Newly Acquired Tortoises Need Help

[EJ]

I've never followed the Tetra line of foods so I don't know much about it. When I do recommend pellets I usually go with the ones that I have used or others that I have seen the results of feeding to tortoises.

I've read the results too often of too low temperatures... especially with newly acquired tortoises. After all... they are reptiles.

Originally Posted by FLINTUS

They will not suffer from down to 15 though at night, presumably it would often drop down this low in the wild. My red foots are happy to be outside at above 15 and they are more tropical. Ed, although I do understand your point about higher temps, surely a decent heat lamp and maybe a second heat source such as a CHE will work enough to keep the temps up. I personally disagree with the whole pellet idea, I believe they are not usually needed but as Ed said if you are going to get some get a good one like Mazuri-I am not sure about tetra tortoise food, anyone know if it's good?

[FLINTUS]

Originally Posted by EJ

I've never followed the Tetra line of foods so I don't know much about it. When I do recommend pellets I usually go with the ones that I have used or others that I have seen the results of feeding to tortoises.

I've read the results too often of too low temperatures... especially with newly acquired tortoises. After all... they are reptiles.

Interesting. So when inside, do you use vivs for your less tropical species? I have a quarintine open top rabbit cage for my new red foots(the others are in a large 40 ft sq planted viv with mister, rockpool and so on so humidity keeps high) , the temps stay high enough and humidity 80%+. In fairness though the floorboards don't like it

[FLINTUS]

I do agree about having higher temps for new torts though.

[Marcusanthony24]

Originally Posted by mediterraneansuze

A lot of people on here use pellets , if only once or twice a week without any problems, particularly over the winter. Also 15 Celsius is a bit too low for most torts, 18 is better for night time temps.

I agree that 18 would be better, but night time temps could go lower than that quite safely, tortoises in the wild are not kept at room temperature during the night, what's important is that temps stay well clear of 10 celsius to avoid hibernation. Certain makes of pellets also have their place in captive tortoises, but should not be over relied upon as they can become addictive, it's like me and mars bars!

[Suze65]

Hi Marcus, yes nighttime temps could safely go a bit lower than 18 ,but Ive read so many posts this winter from new tort owners wondering why their torts aren't moving or very active and quite often they seem to have low temps , as soon as they up the temps, their torties become more active. That was all I meant. But I understand what your saying.

[EJ]

I've got a reptile room that is maintained at a constant 80F. All my tortoises are in tables.

Originally Posted by FLINTUS

Interesting. So when inside, do you use vivs for your less tropical species? I have a quarintine open top rabbit cage for my new red foots(the others are in a large 40 ft sq planted viv with mister, rockpool and so on so humidity keeps high) , the temps stay high enough and humidity 80%+. In fairness though the floorboards don't like it

[kazzabb]

Hi, I've got 2x 5-month old spur thigh iberas on a table indoors (on soil substrate), the night-time temps go down to 10 degrees in that room. In the morning, as soon as their basking and uv lights come on they are up and about warming up under the lights. The other juvenile/adult torts are now out of hibernation and in a large glasss heated greenhouse, where the air temps at night go down to about 5 degrees C. Each of their tort houses in the greenhouse have a tubular heater which keeps the inside of their houses at about 12-15 degrees C. The torts are up and about each morning, waiting in their sand-pits, for their basking lights to go on, they are alert and wide-eyed and by lunch-time have huge appetites - they range from 2.5kg - 250gr in weight, and their basking temps under their lamps is about 33C. The reason I set it up like this, is because I believe(d) that in trying to replicate their natural conditions as best I can, helps them to regulate their bodies, hormones etc, (though I know that being on a tort table or in a greenhouse are not natural situations). From Spring onwards they will go outside into their enclosures which have the necessary coverings in parts, as well as basking lamps - due to our crappy weather. My point is, that in the wild (Spain for example) the night-time temps are so much lower than I would dare to have mine, and yet in the mornings as soon as the sun is up, the wild torts are also up, basking and foraging about. Don't these lower night time (and day-time) temps, especially at this time of year, mean that they would be eating a bit less, therefore have slower growth? I do hope I'm not getting mine all wrong, or are they trying to tell me something?
Karen