Three toed boxie questions

[calubob]

Hi everyone! I am a long time box turtle owner and new poster here. Sorry if these questions have been answered but I could not find anything that was specific as I wanted. I have had my turtle for about 18 years and have never had any issues until recently. Growing up I always fed her whatever extra vegetables we had week to week and I made a pen for her outside for the summer months, shell growth was fine and never had to trim her beak or nails. The last couple of years I have gotten married, and where I live now an outside pen is not really an option. Recently I noticed her nails and beak have been growing odd, I had to trim her beak a few months back and her nails sometimes grow odd directions. From everything I have read it seems to be a calcium deficiency. So I changed her diet to more calcium heavy foods like collard greens, kale etc.. and with insects for protein. I have a basking bulb and a uvb bulb. I am not sure the wattage on the bulb, I am sure I need to buy a new one. The cool side of her pen is around 70f and the hot side about 85 ish.
So now for my questions.

With the calcium rich foods should I be supplementing calcium as well?
Is there a specific type of uvb I should using? I read somewhere that the bulbs should be between 290nm and 320nm. The bulbs I have looked at do not provide that info as far as I can tell.
I also read that sometimes they do not get enough phosphorous and that can also lead to calcium deficiency, is that really a true concern?
With the proper bulb should I be supplementing Vit D3 as well?

We are about to move to a place that has an actualy backyard I can make another pen in and I am certain that will solve all my issues but for the future I would like to know if there is anything I can do better.
Thanks everyone.

 

[Alaskamike]

I can't answer all your questions. I'm sure more experienced box turtle keepers will.

But the nail & beak issues are not about calcium lack. Most likely it is because she is living inside and not as much to climb and wear her nails down.

I feed mine on a paving stone and this seems to keep the beaks in good shape. Soft foods , inside enclosures give them no wear.

 

[Angel Carrion]

If this is the first time that you are having issues with overgrown beak and nails, it's most likely not a calcium issue but a lack of things to file the beak and nails naturally on. Try feeding her on a paving stone or rock or some other flat surface that is somewhat rough so as she eats her beak files down. Also having friable substrate for her to dig through will help, along with decorative rocks/pavers like one used as a feeding station. Don't put a lot of these around, just like one or two as an interesting new part of the enclosure for her to investigate and climb all over.
As for supplementing, I would suggest adding a cuttlebone to the enclosure for her to chew on as she feels necessary (which also helps file her beak) and doing a light sprinkle of Calcium with Vitamin D3 (you can but this in most pet stores and online. Rep-Cal is one company I remember that sells it in pet stores) and a light sprinkle of a reptile multivitamin (I use ZooMed) on the food once a week would be sufficient. You shouldn't have to worry about the phosphorus levels as most things they eat are high in phosphorus, which is why supplementing calcium is suggested. But only do a light sprinkle of the calcium and multivitamin supplements. Turtles and Torts tend to not like the smell/taste of the calcium supplement, so sprinkling too much on the food has the chance of making them snub their nose to the food offered.
Do you have pictures of her? Carapace, nails, beak, plastron, etc? Also enclosure pictures? What kind of UVB bulb are you using? If it is a coil or compact bulb, please throw it out and get a strip UVB bulb. Coil and compact bulbs have the danger of possibly hurting and blinding the turtle/tort living under it.

 

[wellington]

Also a warmer basking spot is needed. They need to warm up,past 85 to properly digest their food. As for the calcium, just a small pinch twice a week or less, too much can be as bad as too little. Boxies need a higher humidity, I'm worried about your low end of the temp range. High humidity which they need and low temps can make a sick tort. I'm not as informed about Boxies as some of the others so I will alert more of them here. @terryo @Yvonne G and @Alaskamike I believe just into some too. Maybe he can also confirm about your temp lows.

 

[Eric Phillips]

Also a warmer basking spot is needed. They need to warm up,past 85 to properly digest their food. As for the calcium, just a small pinch twice a week or less, too much can be as bad as too little. Boxies need a higher humidity, I'm worried about your low end of the temp range. High humidity which they need and low temps can make a sick tort. I'm not as informed about Boxies as some of the others so I will alert more of them here. @terryo @Yvonne G and @Alaskamike I believe just into some too. Maybe he can also confirm about your temp lows.

The temps are fine. The build up of keratin is from what Mike and Angel stated before. Get a cuttlebone, some flat rocks, and a terra cotta dish for water to place in your indoor enclosure. These items can help with filing down the beak and nails. If you can get them outside for a few hours a week then you shouldn't necessarily have to use d3 vitamin supplements but if you can't I would then make sure to sprinkle some on the food. For my juvie box turtles indoor enclosure I place a piece of 12 x 12 tile down on the substrate then place the terra cotta dish on top of it the surround it with river rock out about 3 inches in diameter. The turtles will always have to walk on the rock to get to the water and their is no substrate stuck to the dish when I clean it because it's sitting on the tile. Plus I have a colony of Rollie Pollies and they are always going around the rocks and water dish so the turtles are always taking chopping shots between the rocks which again helps file the beak down.

 

[Eric Phillips]

The temps are fine. The build up of keratin is from what Mike and Angel stated before. Get a cuttlebone, some flat rocks, and a terra cotta dish for water to place in your indoor enclosure. These items can help with filing down the beak and nails. If you can get them outside for a few hours a week then you shouldn't necessarily have to use d3 vitamin supplements but if you can't I would then make sure to sprinkle some on the food. For my juvie box turtles indoor enclosure I place a piece of 12 x 12 tile down on the substrate then place the terra cotta dish on top of it the surround it with river rock out about 3 inches in diameter. The turtles will always have to walk on the rock to get to the water and their is no substrate stuck to the dish when I clean it because it's sitting on the tile. Plus I have a colony of Rollie Pollies and they are always going around the rocks and water dish so the turtles are always taking chopping shots between the rocks which again helps file the beak down.

sorry meant calcium vitamin supplements, little sleepy eye.

 

[Angel Carrion]

For my juvie box turtles indoor enclosure I place a piece of 12 x 12 tile down on the substrate then place the terra cotta dish on top of it the surround it with river rock out about 3 inches in diameter. The turtles will always have to walk on the rock to get to the water and their is no substrate stuck to the dish when I clean it because it's sitting on the tile. Plus I have a colony of Rollie Pollies and they are always going around the rocks and water dish so the turtles are always taking chopping shots between the rocks which again helps file the beak down.

That's a good idea, never thought of it. Thanks for sharing!