Regrets

[Phantom9]

I am just curious as to how many of us newer(ish) members besides me feel like they found this haven too late?
The wealth of knowledge this place houses is fantastic and as a first time sulcata owner who looked used so many different guides/pieces of advice from so many sources and in the end made so many mistakes. The biggest mistake was being told and believing that humidity was actually dangerous! Yeah as a more experienced owner I know how ridiculous that sounds but it is worse when my ex vet(That guy was a real jerk to boot) didn't bother to correct me on my knowledge either. The guides and advice I had read when I first started on my trek told me to be wary of repository infections due to there being too much humidity. I feel I could have stopped The Boulders pyramiding from getting as bad as it is currently and I feel saddened whenever I see how it looks.
So many substrate mistakes like using reptisand(I have yet to find an animal that substrate won't harm) until I noticed it sticking to his(her) food and face, using alfalfa hay, repti-carpet, towels(Another vet suggestion)
Am I alone in this situation? Does anyone else have stories of the horrid advice they have received/read?

 

[NinjaTortoises]

Well i am very glad i found this website as soon as i bought my torts, i bought 4 and 2 had some pyramiding already at 2-3 weeks of age but now its going to smoothen out with me. I sometimes think about what wouldve happened if i hadnt found this place

 

[wellington]

You are not alone at all. There are many of us. I too wish I had found this place first. I did my research and because there is so much conflicting advice, I had desided I was going to only listen to the breeder. Thankfully I kept looking for more info and found TFO. Although the pyramiding started, I am now able to raise my leopard in the right conditions and start the new growth smooth. It's sad how many people still raise their hatchlings dry and on the pellets. It's almost impossible to find older (year or so) torts that aren't starting to pyramid. Don't feel bad, be glad, that you found TFO and your tort will now be raised correctly

 

[Q'sTortie]

RIGHT HERE! lol I received wrong info about humidity too. I can still remember bring my new baby home and having to set up the enclosure really quick. After setup I freaked out because the sand I used was very wet out of the bag and my humidity was reading 80's! Silly to know now that it was great for my tort and I freaked out about it. My tort started pyramiding soon after and I read somewhere that it was because of feeding too much so I cut back on my food.... so stupid... at least I did read some where to soak but not how often so I only did it twice a week... uggg it pains me to think about how uneducated I was!
*sigh* After discovering TFO a year after I got my baby, I realized I made so many mistakes... I can't believe I never ran into TFO when I did all that research!!

 

[remitort071312]

I regret not finding this page before I got my baby sulcata, because there is so many important things to know about dealing with how the breeder starts them and etc.

 

[Tom]

Hey. None of you are stupid. ALL of us had the wrong info. I still look at my old books and shake my head. I started with sulcatas in '91. Every single one pyramided. Leopards followed soon after and were even worse. I mean bad. With each new attempt, I thought I knew where I had gone wrong and I was going to get it "right" this time. I failed every single time. I knew it wasn't the food, either type or quantity. I knew it wasn't lack of sunshine or calcium. I was keeping them dry like all the books and all the "experts" said to keep them, and still, nothing but failure. When I got my last couple of hatchlings in '98, I really thought I had the right info and followed it to a "T". Failure. Again. I kept those tortoises, Scooter and Bert, and every time I look at them it reminds me why I push new people so hard. There is NO time to be considerate and careful about people's feelings when a hatchling sulcata is being kept dry. They have to "get it" and get it right away. I failed so miserably and so many times that I just gave up on leopards entirely and gave them all away. I kept the last two sulcatas, but gave away all the previous ones. It was sad. I was so upset and dejected that I nearly gave up on keeping tortoises forever. I can remember telling friends that until I figured out what was causing the pyramiding and how to prevent it, I was done with tortoises. I would never get another baby. Well the years clicked by and little by little I kept getting pieces to the puzzle, and in 2007 I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I had seen some things in FL and Louisiana that really opened my eyes. Then I read the Fife's Leopard Tortoise book where he mentioned the use of humid hides. It was back "ON"! I gave it another go with Daisy. I was met with initial failure, but eventual success. Many people contributed to my ideas and knowledge and I learned a ton along the way. In 2010 I found this forum and my knowledge increased tenfold. I went out and applied this new knowledge in many ways with many experiments and the learning is still going on to this day. New things are still being tried. Methods refined and perfected. We have come so far in such a short time... The bottom line is that NOW I know what was wrong back then, and I KNOW how to fix and or prevent it. Now if we could only get the rest of the world on board...

