Just found out that everything I was told was lies... :(

[bluejayhunt]

Hi everybody... recently I did some online research about Tortoise care (I have two) and I discovered that everything I was told on how to care for them was wrong. For ten years I have kept my pets incorrectly and I feel horribly guilty. I apologise in advance for such a long post, but I want to try and best rectify this problem because I love my Tortoises so much and I don't trust these so called reptile experts anymore.

Firstly, I have a Greek Tortoise and a Hermans (Male and Female). I bought the Greek Tortoise 10 years ago. He was 3 months old and at the suggestion of the people selling him we bought a vivarium and fed him on a diet of lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes. His main source of heat being a heat mat with hay to bury in. Because of the diet he became very deformed (his shell is shaped like a helmet and his back legs can't lift his body up). We changed the diet, at the recommendation of a 'reptile expert' to Lettuce and Sugar Snap Peas, though recently I changed this to just Baby Gem Lettuce - I know this is not ideal either.

The hermans tortoise was bought about 5 years ago (aged 3) and, stupidly, we integrated them. Luckily there were no problems, but I have read that this is the worst thing you can ever do. She isn't deformed, but I have noticed slight pyramiding on the shell...

They sleep in a vivarium, which now has paper down, a UV light and a heat lamp in one corner with a log in the other. They spend winter days in our kitchen where there is more space and more direct natural sunlight, and summer days outside on our patio and garden where there is a lot of space.

I know that the vivarium isn't good. I know the diet isn't great, but I just don't know what to believe anymore. I've read that baby gem lettuce is okay, and I've also read that it's not. I've tried changing the diet but he just won't eat anything that he doesn't want. He will only eat certain food on certain days.

I really want to make their lives better because they're so loving and active with us and I feel horrible that this mis-information led to one of them being deformed.

I will say that they are both incredibly happy and active... but I don't want to wait until it's too late to fix things. They get on well as well. They bang the fridge when they want food and they run up towards me when I enter a room.

I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum for this kind of post, but I would really appreciate any feedback. I also apologise for the bad care of my torts.

[Easter Bunny]

This is definately the right place to be. You will get some brilliant advice on here and everyone is so friendly and they will really want to help you get things just right for your tortoises.

I'm new to tortoise keeping so I'm going to let someone more experienced advise you of what to do.

Welcome to the forum and can't wait to see photos

[NATURALIS]

Originally Posted by bluejayhunt

Hi everybody... recently I did some online research about Tortoise care (I have two) and I discovered that everything I was told on how to care for them was wrong. For ten years I have kept my pets incorrectly and I feel horribly guilty. I apologise in advance for such a long post, but I want to try and best rectify this problem because I love my Tortoises so much and I don't trust these so called reptile experts anymore.

Firstly, I have a Greek Tortoise and a Hermans (Male and Female). I bought the Greek Tortoise 10 years ago. He was 3 months old and at the suggestion of the people selling him we bought a vivarium and fed him on a diet of lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes. His main source of heat being a heat mat with hay to bury in. Because of the diet he became very deformed (his shell is shaped like a helmet and his back legs can't lift his body up). We changed the diet, at the recommendation of a 'reptile expert' to Lettuce and Sugar Snap Peas, though recently I changed this to just Baby Gem Lettuce - I know this is not ideal either.

The hermans tortoise was bought about 5 years ago (aged 3) and, stupidly, we integrated them. Luckily there were no problems, but I have read that this is the worst thing you can ever do. She isn't deformed, but I have noticed slight pyramiding on the shell...

They sleep in a vivarium, which now has paper down, a UV light and a heat lamp in one corner with a log in the other. They spend winter days in our kitchen where there is more space and more direct natural sunlight, and summer days outside on our patio and garden where there is a lot of space.

I know that the vivarium isn't good. I know the diet isn't great, but I just don't know what to believe anymore. I've read that baby gem lettuce is okay, and I've also read that it's not. I've tried changing the diet but he just won't eat anything that he doesn't want. He will only eat certain food on certain days.

I really want to make their lives better because they're so loving and active with us and I feel horrible that this mis-information led to one of them being deformed.

I will say that they are both incredibly happy and active... but I don't want to wait until it's too late to fix things. They get on well as well. They bang the fridge when they want food and they run up towards me when I enter a room.

I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum for this kind of post, but I would really appreciate any feedback. I also apologise for the bad care of my torts.

we spoke on chat earlier, the best thing to do is send some pictures so we get it right for you and your tortoise, no one is judging you at least you now know you have been doing things wrong. I know it can be confusing on forum's because there is always some smart so and so that tries to prove it can be done this way and that way , which isn't much help to people like yourself , we will help you so stick with it until we have seen the picture's , chat soon

[EJ]

The only thing actually wrong with the advice you were given was the diet. Everything else is a perfect setup for raising hatchling tortoises.

2 things you could have done was provide a humid hide and provide a more balanced diet.

The humid hide is nothing more than a container with a dampened substrate such as sand or ground coconut husk.

