Soon to be owner, looking for advice

[Poppy470]

Thanks Cherrybrandy, it is going to be an open table with a light fitting I can attach myself, so I'm hoping I can get the hight right by having a practice before fitting it permanently, I don't know the exact species and I'm struggling to work out how to get photos on here, I think they are Mediterranean spur thighed. They are only around 5-6 inches long.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi Poppy

some of use a lamp stand such as the zoomed standard or large version. This allows for the lamp fitting to be secured in place and you can move it up and down to get the correct temperature underneath it.

https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/zoo-med-lamp-stands/

An alternative is a clip-on gadget for the lamp which I personally think is less secure.

The heat source lamps do get hot in use and need a ceramic fitting as well.

[Jan W]

I'm not the expert on lamps, but I was so pleased when I moved to a zoomed lamp stand with the protective surround . I realised I felt less worried than the clip on effort I started with and the desk style lamp.

[Poppy470]

Thanks folks, so many choices!! Good to get everyone's thoughts on this...it's been a great help.

[msasa19]

Hi all its been a while since I last posted about George. He seems to be settling well, he was sleeping a lot up until last week but he is awake now and eating everyday, I have been feeding him the florette crispy salad and some other salad which I have checked he can have and he is demolishing that within minutes. Unsure how much he should be having? I have tried mixing dried flowers and weeds into the salad but he just picks around it 🤔 I've been bathing him Daily and he gets a run around the living room for about an hour a day too. I've just weighed him. He is 502g. Unsure if that's too heavy considering he is only apparently 4? Looking forward to getting him out in the garden come summer

[Suze65]

Welcome little George , he's a sweetie. I have found in the past, mine don't like dried weeds, you could try him with Pre Alpin, this is dried chopped up grasses and weeds, this is different to ordinary dried weeds, it come in a cob or loose form, but you soak both tipes and mix with the greens. It's a good form of fibre and nutrition . You can buy this from

http://www.tortoiselady.co.uk/

[Jan W]

George looks so cute. You will so enjoy seeing him active in the garden. Although when I first put my two out they hid under a bush straight away. That was something I learned. They don't like change, however wonderful it may seem. I loved seeing them eat weeds from the ground, they seemed to enjoy the so much more than when I picked them for them.

[CherryBrandy]

that is pretty heavy for 4 but he looks like a Horsfield - they are gannets ! he looks good so don't worry too much. Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum also. more pickies welcome ! CB

[msasa19]

Well George has decided he wants to try and escape from this table. It is a little small and I did think about getting a bigger one, any suggestions? He has almost made it over the side of his current one, there is chicken wire over the top but he could push it off and I feel he's a bit stressed

[sandy]

Originally Posted by msasa19

Hi all its been a while since I last posted about George. He seems to be settling well, he was sleeping a lot up until last week but he is awake now and eating everyday, I have been feeding him the florette crispy salad and some other salad which I have checked he can have and he is demolishing that within minutes. Unsure how much he should be having? I have tried mixing dried flowers and weeds into the salad but he just picks around it 🤔 I've been bathing him Daily and he gets a run around the living room for about an hour a day too. I've just weighed him. He is 502g. Unsure if that's too heavy considering he is only apparently 4? Looking forward to getting him out in the garden come summer

If you feed him junk foods (salad) then thats all he will eat. Salad is fine when fed occasionally, but its not good when fed all the time. As it has no goodness except water. Just like children they will go for what they like, not what is good for them:0)
It took me three months to get one tortoise off of eating salad and tomatoes. He now eats weeds and flowers:0)