I posted a few days ago about my new rescue Russian, Tater Tot (https://www.reddit.com/r/tortoise/s/psB4KGAnsF), and I'm working towards having a bigger enclosure for him by the end of the week.

In the meantime, I picked up some items on FB marketplace to try and correct some of his care deficits, but now I'm second guessing whether they're correct.

I set up the new UVB bar light, but is it too high of UVB since it's listed as being for a desert reptile? I also have the bulb pictured as a future option, but not the right fixture for it at the moment. (Editing to add, I just raised it about 6 inches, since it was only about 3 inches from his shell)

The Mazuri food I was given - two bags, one low sodium, one regular - is this the right one for him? (Obviously he's mostly getting greens, but I want to ensure I get him a complete diet in the winter months when there's less to forage).

I just got him the moss hide and he's loving it!

For those who are curious. Following my post https://www.reddit.com/r/tortoise/s/WLTxzWfjCx

We've been to the vet. He confirmed that the high temperature was probably the cause of the loss of weight.

Told me that the paint was not a big problem, at least it was not the cause of the loss of weight.

Gave me vitamins, gave me anti worms. He told me the turtle is probably around 3 years old, a female.

The turtle would not survive the winter.

So we bought a plastic box, bought a uv+ir light in a specialized shop.

The turtle now have 8h of light + IR at disposal.

Fresh water every day.

Mix of herbs I take in the garden

Now she weight 120g, this is 25 to 30g more than previously. Just from last week she gained 10g.

Thanks for those who helped me with advice and no judgement :)

Unhealthy Shell? 4 Months old

Hi,

this summer we found a little roach in the house, and we don't know if it came from the substrate or not. However, I'm looking to change things a bit and I'm a bit confused about all those choices.

I'm looking for something suitable for a red foot.

We don't necessarily want bio-active, but something they will appreciate walking or digging in.

Also, for plants, I'm thinking of buying some ferns, and I read contradictory things about pothos being poisonous or safe. What's true?

Finally, I want to add a background instead of keeping visible wooden planks. There are some fake plants for terrarium with suction cup, but I feel like it will fall off easily and I don't want my tortoise to be intoxicated. Do you think just printing a paper background could work?

Thank you

Is this wee normal. We have a Russian tortoise and were just about to put him into hibernation.

My little guy( russian tort of unknown age but definitely an adult) loves to climb seemingly. For the past week he has endlessly tried to escape his enclosure. I don’t keep a lid on because usually this is no problem. I changed his enclosure around to add more enrichment but after one day he is climbing again lol. I think he enjoys exploring( he usually is out daily) but I don’t want him to hurt himself when i’m not there. I also changed the heating to have more drastic cold/warm sides and areas to see if it was a thermoregulation issue but obviously this wasn’t it. The normal range is 78-80 on the warm side and 70-78 on the cool side. at night it drops to about 70 all over. He also had a basking spot which runs at 95-100 degrees F. You guys got any ideas on what he might be doing or what to do?

Any tips and tricks to getting your tortoise to eat tortoise pellets? My 20 yr Russian is not a fan. I’ve tried them dry, soaked in warm water, and soaked in hibiscus tea…nothing. She eats all of the rest of her food, but I’m trying to get her weight up and the Mazuri pellets were recommended by the vet.

I got my tortoise a few months ago and bought the whole setup from the previous owner.

I just wanted to ask if there’s anything I should change, remove or add to the enclosure to make sure it’s suitable for my tortoise.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. I love my tortoise and want it to live the best life.

Thank you

Hey yall! Just wanted to give a quick update on my tortoise enclosure that I started almost 6 days ago! I've been working nonstop and stressing like crazy (I'm a perfectionist) over this lol. My Final touches are going to include cypress mulch as a top layer over this coconut fiber substrate to hold humidity and keep a smoother walking path for my soon-to-be russian. Is there anything else I can do? Thank you guys have a great day!

Hi everyone, recently upgraded my pen for my kiddo and wanted to see if it’s okay to combine two different UVA bulbs or if I should keep it at one. I have two 50watts at this time and recently picked up a 100watt UVA bulb. Could I install the 100watt UVA bulb along with the 50watt or would that be too much?

I also have a UVB strip installed and will upgrade that as well within the next couple days.