KatAttack
New Member
Sorry up front for the wall of text! If this belongs somewhere else, please tell me, I'm brand new here.
We're getting our first tort. Technically it'll be my daughter's, but since she's 4, it's really a family pet. We've decided on a female Eastern Hermann's. It'll be a well stared hatchling from Tortstork. We're building an indoor enclosure and she'll have an outdoor play area in my back yard.
Enclosure will be 4x3 15in deep, wood with a lid (so we can cover to keep humidity). I'm planning on 6" of substrate. This comes out to about 6cuft. I'll do 3cuft organic soil, 2cuft sphagnum moss and 1cuft sand, with a couple inches of cypress bark on top. We'll have a hide box, a humid hide, basking area and other tort friendly enrichment. I'd like to plant a few spots of snacks too (advice welcome here). She'll have a shallow water dish that'll be replaced daily and 3-4 x weekly luke warm soaks.
We'll have UV light and daylight bulbs, 12-14 hr day on. (My hubs us researching the bulbs, so I don't have specifics yet).
We'll use Mazuri food (I used this brand for my chinchillas and it was awesome) and appropriate leafy greens (which I'm going to try to grow). Question here, how do you offer the 2 different foods? Do you always have the pellets out and then offer the greens for 15-20 min each day? Will have a cuttlebone for calcium.
Planning on 3-4 hygrometer/thermometers to monitor the temp/humidity throughout. Humidity is a huge concern for us since we're in dry Colorado. We'll do soaks, fresh water every day, spray down and humid hide.
Is that everything? I'm sitting at my allergy doctor, and that's all I can come up with right now lol.
Thanks all!! These forums have been SO helpful!
Oh and I think my daughter picked Tortina for her name lol.
We're getting our first tort. Technically it'll be my daughter's, but since she's 4, it's really a family pet. We've decided on a female Eastern Hermann's. It'll be a well stared hatchling from Tortstork. We're building an indoor enclosure and she'll have an outdoor play area in my back yard.
Enclosure will be 4x3 15in deep, wood with a lid (so we can cover to keep humidity). I'm planning on 6" of substrate. This comes out to about 6cuft. I'll do 3cuft organic soil, 2cuft sphagnum moss and 1cuft sand, with a couple inches of cypress bark on top. We'll have a hide box, a humid hide, basking area and other tort friendly enrichment. I'd like to plant a few spots of snacks too (advice welcome here). She'll have a shallow water dish that'll be replaced daily and 3-4 x weekly luke warm soaks.
We'll have UV light and daylight bulbs, 12-14 hr day on. (My hubs us researching the bulbs, so I don't have specifics yet).
We'll use Mazuri food (I used this brand for my chinchillas and it was awesome) and appropriate leafy greens (which I'm going to try to grow). Question here, how do you offer the 2 different foods? Do you always have the pellets out and then offer the greens for 15-20 min each day? Will have a cuttlebone for calcium.
Planning on 3-4 hygrometer/thermometers to monitor the temp/humidity throughout. Humidity is a huge concern for us since we're in dry Colorado. We'll do soaks, fresh water every day, spray down and humid hide.
Is that everything? I'm sitting at my allergy doctor, and that's all I can come up with right now lol.
Thanks all!! These forums have been SO helpful!
Oh and I think my daughter picked Tortina for her name lol.