to give the calcium supplement to mine everyday because they are still little. I put just a pinch of it, if I put anymore than that my RF will hiss at me and not eat it.

 

[ICanICan123]

For better or worse, the store recently went out of business, actually.
I'm going to get some new bedding next time I go out too, then. Thank you! (It's so difficult with so many conflicting web pages out there, I really appreciate straight forward info like this).
I must have missed the humidity info... whoops (I'm in the middle of college finals, so forgive me if I'm a bit scatter brained at the moment). I think we're going to add a roof-like top to 1/2-3/4 of the pen. That way, it'll stay warmer and more humid. The pen is currently made out of wood and we have a large (probably 1/3 the size of the pen) light holder over top of it. Any suggestions for what material (I was thinking glass or something see through?) for the roof? Also, how do you all hang your lights (heat, UVB, etc.)?

 

[Tom]

My vet told me to give the calcium supplement to mine everyday because they are still little. I put just a pinch of it, if I put anymore than that my RF will hiss at me and not eat it.

The problem with this is that calcium interferes with the absorption of other minerals, trace element and certain fatty acids. Your tort won't be calcium deficient, but he MIGHT develop some other deficiency as a result of daily calcium supplementation.