Super Important Question (Not Really)

[the_newzie]

For the past 2-3 months, I've peppered the threads with all sorts of posts asking all sorts of questions about how to raise my tortoise Steve properly to give him the best chance of survival. I've changed his substrates, his lighting, his enclosure type, his food and his soaking schedule. I've learned basic carpentry, basic electrical and learned to garden. Basically I've changed everything I thought I knew about tortoises as I learned more and more on this this forum.

So, now I ask the most important question of all: "Now that I've done all that and my tortoise is doing well and I'm not scrambling 24/7 to get him back to healthy and happy: What do I do with all my free time?"

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Nice once it's all figured out, isn't it? Don't worry, something else will pop up soon.

 

[Yvonne G]

Sit there and watch him. I spend hours just watching my tortoises. The ones I enjoy the most are the Manouria. They are very entertaining.

 

[tortadise]

Build more and get more

 

[keepergale]

Now you use your free time to read up on the next tortoise species you WILL be getting.

 

[Tom]

Tortoises are super "easy keepers" compared to some other animals, with one huge caveat: They are super easy keepers ONCE you get them set up correctly. Have their set up not quite right and it can be a lot of work and failure. After you've set up a few more it will start to become second nature, and you will have your earned intuition and experience to draw from. It gets once easier once you understand a few principles.

Glad you made it. Welcome to Easy Street!

 

[the_newzie]

Nice once it's all figured out, isn't it? Don't worry, something else will pop up soon.

Hahaha. I doubt it will ever be "all figured out". But I woke up today, checked on him, everything just seemed so normal it was weird. First time since I got him basically. But don't worry my guard will not come down, I'll be there when he needs me.

Sit there and watch him. I spend hours just watching my tortoises. The ones I enjoy the most are the Manouria. They are very entertaining.

I can zone out on Steve for hours. He's has the weirdest little attitude towards life. Constantly amazes me.

Build more and get more

Always! I have more seed trays and seeds on order so I can up my gardening game on his winter food supply and get a really good start for his outside enclosure come spring time.

Now you use your free time to read up on the next tortoise species you WILL be getting.

Lol! I would welcome more, but I have a strict policy that I don't go out and get animals, I let them come to me. So it's hard to predict the species of the next rescue coming my way. Plus I'm well aware that I know less than 1% of all there is to know about Steve so I'll prob just stick to reading about him.

Tortoises are super "easy keepers" compared to some other animals, with one huge caveat: They are super easy keepers ONCE you get them set up correctly. Have their set up not quite right and it can be a lot of work and failure. After you've set up a few more it will start to become second nature, and you will have your earned intuition and experience to draw from. It gets once easier once you understand a few principles.

Glad you made it. Welcome to Easy Street!

Haha! That's what I'm hoping! I'm sure I have a few more fails left in me before we're 100% but I'm really glad we're on the right direction thanks to the TFO!!!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

HA! Now you can understand how easy it is to amass vast amounts of turtles and torts...

 

[J.P.]

i like the part about getting more.....

 

[Prairie Mom]

awwww...I'm so jealous, newzie! We're definitely not there yet. I just learned that I need to increase my humidity even more and our BIGGEST challenge is that we are not in the right climate to keep an adult Sulcata through the winter. We have additional yard proofing to do, I'm working on expanding my winter grow light gardening, and we have years of construction work ahead of us as we work on plans to make a big indoor cold weather space. -Sheesh the to-do list looks bigger typed out!

It's an absolutely fascinating world to be a part of though. I love how you mentioned all the new skills you've acquired. I agree completely. These animals are such fabulous creatures and certainly helps us to be more well-rounded individuals don't they?

 

[the_newzie]

awwww...I'm so jealous, newzie! We're definitely not there yet. I just learned that I need to increase my humidity even more and our BIGGEST challenge is that we are not in the right climate to keep an adult Sulcata through the winter. We have additional yard proofing to do, I'm working on expanding my winter grow light gardening, and we have years of construction work ahead of us as we work on plans to make a big indoor cold weather space. -Sheesh the to-do list looks bigger typed out!

It's an absolutely fascinating world to be a part of though. I love how you mentioned all the new skills you've acquired. I agree completely. These animals are such fabulous creatures and certainly helps us to be more well-rounded individuals don't they?

