Shell!

[philipgreece]

Today I decided to check in my both shell's tortoise! I pressed them everywhere! Both of them in the exact spot back at the right side near to tail is a little bit flexible! Is the specific spot like this? Do I have to give them more calcium? I have to tell that the first year that I had them I didn't have any idea for tortoises because pet stores don't guide you with everything! The first year I didn't feed them the right food and I hadn't idea about flowers or lamps uvb or heat! Almost 2 years I provide them uvb lamps and heat lamps in winters! In summer I have plenty of sun! Their diet is hibiscus,mallow,cheeseweed,wild petunia,radicchio,hawkbits,chicory leaves and cucumber! I sprinkle every 3 days calcium and I give them vitamin A bird drops! The drops i stared one month ago! I soak them every 3 days for 40 minutes! Their poop is normal and the pee too! I have checked them once in a vet because my vet is 7 hours far! She gave them injections the first year because they were weak and panacur for worms! Also x-ray was ok! I keep them in a room with 55-60% humidity! The temperature of the room is 20 degrees! Sometimes I use ceramic lamps at night! My enclosure is open and not a closed one! Also from the day I had them they Don't drink from their bowls! I everyday wet their food! They poop normally almost everyday! Their poop and pee are healthy though and no hard poops! No constipated also!

 

[wellington]

20 degrees in the room is not enough heat for them.
First, you need to separate them if they are living together. Never keep tortoises in pairs!
The basking temp they need to digest their food is 95-100F from an incandescent flood bulb. Over all temp in the rest of the enclosure needs to be 75-80F night temps not lower than 70F.
Make changes ASAP!
Post pictures of the enclosure and the torts.

 

[TammyJ]

Pictures please!

 

[philipgreece]

20 degrees in the room is not enough heat for them.
First, you need to separate them if they are living together. Never keep tortoises in pairs!
The basking temp they need to digest their food is 95-100F from an incandescent flood bulb. Over all temp in the rest of the enclosure needs to be 75-80F night temps not lower than 70F.
Make changes ASAP!
Post pictures of the enclosure and the torts.

In summer I have them outside at my yard and I take them back inside in house at night! I try to order somehow arcadia lamps but I can't! I have exo tera lamps in 75w! I have them separated 2 years! My only problem is that I don't have space in winter! I have one meter enclosure! So I have to use ceramic lamps at night? The photo is now! I have them outside!

 

[wellington]

Need photos of now, inside, not outside.

 

[philipgreece]

Need photos of now, inside, not outside.

Need photos of now, inside, not outside.

I have ordered thermometers because I don't have! My problem is that I don't have any other space for the time being! What can I correct because I feel terrible!

 

[wellington]

First, lights should point straight down, not angled. Put substrate on the area that has none.
Is there a clay saucer for water? I don't see one. Needs that if there isn't one.

 

[philipgreece]

First, lights should point straight down, not angled. Put substrate on the area that has none.
Is there a clay saucer for water? I don't see one. Needs that if there isn't one.

I have filled now the enclosure with substrate! I have a bowl to the left corner! They basking normal everyday and they go under the lamps! When they get enough heat they go straight to their food! I touch their shells and are warm! They eat with appetite and they move around normally! I always wet their food! They eat it with water on it! I have ordered thermometers! I don't see anything to bother them in walking! When I realise in sun they are active! I know I have to find room to fix the right establishment! I worry very much! Do I have to give them more calcium? I dumb the substrate every 2 days!

 

[wellington]

I have filled now the enclosure with substrate! I have a bowl to the left corner! They basking normal everyday and they go under the lamps! When they get enough heat they go straight to their food! I touch their shells and are warm! They eat with appetite and they move around normally! I always wet their food! They eat it with water on it! I have ordered thermometers! I don't see anything to bother them in walking! When I realise in sun they are active! I know I have to find room to fix the right establishment! I worry very much! Do I have to give them more calcium? I dumb the substrate every 2 days!

You don't need to dump/change the substrate out. If you spot clean daily, your substrate should last a year at least. I never change my substrate unless it gets too dirty to spot clean or I'm switching to something else.
Sounds like things are going good. Stop worrying and enjoy.

 

[philipgreece]

You don't need to dump/change the substrate out. If you spot clean daily, your substrate should last a year at least. I never change my substrate unless it gets too dirty to spot clean or I'm switching to something else.
Sounds like things are going good. Stop worrying and enjoy.

