I was given my Russian tortoise to me as a gift. He came with a 40 gallon tank and aspen bedding, he spends a lot of his time just playing in the bedding and digging at the corners. I soak him a couple times a week and give him strawberries about once a week. He eats pretty good but never touches his water bowl, I'm new to this whole tortoise thing so is there anything I need to be doing different.
Russian tortoise
- Thread starter sarahm123
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Read the care sheet for complete info. Pet stores are not reliable sources of information.
His bedding needs to be changed to something that holds moisture. Not aspen. Coconut coir is good. No fruit. Many broad leaves & flowers are good. His enclosure is rather small. He needs a good UVB light.
Can you make him an outdoor enclosure for the good weather?
He may need a different dish. Plant saucers are good.
His bedding needs to be changed to something that holds moisture. Not aspen. Coconut coir is good. No fruit. Many broad leaves & flowers are good. His enclosure is rather small. He needs a good UVB light.
Can you make him an outdoor enclosure for the good weather?
He may need a different dish. Plant saucers are good.
That's what I feed him leaves and flowers and sometimes kale and spinach. I also have a uvb light I'm not sure what kind or anything as it was also given to me. Idk about an outdoor home as I live in Ohio and the weather is so different day to day and I'm not really sure how it needs to be outside for something like that
I am also in ohio! My russian goes outside when it is 70 and sunny out. This is wonderful for them, they need time in the sun. Look up how to make a safe escape proof enclosure for outside. Russians can climb anything! A 40 gallon tank is small for a tortoise please look into getting something bigger. An old book case flipped over makes a decent enclosure and so do big rubbermade totes sold at walmart for storage. Aspen is not good. try to find coco coir or reptibark from a pet store or go to a garden center and get top soil -make sure its just dirt and nothing else, or cypess mulch is fine to. If you can post a pictue of your enclosure we can help you get him set up right
I am also in ohio! My russian goes outside when it is 70 and sunny out. This is wonderful for them, they need time in the sun. Look up how to make a safe escape proof enclosure for outside. Russians can climb anything! A 40 gallon tank is small for a tortoise please look into getting something bigger. An old book case flipped over makes a decent enclosure and so do big rubbermade totes sold at walmart for storage. Aspen is not good. try to find coco coir or reptibark from a pet store or go to a garden center and get top soil -make sure its just dirt and nothing else, or cypess mulch is fine to. If you can post a pictue of your enclosure we can help you get him set up right
This is what he has right now
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You have a lot you can fix to give him a better life. The size and bedding would be First. Those water dishes are hard for them to get in and out they are also known as flip hazards. A cheap terra cotta plant saucer works great as a food dish and for water dishes. Helps to keep their beaks filed down too. Welcome to the forum, you will learn a ton here
You don't have to do everything at once, first get the indoor enclosure good. A mercury vapor bulb is a good UVB source, not the coil type. The coil type can cause damage to a tortoises eyes. The key to the enclosure is lots of floor space. I got a good 54 gallon tote at Home Depot. You can also use a bookcase on its back with the cells removed, a kids plastic kiddie pool, A stock tank, or you can build your own with plywood. You can make a temporary enclosure outdoors with a kiddie pool also. It sounds like you're doing very well with the diet. This time of year is great because all the weeds are growing wonderfully. You will soon find yourself happy when you see a dandy lion in your yard
Thank you!You have a lot you can fix to give him a better life. The size and bedding would be First. Those water dishes are hard for them to get in and out they are also known as flip hazards. A cheap terra cotta plant saucer works great as a food dish and for water dishes. Helps to keep their beaks filed down too. Welcome to the forum, you will learn a ton here
You don't have to do everything at once, first get the indoor enclosure good. A mercury vapor bulb is a good UVB source, not the coil type. The coil type can cause damage to a tortoises eyes. The key to the enclosure is lots of floor space. I got a good 54 gallon tote at Home Depot. You can also use a bookcase on its back with the cells removed, a kids plastic kiddie pool, A stock tank, or you can build your own with plywood. You can make a temporary enclosure outdoors with a kiddie pool also. It sounds like you're doing very well with the diet. This time of year is great because all the weeds are growing wonderfully. You will soon find yourself happy when you see a dandy lion in your yard
Got him to eat dandelions today he loved it
this is the bulb in it right now, is this okay?Attachments
amrad
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Someone said Russians like to eat flowers, are we talking the kind you'd give to your date or what?
That style bulb along with the coil shape are thought to cause eye damage I believe. Keep a watch on his eyes, if they get puffy, its the bulb.
This is a really good bulb:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDJK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
It will give you a basking spot and the uvb you need.
This is a really good bulb:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDJK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
It will give you a basking spot and the uvb you need.
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