# 40 gallon Terrarium



## HtVic (Jan 28, 2012)

I am going to get this 40gallon 36x18x16â€ Terrarium for my Hermann, 'cause I was thinking that he will grow up to 8 inch eventually, and he will stress if I switch tank often, so I will just buy the 40 gallon for him.beside, I might get 2 tortoise, so the bigger the better

here are some questions:
1. I am going to put the terrarium it beside the tv (pic below). its the noise going to effect him.

2. since the terrarium is 40gal, and he just a hatchling, I think it is difficult to keep it humidity and heat enough inside. how should I do that.

3. I can custom make the size if I like, so I rather to long and wide, instead of too height. what size I can change the terrarium too

thank you all


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## Kristina (Jan 28, 2012)

While a 40 gallon will be suitable for your tortoise while he is a youngster, and is even big enough for two youngsters, please keep in mind that it will not be big enough for an adult, and certainly too small for two adults. Also, it is difficult to keep only two adult tortoises together. Two males may fight, even two females can have disagreements. Keeping a male with a single female is also difficult, because he may want to breed all the time, and will pester her constantly. If you think you are going to want multiple tortoises, I would plan on either having separate enclosures, or an enclosure big enough for three or more tortoises (1 male and 2 or more females, or a group of females.)

As far as height, you need to have it tall enough to include heat and uv lamps. I would not make it shorter than 18 inches.

The easiest way to keep the humidity and heat in is to have a cover that is made of either plastic, like plexiglass, or glass. You can have your heat source inside the tank, and use a humidity holding substrate like coconut coir, soil, orchid bark, or cypress mulch.


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## HtVic (Jan 28, 2012)

Kristina said:


> While a 40 gallon will be suitable for your tortoise while he is a youngster, and is even big enough for two youngsters, please keep in mind that it will not be big enough for an adult, and certainly too small for two adults. Also, it is difficult to keep only two adult tortoises together. Two males may fight, even two females can have disagreements. Keeping a male with a single female is also difficult, because he may want to breed all the time, and will pester her constantly. If you think you are going to want multiple tortoises, I would plan on either having separate enclosures, or an enclosure big enough for three or more tortoises (1 male and 2 or more females, or a group of females.)
> 
> As far as height, you need to have it tall enough to include heat and uv lamps. I would not make it shorter than 18 inches.
> 
> The easiest way to keep the humidity and heat in is to have a cover that is made of either plastic, like plexiglass, or glass. You can have your heat source inside the tank, and use a humidity holding substrate like coconut coir, soil, orchid bark, or cypress mulch.



thanks for the information, but as I know, the max size of hermann's tortoise is around 6-8 inch right, so would 40 gal big enough for 1 hermann?


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## Kristina (Jan 28, 2012)

No, it would not. I would not keep an 8" tortoise in something that small. You need room for a hide, food dish, and water dish, which is going to take up a lot of floor space and not leave the tortoise any room to move around. 

The minimum I would keep one tortoise that size in would be 2' X 4', and that is the absolute minimum.


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## ripper7777777 (Jan 28, 2012)

Kristina is so right, 40 Gallon breeders are great for hatchlings, plenty of room for multiple tiny little guys, but not even close for adults much less more than one. But if you get a hatchling or two you have a while, they won't be 8"s over night, but you will need more room later. I have two redfoots at the 4" size and they are temporarily in a 40 gallon breeder and while they aren't on top of each other it just doesn't seem big enough and as soon as I can they will move outside and I'll build them a 3x8 inside when winter comes back.


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## HtVic (Jan 28, 2012)

wow, 2' X 4' 60cm*120cm

is there a such problem that is too much room for hatchlings, that they won't get enough uv light or heat?

I am going to put the terrarium it beside the tv (pic below). its the noise going to effect him?


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## Kristina (Jan 28, 2012)

That really isn't that big. It is the footprint of a 75 gallon aquarium. And that is the MINIMUM size enclosure. 

As long as you follow the manufacturers instructions on the UV light, you should be fine. The heat isn't meant to be the same throughout the enclosure. You should have a basking area, and then the rest of the enclosure should be a bit cooler, so again, not a problem. A 40 gallon will be fine for babies, just not adults.

The noise should not bother him, but if you turn up your TV loud, the vibrations might (your picture didn't show up.)


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## HtVic (Jan 28, 2012)

so is that OK that I buy the 75gal tank directly for hatchling? or I must start from smaller one?


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## HipsterTorts (Jan 28, 2012)

It's okay. I have 2 of my hatchlings in a 75 gallon right now.


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## Zamric (Jan 28, 2012)

You can start as big as you like! Will it be to big for a hatchling? HECK NO! in the wild, they are hatched in THE WILD.... no walls, no ceilings.... nothing bigger than that tho!


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## Kristina (Jan 29, 2012)

Buying a 75 gallon now would be a smart move. That way you don't have to spend more money down the road buying a second enclosure. It would be fine for hatchlings.


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## Jacob (Jan 29, 2012)

This Is What I Have and currently Use, For My 8 Month Sulcata.


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## SulcataSquirt (Jan 29, 2012)

I would go as big a a tank as your wallet would allow, because once he gets bigger and starts pacing those edges you will wish you did! its much cheaper to get the bigger tank rather than buy a second tank in a year or 2! as for the heat and humidity if you cover the top you would be suprised how well it keeps heat and humidity in! good luck and happy tortin! haha


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## HtVic (Jan 29, 2012)

if I buy the bigger one, everything need to be large size right?
like the heat lamp, UVB lamp, by the way, how many do I need? I know heat and UVB for sure I am going to have, but what else, Do I need a night time lamp as well? UVA?
yea, the hide needs large size, and so is the heat wave...
oh one more thing, if I buy the heat wave, Do I still need the Heat Emitter?

sorry, I am still a beginner


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## Zamric (Jan 29, 2012)

No Need to be sorry.... after all that is why we/you are here... to share our knowledge/ experiances with everyone else.

You should be able to use what you have... it may take a little longer to get up to heat/ humidity but tht shouldn't matter a whole lot. once it gets there, your equipment just has to maintain it.


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## HtVic (Jan 29, 2012)

Actually, I still don't have the equipment yet.
I will getting them once I decided which size of Terrarium I am going to use, then I will buy lighting and heating.

as you are saying, if I will have a 75 gallon aquarium, I can use the small size of the light fixture.

here is another concern, just like many beginner, it is hard find me to control the temperature and humidity at first.

I found this Zoo Med HygroTherm Humidity and Temperature Controller, I am not sure that is necessary or not to help me to control the temp and hum.

I 've seen some people stick the Thermometre and Hygrometre beside the cool side and warm side of the aquarium, so how many of those do 
I need?


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