Sorry i wanted to write that i wet a little bit the substrate! Thank you because I'm so worried! Just please I would like to know why is a little bit flexible! How can I fix it? Is this dangerous? These babies are my first pets! That's why I worry! I have these type of basking!

 

[wellington]

You don't want spot lights. They are too intense and cause pyramiding.
From what you said, I think the little bit of give is normal.
@Yvonne G @Tom

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Looking at their shell photos I see nothing to be concerned about. So far, you are doing well, learning and improving your tortoises life.

1. Small pinch of calcium twice a week is usually enough.
2. Don't give them vitamin A drops. They get what they need from food. Vitamin A deficiency with tortoises is a rare thing, as far as I know.
3. Since you have no space in winter, next year you can try to brumate (hibernate) your tortoises in a small fridge.
4. Do you have enough space in your yard to put a pair of small greenhouses? Like 2x3 meters, one for each tortoise? This can extend the time and days when they are outside.

 

[philipgreece]

You don't want spot lights. They are too intense and cause pyramiding.
From what you said, I think the little bit of give is normal.
@Yvonne G @Tom

It's the best I could find right now for lamps! I have to say that I use these lamps 2 days now! They don't produce that intense heat than previous i had and I noticed that the light is not annoying! These 2 days I saw my both tortoises to enjoy more these lamps!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

You don't want spot lights. They are too intense and cause pyramiding.
From what you said, I think the little bit of give is normal.
@Yvonne G @Tom

We've discussed these lights earlier. It's incandescent R20 lamp for a basking spot, not a basking spotlight.

Exo-Terra has also *Intense* Basking Spot Lights, which look more like PAR20 lamps - these, of course, should not be used.

 

[philipgreece]

Looking at their shell photos I see nothing to be concerned about. So far, you are doing well, learning and improving your tortoises life.

1. Small pinch of calcium twice a week is usually enough.
2. Don't give them vitamin A drops. They get what they need from food. Vitamin A deficiency with tortoises is a rare thing, as far as I know.
3. Since you have no space in winter, next year you can try to brumate (hibernate) your tortoises in a small fridge.
4. Do you have enough space in your yard to put a pair of small greenhouses? Like 2x3 meters, one for each tortoise? This can extend the time and days when they are outside.

My yard is 8×8 meters! Thus summer I had them outside with under my surveillance! They have plenty of sun in summer! I can't understand why the shell is a little bit flexible!

 

[philipgreece]

We've discussed these lights earlier. It's incandescent R20 lamp for a basking spot, not a basking spotlight.

Exo-Terra has also *Intense* Basking Spot Lights, which look more like PAR20 lamps - these, of course, should not be used.

I know! I try everyday to find those types of lamps but in Greece is impossible! I came in contact with 2 stores in England! The one can't send in Greece and the other charges me a lot woth shipping and something extra! I came in contact with a store in Greece that I buy things and I tried my best to provide me these lamps and to test them for his own store! Maybe woththe new year to order them!

 

[wellington]

Can you get regular lamp incandescents? Regular ones will work too.

 

[wellington]

We've discussed these lights earlier. It's incandescent R20 lamp for a basking spot, not a basking spotlight.

Exo-Terra has also *Intense* Basking Spot Lights, which look more like PAR20 lamps - these, of course, should not be used.

You quoted me, when you really should have quoted the post with the spot bulb pic. I'm not the one asking about them, I already know what's right and wrong.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

It's the best I could find right now for lamps! I have to say that I use these lamps 2 days now! They don't produce that intense heat than previous i had and I noticed that the light is not annoying! These 2 days I saw my both tortoises to enjoy more these lamps!

These lamps are fine, don't worry. It's not the spotlights, but the lamps for a basking spot. And they are of the right type.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Looking at their shell photos I see nothing to be concerned about. So far, you are doing well, learning and improving your tortoises life.

1. Small pinch of calcium twice a week is usually enough.
2. Don't give them vitamin A drops. They get what they need from food. Vitamin A deficiency with tortoises is a rare thing, as far as I know.
3. Since you have no space in winter, next year you can try to brumate (hibernate) your tortoises in a small fridge.
4. Do you have enough space in your yard to put a pair of small greenhouses? Like 2x3 meters, one for each tortoise? This can extend the time and days when they are outside.

1. A small pinch of calcium once a month
3. Telling that keeper to hibernate their tortoise next winter is bad advice I believe. He's a new keeper having trouble now, why throw hibernatiion into them mix? To me anyway. I mean no insult, it's just my opinion and experience