Haha! No need for jealousy! If past experience is any indicator this is probably just the calm before the storm. Plus it's kind of lucky that Steve's species is native to my area and is custom made for our heat/humidity levels. I'm in awe of all the people on here who live in cold areas and manage to keep these torts warm and healthy (so much more work than making a desert tortoise comfortable in the desert). It was just such a weird feeling looking at everything and, for once, not having that feeling like I'm fighting a losing battle (which is how I began to feel during the more stressful times of trying to get this little tortoise on the right track). Now, having said that, I still have sooo much to do!! I have endless work to put in on improving his outside habitat (even though it's perfectly workable in it's current form, there's always room for bigger and better!). I'm drawing up plans to build a huge indoor enclosure / grow set up for Steve in the winter (and any other little babies that come my way). I have like 3 additional seed trays I'm planning on planting over the weekend to solidify his winter rotation and get some established growth to transplant outdoors in the spring. But for now, just for now, Steve is happy and healthy and that was a good thing to finally accomplish. I'm not finished learning and improving, but I'm finally feeling like I'm not playing catch up anymore, like it's all icing on the tortoise cake from here on out.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Haha! No need for jealousy! If past experience is any indicator this is probably just the calm before the storm. Plus it's kind of lucky that Steve's species is native to my area and is custom made for our heat/humidity levels. I'm in awe of all the people on here who live in cold areas and manage to keep these torts warm and healthy (so much more work than making a desert tortoise comfortable in the desert). It was just such a weird feeling looking at everything and, for once, not having that feeling like I'm fighting a losing battle (which is how I began to feel during the more stressful times of trying to get this little tortoise on the right track). Now, having said that, I still have sooo much to do!! I have endless work to put in on improving his outside habitat (even though it's perfectly workable in it's current form, there's always room for bigger and better!). I'm drawing up plans to build a huge indoor enclosure / grow set up for Steve in the winter (and any other little babies that come my way). I have like 3 additional seed trays I'm planning on planting over the weekend to solidify his winter rotation and get some established growth to transplant outdoors in the spring. But for now, just for now, Steve is happy and healthy and that was a good thing to finally accomplish. I'm not finished learning and improving, but I'm finally feeling like I'm not playing catch up anymore, like it's all icing on the tortoise cake from here on out.

Love it! Every word! Sounds like the GOOD kind of busy. I look forward you keeping track of you and Steve

 

[Prairie Mom]

Haha! No need for jealousy! If past experience is any indicator this is probably just the calm before the storm. Plus it's kind of lucky that Steve's species is native to my area and is custom made for our heat/humidity levels. I'm in awe of all the people on here who live in cold areas and manage to keep these torts warm and healthy (so much more work than making a desert tortoise comfortable in the desert). It was just such a weird feeling looking at everything and, for once, not having that feeling like I'm fighting a losing battle (which is how I began to feel during the more stressful times of trying to get this little tortoise on the right track). Now, having said that, I still have sooo much to do!! I have endless work to put in on improving his outside habitat (even though it's perfectly workable in it's current form, there's always room for bigger and better!). I'm drawing up plans to build a huge indoor enclosure / grow set up for Steve in the winter (and any other little babies that come my way). I have like 3 additional seed trays I'm planning on planting over the weekend to solidify his winter rotation and get some established growth to transplant outdoors in the spring. But for now, just for now, Steve is happy and healthy and that was a good thing to finally accomplish. I'm not finished learning and improving, but I'm finally feeling like I'm not playing catch up anymore, like it's all icing on the tortoise cake from here on out.

This warmed my heart...Do you mind if I respectfully draw attention to it in a post I'm making in the Garden chat forum?

 

[Prairie Mom]

This warmed my heart...Do you mind if I respectfully draw attention to it in a post I'm making in the Garden chat forum?

I went ahead and finished it without the link. Know that I was thinking about all the skills you mentioned ... "I've changed his substrates, his lighting, his enclosure type, his food and his soaking schedule. I've learned basic carpentry, basic electrical and learned to garden." Very cool!

 

[the_newzie]

This warmed my heart...Do you mind if I respectfully draw attention to it in a post I'm making in the Garden chat forum?

As long as the attention is positive!! LOL!

 

[Prairie Mom]

As long as the attention is positive!! LOL!

Sorry, I already finished the post. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/garden-chat-photos-for-torts-and-people.104546/page-19 (The grass post) I was afraid I was over stepping I should have pm'd you about it instead. Your voice just expressed very much of how I've been thinking recently. A few of us have been using the Garden chat to kind of blog and chat with each other and I considered posting a link to this thread because you expressed yourself so nicely. Take care! Keep up the good work!