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calcium powder
Posted: 09/01/2010 by angel

i have a question regaurding calcium powder how often do you recommend th epwder be put on our tortoises food we only got her today and to be honest the woman we had her from only said to give it as it helps with bones ect but didnt say how often to actually give it to her any help would be great

 

thanks in advance for any replies

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 09/01/2010 by tpgarlene

Hi

I assume this is a young tortoise?  In this case you need to be giving vitamin D as well as calcium, the easiest way to do this is to use Nutrobol - this is a powder that you sprinkle over the food.  For my youngsters, I use Nutrobol daily. 

Hope this helps

Arlene TPG

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 09/01/2010 by angel

hi thanks for that weve been given the nutrobal and calcium powder aswell do they both be given daily? i think shes under 10 she can fit in the palm of a hand so not very big but not a baby either hehehe well shes our baby now :)

 

thank you

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 10/01/2010 by tortoise7

Hi
Click and drag me down to the editor to the world of Tortoise 24/7, but what a wonderful place to be...
I have a 3yr old and I give her nutrobal on her food everytime, I do give her a sprinkling of lime flour maybe twice a week and always have a cuttlefish (good source of calcium and good for keeping the beak from overgrowing ) of course she has her combined heat/ UV lamp as well-B

Hope this help
Jane, Keya & Molly 

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 10/01/2010 by tortoise7

Hi Sorry my notebook run out of battery while I was amending my post...
to coninue... combined heat/UV-B lamp. I am also thinking of introducing minerals Vionate a couple of times a week to give a good vit. mineral balance.

Thanks
Jane, Keya & Molly

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 10/01/2010 by angel

thanks to every one for help and advice for our little stella its helped alot and now we are more comfortable with what we should be giving her thank you.

one more question though sorry to hound you with them stella is not using the basking light for heat she seems to be using the uv light to try and get heat from that instead the basking light is just a warming bulb there is no actual light coming from the bulb itself could it be that she needs the bulb to light up? also shes been bobbing her head aswell im woundering if this is because shes alittle nervous with coming to a new enviroment? any help much apreciated thanks

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 10/01/2010 by TPGDarren

Hi Angel,

What is the temperature under the basking light please and have you photos of the set-up please?

Best to put the basking light in the same area as the UVB tube. Tortoises will benefit from having them close together

HTH
Darren

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 11/01/2010 by VivTPG

Hi Angel,

It would be best to try a basking lamp that emits light for the daytime, giving a basking heat of around 35c, Stella will then get the benefit of increased light and heat from the basking bulb as well as the UV strip.  If it is cold at night (below 16c) you could have the ceramic bulb you already have on thermostat to come on then. 

I cant remember how old she is, but head bobbing can be part of the mating ritual, one of my older horsfields does this when I put something new, eg new rock or cave in his table or even my hand, I think he thinks a female has come to answer his prayers!!!

Regards VivienneClick and drag me down to the editor

 

 

 

 

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 11/01/2010 by angel

hi the basking light and uv are close together the set up is in a rabbit cage we have seen alot of setups on this site like this set up and felt it was the best for the tortoise we dont like the viv setups (apologys to any one who has these no disrespect intended)  they just look closed in and i wouldnt want to live in there. the temrature is set up by my partner to what this site has suggested it be. sorry if ive missed anything lol vivienne to yur tortoise thinging his luck is in hehehehehehehe

Re: calcium powder
Posted: 11/01/2010 by VivTPG

Hi Angel, you are right in thinking that vivs are bad, they are, you are doing the right thing in putting him in a large indoor rabbit cage, I have a couple of these for the smaller torts.  Your set up with the lights sounds fine, you are doing a good job Click and drag me down to the editor

Regards Vivienne

 

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