Should I worry about my Russian?

[Chyllin]

I have the tendency to "helicopter" parent my new pets, and my Russian is my first reptile in my adult life. I just got him Friday, and I know it takes awhile for them to get used to a new environment, but I still need information/reassurance. He's in a 30 gallon tub (I have every intent to upgrade him, very soon) with Eco carpet, a hidey hole, a water bowl, and all the appropriate lights. Last night I got home at about 3am, picked him up, and put him back down, and I don't know that he moved last night (he was under his hidey hole), and had dirt all in his face, so I did a mini soak to clean it and put him back down, in front of his food (cabbage, kale, romaine lettuce), and his legs are out, but his head is still hiding. I haven't seen him drink water from his bowl yet (or really leave his hidey hole), and it may just be that he's adjusting still, but I really wanna be good and keep him happy and healthy and so I'm a little bit worried. I have every intent to get him to a vet, but I have to wait until Friday. I spent most of money getting him.

 

[lisa127]

Do you have a picture of the enclosure? Is Eco carpet his only substrate he has? Also, picking him up at 3 am is probably not a great idea.

If you got him Friday it's only been two days, so he is still adjusting. Please post pics if you can.

 

[Chyllin]

Did I hurt him by picking him up then?
The Eco carpet is the only substrate he has, yes.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

You need a more natural substrate that holds moisture.

 

[lisa127]

Did I hurt him by picking him up then?
The Eco carpet is the only substrate he has, yes.

Being picked up in the middle of the night will cause stress. Just make sure to not disturb him again during the night. He needs a more natural, diggable substrate. Like maybe cypress mulch, peat moss, or coco coir. Add some plants (fake are fine) for cover. These things will make him feel more secure.

 

[Chyllin]

Okay, I will add more things
The fact that his legs are out and not his head isn't a cause for worry? And how do I tell if he's dehydrated? When should I worry that I haven't seen him drinking?
(Thank you guys for answering and I'm sorry for all the questions)

 

[lisa127]

Soak him in some slightly warm water. Like warm tepid water. You can soak him daily for a while to keep him hydrated, just don't let the water get cold. And remember, your body temp is higher than his so make sure you are not making the water too warm. I use a temp gun to measure the temp of the water. His head is in right now probably because he is feeling vulnerable. It's a new environment.

Other than soaking him, once you get him set up correctly don't overhandle him. He needs to settle in.

 

[Chyllin]

I soaked him very slightly this morning to get the dirt out of his face (he was digging last night), and he didn't react to it other than hosting slightly when I picked him up. Should I do it again today?

 

[Yvonne G]

May I suggest that you read a care sheet on russian tortoises? This is a good one:

http://russiantortoise.net/care_sheet.htm

Get his new home set up like they say in the care sheet, then try to leave him alone to be a tortoise. He's going to be pretty stressed out from being moved to a new place and it will help him settle in if he has a stable environment.

 

[Chyllin]

Oh, I misread. It's Eco earth. It comes in a block and you add water. It says it's coconut fiber. Do I still need something different for substrate? It seems to be holding moisture well.

 

[lisa127]

Oh, I misread. It's Eco earth. It comes in a block and you add water. It says it's coconut fiber. Do I still need something different for substrate? It seems to be holding moisture well.

coco coir is fine. Just make sure it's not too wet. I always find it to be too wet. I prefer to use peat moss rather than coir, but I seem to be in the minority with that around here. Again, coir holds a lot of water so be careful.

 

[Tom]

Here are some tips:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Judging from what I've heard so far, I suspect some things in your set up might be off. Follow the above care sheet, give him some time, and I think things should work out.

When we say "soak" your tortoise, we are talking about putting him in a tall sided, opaque tub of warm shallow water. Leave him in there for 20-30 minutes and do it somewhere warm, so the water doesn't cool too much. Replace the water if he poops. I would do this daily for two or three weeks with a new acquisition to insure that he's hydrated after his long journey to get to you.

 

[Tom]

Oh, I misread. It's Eco earth. It comes in a block and you add water. It says it's coconut fiber. Do I still need something different for substrate? It seems to be holding moisture well.

Coir works well. Use a thick layer and hand pack it down to reduce mess.

Are the lights off at night? Did the pet store sell you a coil type bulb for UV?

 

[Chyllin]

Coir works well. Use a thick layer and hand pack it down to reduce mess.

Are the lights off at night? Did the pet store sell you a coil type bulb for UV?

I have a nighttime bulb, and yes, I have a coil type thing for uvb.

 

[Tom]

I have a nighttime bulb, and yes, I have a coil type thing for uvb.

Unless your house is very cold, you should not need night heat for a russian.

Coil bulbs sometimes burn their eyes. This would be even more likely in a small enclosure like yours. I would shut that off immediately and return it to the store with and explanation. They will likely tell you a story about how some early models had a problem years ago, but it has been fixed. It hasn't. We see new cases of burned tortoise eyes regularly.

All of this and more is in those links above.

 

[Chyllin]

Unless your house is very cold, you should not need night heat for a russian.

Coil bulbs sometimes burn their eyes. This would be even more likely in a small enclosure like yours. I would shut that off immediately and return it to the store with and explanation. They will likely tell you a story about how some early models had a problem years ago, but it has been fixed. It hasn't. We see new cases of burned tortoise eyes regularly.

All of this and more is in those links above.

What kind of uvb should I get?

 

[Tom]

What kind of uvb should I get?

I'm not familiar with the "fishbowl". Where is that? If you are in a warm climate you really don't need any UV indoors. You can just put your tortoise in a safe outdoor enclosure for a couple hours a week or more.

If you live in the frozen north then you can choose a long florescent tube or a mercury vapor bulb. If you go with the tube, be sure to get the right type for your mounting height.

 

[lisa127]

I have a nighttime bulb, and yes, I have a coil type thing for uvb.

by nighttime bulb, do you mean a black heat lamp bulb? or is your nighttime bulb a white light bulb?

 

[Chyllin]

It says "fishbowl" because I signed up through twitter and I won't put where I live on Twitter. I didn't look into editing that yet, but in my intro I put that I'm in Georgia. But it's been getting in the 20s and 30s here at night, so I figured he needed a night bulb.I live in the backwoods, with a bunch of people and animals I don't trust, so I don't want to put him outside (in the spring/summer I'll do it).
The night bulb is red.

Edit: I also just went and bought a 50 gallon tub and will be changing him the second I get home.

 

[lisa127]

It says "fishbowl" because I signed up through twitter and I won't put where I live on Twitter. I didn't look into editing that yet, but in my intro I put that I'm in Georgia. But it's been getting in the 20s and 30s here at night, so I figured he needed a night bulb.I live in the backwoods, with a bunch of people and animals I don't trust, so I don't want to put him outside (in the spring/summer I'll do it).
The night bulb is red.

Edit: I also just went and bought a 50 gallon tub and will be changing him the second I get home.

If you feel you need night heat (I don't keep Russians myself) you can use a black bulb which really cannot be seen. That is what I use for box turtles.