Russian tortoise not eating and drinking

Peteza3113

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i have a new tortoise i have had him for about 4 months we got him from a reputable breeder at a reptile show. I followed all instructions including correct temperature on both sides of the controller, correct sub straight, correct food, including different variations. my tortoise ate regularly for the first 2 months but has since slowed down and is barley eating or drinking anything. he is alert and responsive his eyes and beak look fine we soak him in water a few times but he is just not eating or drinking or pooping like he use to.

Please Help, thanks
 

xMario

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i have a new tortoise i have had him for about 4 months we got him from a reputable breeder at a reptile show. I followed all instructions including correct temperature on both sides of the controller, correct sub straight, correct food, including different variations. my tortoise ate regularly for the first 2 months but has since slowed down and is barley eating or drinking anything. he is alert and responsive his eyes and beak look fine we soak him in water a few times but he is just not eating or drinking or pooping like he use to.

Please Help, thanks
Hello and welcome
What kind of substrate do u use?
A picture of ur enclosure would be perfect for further help :)
 

Yvonne G

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Have you double checked the temperatures all over the whole enclosure at tortoise level? Is he indoors or outside? What kind of light are you using?

Pictures would help us to help you.
 

Peteza3113

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IMG_9405 (3).JPG IMG_9404 (1).JPG Pictures of substrate and enclosure attached 55 gallon glass enclosure with open top with 2 repti UVA 100w basking lamps left side of the tank is 100 degrees with a heater under the substrate the right side of the tank at about 84 degrees. lights are on 12 hours and off 12 hours.
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome,
There is a lot of out of date information still circulating from some breeders and pets shops, but you will find plenty of up to date information here from very experienced keepers worldwide.
Have you seen the careshet for Russians in this section? That will be a good place to start and will help you with diet, temps, substrate, humidity etc.
I think your tort needs a bigger enclosure now - 4 x 8 ft is the recommended minimum, they are wandering animals so need space to roam.
Have a look at the Enclosures thread for ideas. The Beginners Mistakes thread is also a good place to learn from other people.
The substrate looks too dry for a Russian, they like something they can dig and bury themselves in; the caresheet will recommend better options.
If you sink the water bowl level with the substrate your tort will be able to access it easier. Many people use shallow terracotta plant saucers.
The thermometers are too high so you won't be getting the temps at tort level. The ones the pet shops sell aren't too reliable. I have a digital temp gun which is great for spot checking temps at tort level as well as digital thermometer with a probe. (Amazon)
So a few changes are needed but we've all had to do that to get it right.
When you've read the caresheets etc ask as many questions as you like, someone will get back to you asap.
 

RosemaryDW

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Lyn’s suggestions are great. I can see you have been working hard to get the right setup for your little guy. You’ve got some adjustments to make but you’ll manage them, no problem.

The Russian care sheet is easy to find in the pinned section of this forum but I think the beginner mistakes thread is in a bit of an odd spot so here is the direct link: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/.
 

Bee62

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Have you soaked your tortoise regularly ?
Sometimes tortoises stop eating when they are constipated.
 

Peteza3113

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yes we soak him and now all of a sudden he climbs into his water dish and soaks himself, he has never done that before. he also just took a huge poop wich he hasn't done in weeks. do you have any suggestions for his diet to keep him from getting constipated? we vary what we feed him from kale, dandelion,mixed dark lettuces, and sometimes fruit
 

Lyn W

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Glad to hear the warm soaks helped but torts shouldn't have fruit - their digestive systems can't cope with the sugars and it can cause health problems.
Stick to the recommended foods in the caresheet, www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a good guide to tort safe plants for foods and enclosures.
They also need a lot of space to wander and uvb both of which help their digestive systems.
 
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