MaxisMYtortoise
Active Member
He has been cold(ish) and a bit tired. He is more active now because I let him sleep. He is like me lazy aha. But any advice?
He is about 6/7 and his diet is mainly store bought salad and some veggies/fruit. Now his enclosure is down below in photosJudging from your avatar, it appears you have a Russian tort. How old is it? Can you describe its enclosure and diet?
Sure and thanks for the advice!Hi
It seems like you have received outdated information about the care of your tort and there are changes that you need to make to help your tort be happy and healthy. You have come to the right place
We have care guides here written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated Information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.
I suggest you give these a read and compare them with your setup. Of immediate concern to me are:
- The substrate is too dry. This needs to be an earthy type that hold water. Fine grade orchid bark or coco coir can be bought from a garden store (much cheaper not to buy them from a pet shop) and mixed with water until they are evenly damp throughout. Substrate needs to be around 4" (10cm) deep
- The UVB bulb is the coiled type that hurts tortoise eyes (this could be the cause of inactivity - the tort is hiding). Use a Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) for basking, or a tube UVB
- The basking bulb must hand vertically, not be at an angle. The temperature directly underneath it must be 95-100F (35-37C)
- The water bowl is not suitable for tort use; it is hard for them to use and is a tipping hazard. A terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate allows your tort to climb in it and rink or self soak.
- A piece of flat rock or slate, or even the rough side of a wall tile makes a good food plate that helps to keep tort's beak in shape by abrading it as your tort eats.
- Your vivarium is too small for anything other than the smallest tort - ie a hatchling or baby. Can we see a picture of your tort?
Beginner Mistakes
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
Russian Tortoise care
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
Care of baby Russians
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
here is a picHi
It seems like you have received outdated information about the care of your tort and there are changes that you need to make to help your tort be happy and healthy. You have come to the right place
We have care guides here written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated Information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.
I suggest you give these a read and compare them with your setup. Of immediate concern to me are:
- The substrate is too dry. This needs to be an earthy type that hold water. Fine grade orchid bark or coco coir can be bought from a garden store (much cheaper not to buy them from a pet shop) and mixed with water until they are evenly damp throughout. Substrate needs to be around 4" (10cm) deep
- The UVB bulb is the coiled type that hurts tortoise eyes (this could be the cause of inactivity - the tort is hiding). Use a Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) for basking, or a tube UVB
- The basking bulb must hand vertically, not be at an angle. The temperature directly underneath it must be 95-100F (35-37C)
- The water bowl is not suitable for tort use; it is hard for them to use and is a tipping hazard. A terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate allows your tort to climb in it and rink or self soak.
- A piece of flat rock or slate, or even the rough side of a wall tile makes a good food plate that helps to keep tort's beak in shape by abrading it as your tort eats.
- Your vivarium is too small for anything other than the smallest tort - ie a hatchling or baby. Can we see a picture of your tort?
Beginner Mistakes
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
Russian Tortoise care
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
Care of baby Russians
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
HiI'm trying to get a better enclosure. Like this:
http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...lxyL8Y1KNC6OUnHeXxxoCCZYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I can’t really tell, but it looks like his beak might be overgrown. Could you get one straight from the side and not at an angle? You may have to hold him up to take the picture.
He is currently sleeping but I will wake him up soon, but what is a over grown beak