Pink plaston

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Oh good! Thank you! I have just taken one tonight, I clean the enclosure once a week. So the temperature under the heat lamp ranges from about 35-39 degrees directly below, it is a 100W bulb in a hooded lamp, it’s around 25 degrees where his food is / middle and 19-20 degrees in the cool shaded side.
The humidity is generally around 65%
I have 3 digital thermometers to monitor and I use coco coir substrate
Diet wise I try and keep it as varied as possible, (living in the uk with weeds and flowers atm is a bit difficult) but I give him dandelions/leaves, clovers from the garden, he loves kale, lambs lettuce, bit of rocket, red lettuce etc. going to try and grow as much as I can come spring /summer! And will try flowers!
(He does have that little brush in his house because he loves a bum scratch) but we are in the process of building a new enclosure so any tips on that are welcome!

Aw thanks for the reply! This is a cute little home! Just a few things of note, as your baby is still only under a year, he really could do with being in a closed chamber set up, babies need much higher humidity than adults, it helps aid in smoother growth, it’s impossible keeping humidity where needed with an open top.

I’d also be very wary using the clamp for your bulbs, there’s been numerous accounts of them unfortunately falling in, I’d hang them securely from a makeshift stand to be safe.

Temps sound pretty good, though I’d try and keep the cooler side in the 75f range during the day.

Hopefully you find this thread helpful, this covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, stores often sell the wrong bulbs so I’d double check what basking bulb you have), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers, there’s lots of topper options that could work for this set up!

Housing young Russian/Herman

Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes different closed chamber options, some work better than others

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Please feel free to ask any further questions!

 

[Tom]

Hi, I’m a new owner and I’ve got a tortoise called Frank who is 8 months old now. He is very active, curious, growing quickly! I soak him daily for around 15 minutes each morning, feed him a varied diet of weeds, lambs lettuce kale etc different foods most days, and he eats well off his slate. He has a basking spot and a separate uvb tube light, a hide for shade and use coco coir for substrate, poos and wee’s daily which looks fine. However, I have noticed the past couple of days that his plastron on his under shell has gone pink, I’m hoping it’s due to growth but I’m a bit concerned and would welcome a second opinion if possible View attachment 386907please!

Hello and welcome. I see a healthy plastron. The pink color is from to vascularization due to growth. If appetite and activity levels are good, then I would not worry about that.

Over all your enclosure looks great. I see a plastic plant in the foreground of the one picture. Be careful with that as they will eat the plastic and it can cause impaction. Your diet and soaking routine sound excellent.

I agree with other posters on these points:
1. No free roaming on the floor.
2. Higher humidity for a baby.
3. Hang your bulbs from over head like your UV tube. Don't use the clamps.

The overgrown nails are a warning sign. The beak looks good though. Overgrown beaks and nails are usually associated with poor diet (Not the case here...), lack of UV, or lack of calcium. What type of UV tube are you using in that fixture? You said he's 8 months old. How long has he been with you? How often are you adding a calcium supplement?

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Oh, thank you for the picture . . that Frank is too dang cute

 

[JessL]

Aw thanks for the reply! This is a cute little home! Just a few things of note, as your baby is still only under a year, he really could do with being in a closed chamber set up, babies need much higher humidity than adults, it helps aid in smoother growth, it’s impossible keeping humidity where needed with an open top.

I’d also be very wary using the clamp for your bulbs, there’s been numerous accounts of them unfortunately falling in, I’d hang them securely from a makeshift stand to be safe.

Temps sound pretty good, though I’d try and keep the cooler side in the 75f range during the day.

Hopefully you find this thread helpful, this covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, stores often sell the wrong bulbs so I’d double check what basking bulb you have), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers, there’s lots of topper options that could work for this set up!

Housing young Russian/Herman

Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes different closed chamber options, some work better than others

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Please feel free to ask any further questions!

Wow, thank you so much for this information, this is really useful! I will defo look into this asap, will hopefully give Frank the best life with everyone’s help on this forum!

 

[JessL]

Hello and welcome. I see a healthy plastron. The pink color is from to vascularization due to growth. If appetite and activity levels are good, then I would not worry about that.

Over all your enclosure looks great. I see a plastic plant in the foreground of the one picture. Be careful with that as they will eat the plastic and it can cause impaction. Your diet and soaking routine sound excellent.

I agree with other posters on these points:
1. No free roaming on the floor.
2. Higher humidity for a baby.
3. Hang your bulbs from over head like your UV tube. Don't use the clamps.

The overgrown nails are a warning sign. The beak looks good though. Overgrown beaks and nails are usually associated with poor diet (Not the case here...), lack of UV, or lack of calcium. What type of UV tube are you using in that fixture? You said he's 8 months old. How long has he been with you? How often are you adding a calcium supplement?

Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for this advice, I will definitely take everyone’s tips on board!
So the UV light is the T5 HO tube light which is on 7-7 and he has calcium supplement on his food 5 times a week Monday - Friday as well as a cuttlebone fish permanently which I change with a fresh one every so often, I have had him for just over 3 months now

 

[JessL]

Oh, thank you for the picture . . that Frank is too dang cute

Aww thank you!! He’s such a little character!

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Aww thank you!! He’s such a little character!

Yes, many folks think of them as rocks....but . .they ARE living lil creatures and each has their own personality's, likes & dislikes....just love'm to death

 

[Turfnsurf]

….. I think better will explain other more experienced members of this forum.

Speak like Yoda, does this one

 

[Tom]

Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for this advice, I will definitely take everyone’s tips on board!
So the UV light is the T5 HO tube light which is on 7-7 and he has calcium supplement on his food 5 times a week Monday - Friday as well as a cuttlebone fish permanently which I change with a fresh one every so often, I have had him for just over 3 months now

You've got the right type of UV tube, and there is certainly no lack of calcium in the diet. I suspect that the nails are another consequence of the previous caretaker. I would put another flat rock, like your feeding slate or a piece of sand stone, under the basking lamp. This will help wear down those nails naturally over time, as will outdoor time in a large enclosure in the warmer months.

I don't see ambient lighting. I would add some to make it brighter and more "sunny" in the indoor enclosure. Along with that, 12 hours of intense high UV is unnatural and unnecessary. I prefer just a few hours mid day to simulate what happens outside. I'd put the UV on a timer from 10am-3pm, or something like that. In my warm climate where they can get sun all year, I only run UV on them for 2-3 hours a day. If all is ideal, they really only need 15 minutes a day of UV exposure to get the job done, and since they store D3, they can go weeks or months with no UV at all. Running an HO tube like yours for several hours every day allows plenty of time to get the job done. Following this suggestion will also make your expensive UV tube last two or three times longer.

 

[zolasmum]

Okay how do I trim his nails just with a nail clipper or do I get the vets to do it?

It probably would be a good idea to trim the nails on his back feet a little bit, as they are quite pointed, and could easily catch on something,but the front ones are more blunt, and could be left for now - Frank may wear them down himself if he moves about a lot. You can do it yourself with nail scissors - hold his foot up to the light, and you will be able to see clear nail near the end, and darker nail higher up near his foot -the darker bit is where there is blood , so don't cut that - the bit to cut is just at the very end of the nail, where it is clear. Just take a tiny snip off the end, to remove the point,on each nail, and see how he gets on. It won't hurt him. It might then wear down more on its own - it might even improve his walking balance -and you could always trim a bit more in the future, if you think he needs it.
Angie

 

[JessL]

You've got the right type of UV tube, and there is certainly no lack of calcium in the diet. I suspect that the nails are another consequence of the previous caretaker. I would put another flat rock, like your feeding slate or a piece of sand stone, under the basking lamp. This will help wear down those nails naturally over time, as will outdoor time in a large enclosure in the warmer months.

I don't see ambient lighting. I would add some to make it brighter and more "sunny" in the indoor enclosure. Along with that, 12 hours of intense high UV is unnatural and unnecessary. I prefer just a few hours mid day to simulate what happens outside. I'd put the UV on a timer from 10am-3pm, or something like that. In my warm climate where they can get sun all year, I only run UV on them for 2-3 hours a day. If all is ideal, they really only need 15 minutes a day of UV exposure to get the job done, and since they store D3, they can go weeks or months with no UV at all. Running an HO tube like yours for several hours every day allows plenty of time to get the job done. Following this suggestion will also make your expensive UV tube last two or three times longer.

I think you’re right, looking back at photos of when I first got him his nails were the same then. He wasn’t in the best of conditions when I first collected him. I will definitely get another rock for his nails thank you for the suggestion! I will also look into ambient lighting, I’ve made sure he’s in the brightest room in the house as well (those pics were taken at night and also probably doesn’t help that we live in the UK haha) and perfect I will minimise the uv time thank you so much for all this advice!

 

[JessL]

It probably would be a good idea to trim the nails on his back feet a little bit, as they are quite pointed, and could easily catch on something,but the front ones are more blunt, and could be left for now - Frank may wear them down himself if he moves about a lot. You can do it yourself with nail scissors - hold his foot up to the light, and you will be able to see clear nail near the end, and darker nail higher up near his foot -the darker bit is where there is blood , so don't cut that - the bit to cut is just at the very end of the nail, where it is clear. Just take a tiny snip off the end, to remove the point,on each nail, and see how he gets on. It won't hurt him. It might then wear down more on its own - it might even improve his walking balance -and you could always trim a bit more in the future, if you think he needs it.
Angie

Hi Angie, perfect okay I will get that done thank you!!