New Russian Tortoise owner

[Lizd]

Hi All, we are the new owners of a russian tortoise my daughter has named Shelly (no idea if male or female).

She has a 3x5 indoor enclosure and once the weather warms she'll have an outdoor one too. Currently has a substrate of eco earth and coco fiber. So far we have tried kale, mustard/collard greens, spring mix and romaine, but all she ever eats is the romaine.

Shelly spends a lot of time in her hide & will only walk around & eat after I take her out to have a warm bath (which she seems thoroughly enjoy) and bask for awhile. Enclosure temps are 95 under the heat light, 80-85 warm side, 70 on the cooler end and a bit cooler in hide.

Will take any and all advice. We have read a TON of information(much of it conflicting) but are always looking to learn more. Thanks!

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome to the forum.
Mix other greens into Shelly's romaine and increase little by little. Sometimes it takes tough love also but soon Shelly will be eating different foods.

 

[LaLaP]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I'm also a keeper of Russian tortoises (2)! And one of my torts was formerly named Shelly. I discovered Shelly was a boy and changed his name when I got him. Speaking of which, if you'd like to know the sex of your Shelly we can help. Boys have long tails that sweep to the side and girls have shorter tails but if you're unsure just post a photo.
Romaine is a favorite of my torts too but unfortunately it's not the most nutritious so I feed it as a treat. I second Ray-Opo's advice of chopping and mixing and getting a bit tough. Tortoises are determined above all else so we have to match their determination!!
There IS so much conflicting information out there and soooo much of it is outdated and just plain wrong. Here on this forum we have the latest and the best information. We are lucky to have some amazing experts with scientific backgrounds and many years of personal research. My advice is to check here first.
Here are a couple of great threads to check your care against:

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

Your enclosure (although on the small side) looks very nice! Beware those analog thermometer gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Do you have another way of measuring temps? One of my favorite tortoise tools is a laser temperature gun. Only about $12 in a hardware store and invaluable for spot checking the basking spot, soak water, cool side, tort carapace, etc.
Temperature will play the biggest role in your tortoise being active, healthy and somewhat social. Have fun getting to know your Shelly!

 

[Lizd]

Thanks for the reply! I have a temperature gun that we ordered off Amazon, the analog was for intial set up before the gun came in. I already mix the greens but tend to leave them pretty chunky, I'll try to chop them smaller, see of that helps. Shelly's enclosure is a little over 3 feet by 6 feet.. What's the ideal size for an indoor enclosure? Also for substrate, I find the eco earth doesn't hold the moisture well and gets a bit dusty. Is there something that works better?