 

[remitort071312]

I thought real hard about getting a sulcata for a year or more. I researched a lot before I got Remi and there was so much conflicting advice out there it made my head spin. Well I finally decided I wanted to get one, So I was blessed with her as a birthday gift. I now worry so much about Remi all the time because the First week I got her I was told she wouldn't live a month by the vet, well she didn't know what she was talking about. That was two months ago, and Remi seems fine. All my friends want to run out and get pet sulcatas and I tell them hey they grow fast and get very large so their eyes get real big and they say "what are you going to do with yours when it gets that get?"I'm like I'm going to keep her, what are you going to do when your puppy gets 100 lbs? The breeder I got Remi from started his torts off dry so she was already pyramiding when I got her, but I soak her three times a day and mist her hide and enclosure and keep it very humid, I just worry I'll lose her. I have my brother check on her on days I work 16 hours, or when I'm in class all day.

 

[knighterson]

I had the same experience too. I honestly felt that I was really well prepared and that I had researched everything I could. I started off with pine shavings/chips and no humidity, which is how my little guy was being kept before I bought him too. Being new to torts in general, I didn't recognize the pyramiding for what it was. I'm in my mid thirties and have had reptiles since I was a kid, but never tortoises. So it was definitely a huge learning experience for me. I feel very grateful that I found this forum and yes, wish I would have earlier. My kids love our little 'pickles' too, he's a great family pet. Not too long ago I read a thread where people were complaining about new people that don't know what they're doing, one person even said they left the forum because they were tired of reading about new people needing help. I think that's a shame, I could see how it may be a little frustrating, but the majority of these newbies are like me- ones who did their due diligence, really care about there new torts and are torn up inside when things arent going like they should. This forum is the only consistent source of real info that I have found, and I for one can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you who are knowledgable being willing to share those insights with everybody else like me.

 

[Tortoise Hub]

Almost everyone has regrets (care wise) except for the select few that found this site and a couple other sites that have the RIGHT information out there before or right after they got their first tortoise(s). There is just way too much wrong info on the internet and just everywhere in general.

 

[LuckysGirl007]

I am still learning every day. I wanted a Sulcata for a while. My friend has one and I thought he was so cool. It happened my new neighbor mentioned one of his females had just laid! I was so excited and waited very anxiously for those babies to hatched! I was so excited when he brought them over for us to see. I thought he must know what he is doing...he has 3....breeds them...here's a bunch of cute babies! I thought it would be nice that he would be there if I had any questions and would be helpful. When we went to get our babies they gave me a care sheet..I was impressed by their thoroughness. A few nights later I found this app. After reading stuff on here I completely freaked out! He told me they just need a little sweater box to live in, some newspaper, maybe a little cardboard box to hide in, eat romain lettuce, and spritz them with a spray bottle a couple times a day! I could tell my babies weren't happy so I asked Tom in a PM what I should do. I had already read all of his care sheets and stuff but I really wanted to be positive I got it right. I didn't want any conflicting information. Whatever he said, I would do. And that was going to be the only advice I would stick with! He was so patient and helpful! THANK YOU AGAIN! He told me what I was doing was wrong (which I kinda already thought). But he continued to answer my silly questions and not be annoyed. And everyone on here has been so great. I thought I did my homework before I brought my babies home...until I found this site. I had no idea there would be such conflicting information out there! Thank you to everyone on here for being so kind, non-judge mental, patient, understanding, helpful, and I could go on and on! I used to play games on my iPad and would get on Facebook several times a day...now? If I have a free moment? I am on TTF!

 

[NinjaTortoises]

I am still learning every day. I wanted a Sulcata for a while. My friend has one and I thought he was so cool. It happened my new neighbor mentioned one of his females had just laid! I was so excited and waited very anxiously for those babies to hatched! I was so excited when he brought them over for us to see. I thought he must know what he is doing...he has 3....breeds them...here's a bunch of cute babies! I thought it would be nice that he would be there if I had any questions and would be helpful. When we went to get our babies they gave me a care sheet..I was impressed by their thoroughness. A few nights later I found this app. After reading stuff on here I completely freaked out! He told me they just need a little sweater box to live in, some newspaper, maybe a little cardboard box to hide in, eat romain lettuce, and spritz them with a spray bottle a couple times a day! I could tell my babies weren't happy so I asked Tom in a PM what I should do. I had already read all of his care sheets and stuff but I really wanted to be positive I got it right. I didn't want any conflicting information. Whatever he said, I would do. And that was going to be the only advice I would stick with! He was so patient and helpful! THANK YOU AGAIN! He told me what I was doing was wrong (which I kinda already thought). But he continued to answer my silly questions and not be annoyed. And everyone on here has been so great. I thought I did my homework before I brought my babies home...until I found this site. I had no idea there would be such conflicting information out there! Thank you to everyone on here for being so kind, non-judge mental, patient, understanding, helpful, and I could go on and on! I used to play games on my iPad and would get on Facebook several times a day...now? If I have a free moment? I am on TTF!

