Tort Tub

[AllCoExPat]

Hi everyone. Long time lurker hoping to bring home a Russian from a reptile show tomorrow. I've got my "tort tub" set up over the last few days and I'm working with the lighting now to get that on target before tomorrow. I'm hoping to pick up a few fake plants tomorrow to add a bit to the ambience until I can properly do the research on "good" plants and "bad" plants.

I already want to go bigger than the current tub and have been sketching out some ideas/supply lists for something like a 4'x2' table that doesn't cost a small fortune and doesn't surpass my basic carpentry skills. In the meantime, I want this temporary set up to be comfortable. Any advice the experienced keepers here have would be greatly appreciated!

 

[theelectraco]

I would start playing around with what you can do with your humidity on top of the temps. Are you using a MVB?

 

[kathyth]

That is great, that you will be getting a tort!
What is the max temp under that light? What kind of light is it?
How will you provide warmth at night?

What is your substrate?

Russian owners will have great feedback for you!
You are in the right place!
Welcome

 

[theelectraco]

Also start looking into modifying a lid to keep in humidity and heat if needed.

 

[AesopTortoise]

I would use live edible plants. Grasses and weeds are super easy to grow and become the most beneficial food.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I would put a CHE on the other side. It wiill get cold at night when that light goes out. And also.... CONGRATS!!!!

 

[AllCoExPat]

That is great, that you will be getting a tort!
What is the max temp under that light? What kind of light is it?
How will you provide warmth at night?

What is your substrate?

Russian owners will have great feedback for you!
You are in the right place!
Welcome

Thanks. It's a 100w PowerSun MVB. Right now the temp is holding steady at 95 on the slate tiles in the upper right corner of the picture. I've been watching the nighttime temps for a few days and it drops into the lower 60s, which seems to be in line with what I've been reading over the RT group. If it starts to fluctuate, I'll pick up a CHE to leave on over night. I got a deal on two enormous bags of EcoEarth coconut coir at a local reptile show last weekend, so that's what we'll be using for the foreseeable future.

Also start looking into modifying a lid to keep in humidity and heat if needed.

Humidity is running around 20% at the moment. I'd like to get it up to 35-40% so I added a humidifier to the living room and will get a spray bottle to keep with the tub.

I would use live edible plants. Grasses and weeds are super easy to grow and become the most beneficial food.

That's definitely in the long term plan!

 

[theelectraco]

I think you want higher humidity than 40% at least while they are young. Perhaps try rigging the humidifier to flow into the tank itself.

 

[AllCoExPat]

I think you want higher humidity than 40% at least while they are young. Perhaps try rigging the humidifier to flow into the tank itself.

I'll look into that. I just moved the probes around a bit and it looks like the 20% reading is directly at the basking spot. It's running between 38-39 over by the hide. Hopefully it won't take as much tinkering as I thought.

 

[lynnedit]

Will you get a hatchling, or older tort? Conditions are more or less the same, but hatchlings can just be heartbreaks at times, if they haven't been started off right.
Try mixing in some water to the middle of the substrate and stirring it up. The top layer will dry out quickly, but the under layers will be moist.
Russians really like to dig: you might add more substrate to the cool/darker side.
You won't need any night heat if your house is >55 (or even lower, perhaps) at night. Russians seem more active when they cool off at night but can warm up under that nice 95f basking light.

That is a fine set up to get started with. If you upgrade, how about a used bookcase turned on its side with the shelves removed, lined with pond or shower pan liner?

Get some good Spring mix to start the tort off with, and a small sprayer to moisten it first.

Great supplement
http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=page&id=10

Good source of diet/care info:
http://russiantortoise.net/

Info on plants:
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp

Congratulations!

 

[AllCoExPat]

After the drive home from Pennsylvania and a warm water soak, George is settling in. Actually, he looked around for about 15 seconds and ignoring the greens, he made a beeline for the basking spot and looks like he's hunkered down for the time being.

 

[MasterOogway]

I am from PA. What part of Pa did you get your tort? Congrats on the new member of your family.

 

[AllCoExPat]

I am from PA. What part of Pa did you get your tort? Congrats on the new member of your family.

Thanks! I was up at the reptile show in Reading.

 

[MasterOogway]

That's right I remember now. I like the name George.

 

[lynnedit]

He is a hearty looking fellow. They often won't eat at first, sometimes even for a few weeks. Let him get used to his new home, minimal handling at first, but soak daily for a week then 2-3x per week.

He will appreciate a larger enclosure when you can manage it, but he has the basics now.

 

[AndreaRosie]

Having a new turtle is so exciting! I hope for you to have a healthy little guy!

 

[AllCoExPat]

He is a hearty looking fellow. They often won't eat at first, sometimes even for a few weeks. Let him get used to his new home, minimal handling at first, but soak daily for a week then 2-3x per week.

He will appreciate a larger enclosure when you can manage it, but he has the basics now.

I'm happy to say that he ate yesterday and has already put a big dent into his breakfast this morning, so we've crossed that hurdle.

I'm waiting for the house to warm up a bit before soaking him today. He didn't seem to mind yesterday's soak, so I'm hoping for a repeat performance.

I'm definitely looking at larger enclosure options. I'd like to keep him on the living room since that's where we spend most of the time and I've been enjoying watching him. That location has some "dimensional" challenges that I'm trying to figure out. At a minimum I'm looking to get him into a 50 gallon tub sooner rather than later. The holdup at the moment is finding a used TV stand that doesn't completely clash with the rest of the living room to use as a base. Hopefully yardsale season will come early this year!

 

[MasterOogway]

I am setting my guys up the same as you. I work at home so I am setting them up on my work area so I can enjoy them when indoors. I plan to also build their outdoor enclosure in the yard close to the house for the same reason. That's why I got them to enjoy.i hope you find the perfect matching table !

 

[lynnedit]

You both have the right idea! Go for as much space as you can, you won't regret it.

Search Craigslist for 'ponds', 'tortoise', etc. Every so often someone posts a preformed pond, or even tortoise table.
AllCoExPat, keep two level enclosures in mind if space is an issue. You can search 'two level enclosures' on TFO and get some ideas.
I can't find the link but saw one Rubbermaid 50 gal where they then took a smaller plastic container and nested it sideways on one side as a second level (about 8"+ above the bottom of the 50 gal, so there was also a hide). They cut a door and created a ramp and that added space.

Here is a thread about building a Herman's tortoise table (similar needs)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-56640.html

You could PM Moozilion, I believe another member is making her a tort table.

 

[AllCoExPat]

I like the pre-formed pond idea, Lynne. If I can build a cabinet to drop it into or some kind of camouflage to make it look less "giant black plastic tub-y", I might even be allowed to keep it in the living room. ;-)

I'll get some pictures up eventually, but yesterday I cut a big part of the front out of my 50-gallon tub. Next time I go into town, I'm going to stop at home depot and get some plexi and clear silicone to install the "window." The big tubs make it easy, but at least one one side I'd like to be able to look in and see what George is up to without standing directly overhead. The plastic in his current tub seems to be cloudy enough that it doesn't bother him, fortunately.