Thought

[Whitmore]

I have a russian tortoise who is 4 years old and i have had him for about 7 months

I keep him in a vivarium

What are your thoughts on his home??

 

[Neal]

Intriguing

 

[Whitmore]

Intriguing

May i ask in what way?

 

[Jacqui]

If he were mine, the first thing I would do is make a bigger enclosure. Change his substrate. Give him a water dish big enough for him to get into for soakings, if he wished.

Does he get time outside or is this his only enclosure?

 

[dmmj]

If you want my honest opinion, I think it is a little small. Russians like to roam and that is hard to provide in an indoor enclosure, I would in all honesty try and find something bigger.

 

[Whitmore]

Does he get time outside or is this his only enclosure?

he gets outside as much as i can
weather permitting

 

[dmmj]

I also agree a bigger water bowl, they like to soak.

 

[Whitmore]

If you want my honest opinion, I think it is a little small. Russians like to roam and that is hard to provide in an indoor enclosure, I would in all honesty try and find something bigger.

he only usually sleeps in there, he gets allowed out in the room to wonder about and also gets taken outside to roam in the garden

 

[CJSTorts]

Along with what everyone else has said, I would add plants (live or fake) for him to hide in.

 

[Whitmore]

i am very much new to all this and would like to learn as much as i can

bigger water bowl check

i know people have there own oppinons on bedding but what would you advice?

 

[Neal]

Intriguing

May i ask in what way?

I responded before you added the question to your original post and I didn't understand how the title of your thread applied to your post, so it was just a random response.

What's already been said above is good advice. A lot of people seem to think that rabit pellets are the devil. I don't think it's too bad of a choice but there are better alternatives like peat moss, cypress mulch, or just plain dirt. Bigger is always better in my opinion as it relates to tortoise enclosures.

 

[Jacqui]

i know people have there own oppinons on bedding but what would you advice?

Myself when inside my Russians are on a combo of coir (Bed-a-Beast type bricks are what I use) and children's play sand. I like the way it holds moisture, is easy to do, and they love digging in it. Many folks don't like sand, but it would be found in most "dirt" any how and if you keep your animal at a healthy hydration, I don't see a real problem with impaction. I usually have a side with some cypress mulch. Of course over time, it all gets mixed in together.

 

[Whitmore]

i know people have there own oppinons on bedding but what would you advice?

Myself when inside my Russians are on a combo of coir (Bed-a-Beast type bricks are what I use) and children's play sand. I like the way it holds moisture, is easy to do, and they love digging in it. Many folks don't like sand, but it would be found in most "dirt" any how and if you keep your animal at a healthy hydration, I don't see a real problem with impaction. I usually have a side with some cypress mulch. Of course over time, it all gets mixed in together.

thanks for the advice and where do you get your bedding from?
is it from a pet shop or ?

 

[Jacqui]

The bricks can be found at most pet stores. I actually get mine from a local garden center. The play sand I get from Country General but places like Lowes, Menards, Home Depot should carry it.

 

[dmmj]

My local pet store sells a brick of bed a beast for like 8-9 bucks I think, of course my turtle and tortoise club has a silent auction every so often and the local pet store will usually donate a brick or two so I grab them up cheap when they do. I also like to use a coconut fiber and plain old potting soil mix (no additives or anything), 50 50 is the usual ratio.

 

[Whitmore]

as it was said above about using dirt
is this a bad idea?
and how often would it have to be changed

 

[dmmj]

I think dirt is fine as long as it is chemical free and mixed with something that holds moisture ( bed a beast) as for cleaning, it is usually easier to clean and does not really have to be changed, just spot cleaned when they do their business, the great thing about a bigger water bowl? Odds are he will go in there and leave no messes in the dirt. Regarding rabbit pellets the main reasons I don't like to use them are they mold easily (no moisture holding ability) they are higher in protein so if the tortoise eats them I don't like that either.

 

[Whitmore]

thinking about making my own tortoise enclosure
i was looking at the one which is a sticky thread at the top of the forum
what is a minimum size it should be if people think that my current one looks to small

 

[Kristina]

My thoughts are -

Too small - really VERY much too small.
Bad bedding - replace with coir or soil.
Hide - one open end should be up against the wall and filled with moss or something, otherwise it provides no security.
Water dish - bigger to allow soaking.

And also - roaming around the house can be very bad.

While it is ultimately the keeper's choice on whether or not to allow their tortoise to free roam the household, there are many dangers in free roaming. The floor is a colder place than you realize, and there also can be dangerous drafts and cold spots. In order to digest their food and be healthy, tortoises need to have a source of heat, because they are cold-blooded and do not create their own such as people do. Tortoises require UV lighting or sunlight to remain healthy, and they cannot receive this indoors on the floor. We use chemicals to clean our homes that can prove dangerous to tortoises, and small things on the floor such as hair, strings, and small toys can cause choking or impaction. A tortoise can even be accidentally stepped on. In short, it is best to provide your tortoise with a space of its own that will keep it safe.

That is an excerpt from one of my articles. I think it would be a good thing for you to read, and will answer a lot of your questions.


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Forum-Tortoise-and-Turtle-Articles#axzz1Rw7aN0Of

As far as dirt - I use organic humus in my enclosures. As long as it does not contain any chemicals, fertilizers, or vermiculite or those little round balls often found in potting soil, there is nothing wrong with using dirt, and you can also put plants right in the substrate.

 

[Whitmore]

My thoughts are -

Too small - really VERY much too small.
Bad bedding - replace with coir or soil.
Hide - one open end should be up against the wall and filled with moss or something, otherwise it provides no security.
Water dish - bigger to allow soaking.

And also - roaming around the house can be very bad.

While it is ultimately the keeper's choice on whether or not to allow their tortoise to free roam the household, there are many dangers in free roaming. The floor is a colder place than you realize, and there also can be dangerous drafts and cold spots. In order to digest their food and be healthy, tortoises need to have a source of heat, because they are cold-blooded and do not create their own such as people do. Tortoises require UV lighting or sunlight to remain healthy, and they cannot receive this indoors on the floor. We use chemicals to clean our homes that can prove dangerous to tortoises, and small things on the floor such as hair, strings, and small toys can cause choking or impaction. A tortoise can even be accidentally stepped on. In short, it is best to provide your tortoise with a space of its own that will keep it safe.

That is an excerpt from one of my articles. I think it would be a good thing for you to read, and will answer a lot of your questions.


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Forum-Tortoise-and-Turtle-Articles#axzz1Rw7aN0Of

As far as dirt - I use organic humus in my enclosures. As long as it does not contain any chemicals, fertilizers, or vermiculite or those little round balls often found in potting soil, there is nothing wrong with using dirt, and you can also put plants right in the substrate.

In answer to your quote it roams about in one room and that is my bedroom, there is nothing on the floor and there is nothing there that will allow it to get hurt, it recieves uv light whilst inside the viv and recieves plently of sunlight from when i get home as it is allowed outside where i can see it
surraly allowing it to be in my room for 3 and a half hours isnt too long and also the floor is carpet which is cleaned every day.

i am sure you know a lot more about it than me but i feel your post was very negative