RT questions

[Ghosti20]

Hi all. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been learning a lot about the tortoise I’ve decided to get in the future, the Russian tortoise, but I still have some questions.

Before anyone asks, I don’t know if I’m getting a baby or an adult, so info on both (if I don’t specify otherwise) would be great.

• How often should you feed your Russian?
• How often do adults have to be soaked?
• What specific thermostats, lights, etc. should I buy?
• Would an IKEA Detolf, flipped on its side and converter to a ventilated enclosure, be suitable for a baby Russian? I already have this as I used it for my past hamsters, and I’m wondering if I could reuse it for a baby Russian. No matter what the answer is, I’ll be upgrading the enclosure to a 4x8 feet habitat once the tortoise is three.
• What should I do to keep the substrate moist?
• Is there a way to ease your Russian into being more comfortable with humans?

I’m probably going to have more questions as I learn more, but thank you for reading my silly questions, and have a great day

 

[wellington]

Feed all tortoises daily enough food they can graze all day long off and on
Hatchlings soak daily, adults about once a month more if you want or it never seems to self soak
I don't know what the enclosure is that you have so I can't comment on that
A closed chamber for hatchlings is needed and the substrate being kept damp will hold the humidity but not in an open top table type enclosure
You will need a tube flourescent for UVB
an incandescent flood bulb for basking
And possibly a ceramic heat emitter for night heat
Get a digital thermometer placed at tortoise height

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
I don't like to answer with just a link, but literally all your questions are answered here:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/ (and in the care sheets linked at the end of that post).

Ikea Detolf cabinet won't work as good for tortoises as it was for hamsters. It's too narrow (1ft) to provide comfortable walking space and too low (1.5ft) to safely fit heating and lightning fixtures. The latter can be addressed with low wattage/low output equipment (but you'll have to replace lamps and such when moving to a 4x8 feet enclosure). With 2-2.5 feet tall enclosures it's much easier to adjust temperatures and UV output and you have more options to choose from.

 

[Tom]

• How often should you feed your Russian?
• How often do adults have to be soaked?
• What specific thermostats, lights, etc. should I buy?
• Would an IKEA Detolf, flipped on its side and converter to a ventilated enclosure, be suitable for a baby Russian? I already have this as I used it for my past hamsters, and I’m wondering if I could reuse it for a baby Russian. No matter what the answer is, I’ll be upgrading the enclosure to a 4x8 feet habitat once the tortoise is three.
• What should I do to keep the substrate moist?
• Is there a way to ease your Russian into being more comfortable with humans?

1. Feed it every day, as much as it wants of the right foods.
2. They don't have to be soaked ever if they are drinking and keeping themselves hydrated. I recommend soaking adults twice a week to ensure that they are healthy and staying hydrated.
3. See the care sheet linked by Alex. There is a heating and lighting breakdown toward the bottom, and there is a temperate species care sheet that explains it even more.
4. I don't know how you would use something that narrow and short for a tortoise enclosure. Best to start with a closed camber that is around 2x4x2.
5. You dump water into the substrate periodically to keep it damp. How much water and how often varies with each enclosure. You have to go by feel. You want it damp, but not wet.
6. Desensitization. Just go about your business and it will get used to you. Hand feeding can be fun, but some of them start to get aggressive with this.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

What should I do to keep the substrate moist?

Welcome to the forum! You are in the right place to find information on tortoise keeping.

Dumping water and packing the substrate down about 1/3 of it's original depth will help keeping the substrate moist. And with babies a closed chamber is a must.

Have you considered adopting a Russian tortoise from a local shelter? They are quite a common species in need of re-homing.