The easiest way to provide a good balanced diet is with one of the formulated diets such as T-Rex, Komodo, Pretty Pets, Monster, Mazuri or NutaZu tortoise diets and some dark leafy greens. The greens does not matter as long as it is not cabbage or anything high in oxalic acid. The formulated diet provides all the nutrition and the greens provide filler and fiber.

Originally Posted by bluejayhunt

Hi everybody... recently I did some online research about Tortoise care (I have two) and I discovered that everything I was told on how to care for them was wrong. For ten years I have kept my pets incorrectly and I feel horribly guilty. I apologise in advance for such a long post, but I want to try and best rectify this problem because I love my Tortoises so much and I don't trust these so called reptile experts anymore.

Firstly, I have a Greek Tortoise and a Hermans (Male and Female). I bought the Greek Tortoise 10 years ago. He was 3 months old and at the suggestion of the people selling him we bought a vivarium and fed him on a diet of lettuce, cabbage and tomatoes. His main source of heat being a heat mat with hay to bury in. Because of the diet he became very deformed (his shell is shaped like a helmet and his back legs can't lift his body up). We changed the diet, at the recommendation of a 'reptile expert' to Lettuce and Sugar Snap Peas, though recently I changed this to just Baby Gem Lettuce - I know this is not ideal either.

The hermans tortoise was bought about 5 years ago (aged 3) and, stupidly, we integrated them. Luckily there were no problems, but I have read that this is the worst thing you can ever do. She isn't deformed, but I have noticed slight pyramiding on the shell...

They sleep in a vivarium, which now has paper down, a UV light and a heat lamp in one corner with a log in the other. They spend winter days in our kitchen where there is more space and more direct natural sunlight, and summer days outside on our patio and garden where there is a lot of space.

I know that the vivarium isn't good. I know the diet isn't great, but I just don't know what to believe anymore. I've read that baby gem lettuce is okay, and I've also read that it's not. I've tried changing the diet but he just won't eat anything that he doesn't want. He will only eat certain food on certain days.

I really want to make their lives better because they're so loving and active with us and I feel horrible that this mis-information led to one of them being deformed.

I will say that they are both incredibly happy and active... but I don't want to wait until it's too late to fix things. They get on well as well. They bang the fridge when they want food and they run up towards me when I enter a room.

I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum for this kind of post, but I would really appreciate any feedback. I also apologise for the bad care of my torts.

[EJ]

Out of the gate running Steve???????

Sorry I threaten your expertise.

Pretty cheesy thing to say to a new person to the forum. Hopefully the person can weed through the BS and obtain some truely useful information on some options how they can take care of their tortoise and not how the should based on one persons 'expertise'.

It's a shame that I drop to your level. Was that really necessary?

Originally Posted by red foot marg

we spoke on chat earlier, the best thing to do is send some pictures so we get it right for you and your tortoise, no one is judging you at least you now know you have been doing things wrong. I know it can be confusing on forum's because there is always some smart so and so that tries to prove it can be done this way and that way , which isn't much help to people like yourself , we will help you so stick with it until we have seen the picture's , chat soon

[NATURALIS]

Originally Posted by EJ

Out of the gate running Steve???????

Sorry I threaten your expertise.

Pretty cheesy thing to say to a new person to the forum. Hopefully the person can weed through the BS and obtain some truely useful information on some options how they can take care of their tortoise and not how the should based on one persons 'expertise'.

It's a shame that I drop to your level. Was that really necessary?

talking through your rear end again, you know nothing about this case , the reason i asked for pictures is to see what could be done without your unwanted input that gives no help to the op what so ever , after seeing the pictures your advice would have been wrong anyway .

[Pussygalore]

one or both of you should consider either leaving or thinking more before you write you are both as bad as each other, we'll be very lucky if we hear from this unfortunate new member again.

[Alan1]

Originally Posted by bluejayhunt

They spend winter days in our kitchen where there is more space and more direct natural sunlight, and summer days outside on our patio and garden where there is a lot of space.

In the kitchen in winter is fine if you want to do that but although the sun comes through the window, glass contains a UV filter so no UV can pass through glass. If it was possible to have the viv on the floor where they could go in and out to bask and absorb UVB from the bulb then that would be handy. Supplements such as Nutrobal should be given on their food (but not if you intend feeding pellets) and calcium carbonate in the form of limestone flour and/or cuttlefish bone. most UV bulbs need replaced every 6 months as the UV is all gone from them by then unless they are the heat+UVB mercury vapour type which last up to a year or more depending on brand

[NATURALIS]

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

one or both of you should consider either leaving or thinking more before you write you are both as bad as each other, we'll be very lucky if we hear from this unfortunate new member again.

Ann i have been spending my time helping this person through email so your wrong, i do my best to help any and everyone, but it does not help people when there given the wrong advice. So if you think i'm wrong ask to ban me , there are plenty other people that need help not just here.

[Pussygalore]

all the readers see are 2 well respected members who continually have a go at each other, each trying to be better than the other instead of repsecting that the other has different ways of doing things. Banning is the easy option to trying to either sort out your differences or agreeing to differ, I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets fed up of threads being spoilt/ruined by childish areguements which should be done by pm not on the the forum.