Re: This is part of an email I sent to a tortiosing friend, asking questions

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Posted by brad on August 04, 2000 at 12:45:08:

In Reply to: This is part of an email I sent to a tortiosing friend, asking questions posted by Paco on August 04, 2000 at 10:16:30:

: 2nd - Can you describe what your tortiose eats again? I heard I can buy garden salads and just feed him that, but I want my (my mom's) tortiose to be as healthy as possible. I feed him twice a day correct?

Find a grocery store that sells greens in bunches. The following
are good greens: collard, turnip (that's a bunch of greens, not the turnip
with the tops on it), and mustard. Avoid the lettuces, most are calcium
deficient and low in nutrients when compared to the greens.
Chop up the greens, add in some grated squash or carrots and throw
on a little calcium powder. If the torts don't get outside, add
calcium with D3 powder instead (RepCal or Minerall). If your yard
is free of pesticides and herbicides, throw in some grass, dandelions,
clover and plantain.

Greens by the bunch are much cheaper than prepared salad mixes.

: 5th - Are they fairly low maintenece? I don't really care, as I have all the time in the world on my hands, but I'm just wondering how many hours a day you spend doing stuff for your tortiose.

They can poop a lot, so try to use a substrate that you can easily
replace - newspaper works real well. Something loose like
dry cypress mulch or a dirt/sand mixture. If you keep him
outside, that makes maintenance easier. Soak him in a bucket of
shallow water for 10 minutes once or twice a week. Feed 3-4 times
a week.

: 6th - The Vivarium: We were going to use my 20 gallon fish tank, but I have read that is too small, and they don't enjoy being in aquariums. Can you describe your vivarium? Did you buy it or make it? I heard that kiddie pools are good. That would make it harder to put on basking and UV lamps, correct? Do you also have an outdoor pen?

I keep two russians in a Rubbermaid storage closet laid out on its back.
I put down a layer of indoor/outdoor carpet, rubber backin up.
They have 13 sq feet of living space. There's an inverted, plastic planter
box with a hole in each end as a hiding area. I put a 4ft fluorescent
fixture over it that has two GE sunshine bulbs. The whole lighting
setup cost about $22 at Home Depot. I also use a shop light fixture
with a 60 watt incandescent bulb to create a 90F hot spot.

The Rubbermaid closet cost about $100. I'm also looking into
backyard pond liners. There's one at Home Depot that has
over 20sq ft of floor space for about $96.

No outdoor pen yet, but they go outside for a walk once or twice a week.

: 7th - Accessories: So far, I know I need a UV lamp, a basking lamp, and that's about it. Do I need a thermometer? Heat rock? Heating pad? He'll need a tiny pool, a drinking pool, and a food dish, correct? Anything else? Of course, this all depends on what I will actually use for the vivarium. If I'm forced to build my own, this could get interesting.

No need for a hot rock - some people have problems with them and the torts will
get their heat from the basking light. Get your stuff at the hardware store instead
of the pet store. Use the GE Sunshine bulbs for a little UV and supplement the
torts diet with a calcium d3 powder

I've tried putting in a water bowl, but the torts avoid it.

A cheap thermometer is a good idea.

: 8th - Is your vivarium on the floor, or on a desk, or what?

Yes, on the floor in my finished basement.

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: : : 2nd - Can you describe what your tortiose eats again? I heard I can buy garden salads and just feed him that, but I want my (my mom's) tortiose to be as healthy as possible. I feed him twice a day correct? : Find a grocery store that sells greens in bunches. The following : are good greens: collard, turnip (that's a bunch of greens, not the turnip : with the tops on it), and mustard. Avoid the lettuces, most are calcium : deficient and low in nutrients when compared to the greens. : Chop up the greens, add in some grated squash or carrots and throw : on a little calcium powder. If the torts don't get outside, add : calcium with D3 powder instead (RepCal or Minerall). If your yard : is free of pesticides and herbicides, throw in some grass, dandelions, : clover and plantain. : Greens by the bunch are much cheaper than prepared salad mixes. : : : 5th - Are they fairly low maintenece? I don't really care, as I have all the time in the world on my hands, but I'm just wondering how many hours a day you spend doing stuff for your tortiose. : They can poop a lot, so try to use a substrate that you can easily : replace - newspaper works real well. Something loose like : dry cypress mulch or a dirt/sand mixture. If you keep him : outside, that makes maintenance easier. Soak him in a bucket of : shallow water for 10 minutes once or twice a week. Feed 3-4 times : a week. : : : 6th - The Vivarium: We were going to use my 20 gallon fish tank, but I have read that is too small, and they don't enjoy being in aquariums. Can you describe your vivarium? Did you buy it or make it? I heard that kiddie pools are good. That would make it harder to put on basking and UV lamps, correct? Do you also have an outdoor pen? : I keep two russians in a Rubbermaid storage closet laid out on its back. : I put down a layer of indoor/outdoor carpet, rubber backin up. : They have 13 sq feet of living space. There's an inverted, plastic planter : box with a hole in each end as a hiding area. I put a 4ft fluorescent : fixture over it that has two GE sunshine bulbs. The whole lighting : setup cost about $22 at Home Depot. I also use a shop light fixture : with a 60 watt incandescent bulb to create a 90F hot spot. : The Rubbermaid closet cost about $100. I'm also looking into : backyard pond liners. There's one at Home Depot that has : over 20sq ft of floor space for about $96. : No outdoor pen yet, but they go outside for a walk once or twice a week. : : : 7th - Accessories: So far, I know I need a UV lamp, a basking lamp, and that's about it. Do I need a thermometer? Heat rock? Heating pad? He'll need a tiny pool, a drinking pool, and a food dish, correct? Anything else? Of course, this all depends on what I will actually use for the vivarium. If I'm forced to build my own, this could get interesting. : No need for a hot rock - some people have problems with them and the torts will : get their heat from the basking light. Get your stuff at the hardware store instead : of the pet store. Use the GE Sunshine bulbs for a little UV and supplement the : torts diet with a calcium d3 powder : : I've tried putting in a water bowl, but the torts avoid it. : A cheap thermometer is a good idea. : : 8th - Is your vivarium on the floor, or on a desk, or what? : Yes, on the floor in my finished basement. :

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