Hello from Michigan. I’m still getting things set up for a new Russian hatchling.Have been researching for days to find good places to go for advice, supplies, and of course where to adopt. I’ve landed on a good place to buy a healthy tortoise. I have most items needed for the enclosure. Still awaiting the enclose itself before I order our new little family member. I’ve found https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/ for feeding recommendations. Have heating, uva/uvb lights. Have hides and slate for feeding and a shallow entry water bowl. Finding so much conflicting info on substrate. Any other suggestions would be welcome. Will post pics when our little tortoise arrives of course.
Russian Hatchling coming soon…
- Thread starter Wolfpax
- Start date
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Hello and welcome to the forum! Happy to have you!🥰
Could we get a photo of what you already have set up wise? We can advise on if it’s appropriate for your baby🙂
Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of people who have spent years finding the best ways to care for them that actually result in healthy tortoise.
I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size in the future, the types of equipment to use, how to maintain humidity, and a cost effective way for you to get a suitable sized enclosure, hopefully it helps inspire an idea for you🙂
I’ve included indoor uv, but if you’re able to get them out for a few hours of natural sunlight in a secure outdoor space, you probably won’t need it.
You may already have/know some of this stuff but I’ll include it anyway😊
Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.
Basking temperature directly under the floodlight should be 95-100f. The rest of the enclosure should be ranging 75-80 during the day.
You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.
Then CHE/CHE’s(ceramic heat emitters) always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night.
Any indoor Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon. Again though if having natural sunlight daily don’t worry about this bit. I have included the two brands to go for though and examples on how to mount them.
With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.
For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss. The trouble with top soil is you don’t know what kind of plants have gone into it, they could be toxic. Moss and sand are an impaction risk.
You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting a little too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then, which also helps boosting humidity or give the top a spray. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed. I don’t recommend misters or foggers, they get the air too wet and cause respiratory problems. Spraying won’t last as long.
Humidity for young growing tortoises needs to be maintained around 80%, 24/7, you’ll find that difficult to achieve with an open top, for the set up I’m recommending I’d get a greenhouse cover. Once the tortoise is older a cover won’t be needed. I wouldn’t house a baby in an open top, you won’t get the humidity you need.
To maintain humidity whilst the tortoise is younger a greenhouse style set up works well and provides more space, as an adult they are going to ideally need a minimum of an 8x4, the bigger you go the better, it’s ideal if you can build your own base to go as big as you can for the room you have. A 4x2 or 4x4 will last you until they’re a bit bigger🙂
If you can’t find an exact fit for your base with the cover, then place it over like the one with the white base in the photo, I’d put lining down under the base and cover though to stop condensate getting on your floor.
When making your base, just make sure the material is safe, some use flower beds or just make their own, for both these options I’d line with cheap pond liner to protect the base, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough to prevent escapes.
Some people even hang their lighting from the greenhouse frame! Simply wrap the wire round so it’s at the height you need(check with temp gun/put thermostat in, 18-21 inches for uv I recommend) then secure with cable ties&chains.
I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy. You could throw some pvc covering over the stands if youre struggling for a topper, but again if you do that, I’d put lining down under the base to stop condensate.
For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.
If going for this set up, allow up to a week for the materials to ‘off gas’ with the heat running, until there’s no smell, once odourless, it’s safe for use🐢
Ignore whatever else is in these enclosures in the photos, they’re just to give you an idea👍
The tortoise table is definitely a great website to use for feeding inspo😊hope all this helps! Any further questions, please ask away!
Could we get a photo of what you already have set up wise? We can advise on if it’s appropriate for your baby🙂
Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of people who have spent years finding the best ways to care for them that actually result in healthy tortoise.
I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size in the future, the types of equipment to use, how to maintain humidity, and a cost effective way for you to get a suitable sized enclosure, hopefully it helps inspire an idea for you🙂
I’ve included indoor uv, but if you’re able to get them out for a few hours of natural sunlight in a secure outdoor space, you probably won’t need it.
You may already have/know some of this stuff but I’ll include it anyway😊
Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.
Basking temperature directly under the floodlight should be 95-100f. The rest of the enclosure should be ranging 75-80 during the day.
You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.
Then CHE/CHE’s(ceramic heat emitters) always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night.
Any indoor Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon. Again though if having natural sunlight daily don’t worry about this bit. I have included the two brands to go for though and examples on how to mount them.
With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.
For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss. The trouble with top soil is you don’t know what kind of plants have gone into it, they could be toxic. Moss and sand are an impaction risk.
You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting a little too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then, which also helps boosting humidity or give the top a spray. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed. I don’t recommend misters or foggers, they get the air too wet and cause respiratory problems. Spraying won’t last as long.
Humidity for young growing tortoises needs to be maintained around 80%, 24/7, you’ll find that difficult to achieve with an open top, for the set up I’m recommending I’d get a greenhouse cover. Once the tortoise is older a cover won’t be needed. I wouldn’t house a baby in an open top, you won’t get the humidity you need.
To maintain humidity whilst the tortoise is younger a greenhouse style set up works well and provides more space, as an adult they are going to ideally need a minimum of an 8x4, the bigger you go the better, it’s ideal if you can build your own base to go as big as you can for the room you have. A 4x2 or 4x4 will last you until they’re a bit bigger🙂
If you can’t find an exact fit for your base with the cover, then place it over like the one with the white base in the photo, I’d put lining down under the base and cover though to stop condensate getting on your floor.
When making your base, just make sure the material is safe, some use flower beds or just make their own, for both these options I’d line with cheap pond liner to protect the base, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough to prevent escapes.
Some people even hang their lighting from the greenhouse frame! Simply wrap the wire round so it’s at the height you need(check with temp gun/put thermostat in, 18-21 inches for uv I recommend) then secure with cable ties&chains.
I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy. You could throw some pvc covering over the stands if youre struggling for a topper, but again if you do that, I’d put lining down under the base to stop condensate.
For a water dish a shallow terracotta saucer is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.
If going for this set up, allow up to a week for the materials to ‘off gas’ with the heat running, until there’s no smell, once odourless, it’s safe for use🐢
Ignore whatever else is in these enclosures in the photos, they’re just to give you an idea👍
The tortoise table is definitely a great website to use for feeding inspo😊hope all this helps! Any further questions, please ask away!
Attachments
Be sure to do your research here or you will get a lot of the wrong supplies.
An adult needs a 4x8 foot at the minimum. A hatchling can have smaller.
A hatchling needs a closed chamber with 80% humidity
Coconut coir or orchid/fir bark for substrate or a combo of the two works good. Damp coir on the bottom bark on top.
Tube fluorescent for uvb
Incandescent FLOOD bulb for basking
Temps should range 75-80 during the day with 95-100 basking are.
Nights should be around 68-70.
An adult needs a 4x8 foot at the minimum. A hatchling can have smaller.
A hatchling needs a closed chamber with 80% humidity
Coconut coir or orchid/fir bark for substrate or a combo of the two works good. Damp coir on the bottom bark on top.
Tube fluorescent for uvb
Incandescent FLOOD bulb for basking
Temps should range 75-80 during the day with 95-100 basking are.
Nights should be around 68-70.