Same here, i pretty much learned off of Tom and other stuff people here answered me asap which is awesome, i am also reading post's on here as often as i can i can actually now say I'm a bit knowledgeable on sulcatas now lol and I'm even learning about other species too HAH

 

[jpmcclure]

I had the same experience too. I honestly felt that I was really well prepared and that I had researched everything I could. I started off with pine shavings/chips and no humidity, which is how my little guy was being kept before I bought him too. Being new to torts in general, I didn't recognize the pyramiding for what it was. I'm in my mid thirties and have had reptiles since I was a kid, but never tortoises. So it was definitely a huge learning experience for me. I feel very grateful that I found this forum and yes, wish I would have earlier. My kids love our little 'pickles' too, he's a great family pet. Not too long ago I read a thread where people were complaining about new people that don't know what they're doing, one person even said they left the forum because they were tired of reading about new people needing help. I think that's a shame, I could see how it may be a little frustrating, but the majority of these newbies are like me- ones who did their due diligence, really care about there new torts and are torn up inside when things arent going like they should. This forum is the only consistent source of real info that I have found, and I for one can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you who are knowledgable being willing to share those insights with everybody else like me.

Here here!! Thank God for this forum and thank you BlakeM for referring it to me when my Thor got sick. I'm now known in my house by my kids as the Tortoise forum NERD!! And I wouldn't have it any other way. It's my Facebook!!

 

[shellysmom]

I have regrets about my boxie. I rescued him from a home where he was living inside, in a box without heat, and eating nothing but wax worms. So, I know I did better for him than the person before me, but after coming to this forum I feel like I could have done so much more for him, like made a bigger, more secure, solid-walled outdoor enclosure for him so he absolutely could not have escaped. He's been gone 3 years now, and I still worry about him and beat myself up over it, but I guess I did the best with the info I had at the time, so we can only do better from here on out. I miss you Baggy Pants!!

 

[remitort071312]

I recused this little baby snapper last spring, it was in bad shape in I found it, but with some TLC it got stronger and healthier, I wish I would have found this forum before I released it back into the wild. I worry about it all the time.

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[Nay]

If your here, and taking advise to improve things for your tort, then there should be no regrets. The regrets should be if your not moving forward. Or if someone tells you something they know to be a fact and you don't change what your doing. Sure, I got a few torts when I shouldn't have, and this was before information was so available. (We're talking trips to the library folks! and that in itself was questionable info!)
But I am learning and changing constantly. so I have no regrets. If it was easy everyone would be doing it right?

Nay

 

[Yvonne G]

Personally, I'm ashamed and embarrassed when I take people around to see my tortoises and their habitats. Here I am, supposedly the go to turtle person in my city, and I have some really badly deformed tortoises. I joined the Forum just a short time after it was "invented." And it was a year or so after that that we started to learn about more moisture for babies. By that time I had been raising babies for a very long time. My little 5 year old leopard is pretty badly pyramided and I have three Yellowfoot tortoises about the same age that are pretty sad-looking too.

I don't have any regrets though, as you can only do the best you can do. So I'm moving forward from here and hoping for the best for my future babies.

 

[lizbeth490]

I was so thankful to stumble upon the forum the day before I got my babies, I made an account and waited for verification and it didn't come as soon as expected. I FREAKED! lol I sent e-mail after e-mail and then I got a very heartfelt apology on it taking so long (2 days) for me to be able to post. I don't post very often but I do read and read and read, and did I mention read all the time. I am so thankful for everyones input and my babies are too!

 

[NinjaTortoises]

I was so thankful to stumble upon the forum the day before I got my babies, I made an account and waited for verification and it didn't come as soon as expected. I FREAKED! lol I sent e-mail after e-mail and then I got a very heartfelt apology on it taking so long (2 days) for me to be able to post. I don't post very often but I do read and read and read, and did I mention read all the time. I am so thankful for everyones input and my babies are too!

Hah wow interesting, 2 days is an insane amount of time to wait for an email verification!, im actually reading stuff right now lol