Hi Tanya:
That's quite a lot you're going through, but it's really not as bad as it feels. Think about it. . . your mom was taking care of these tortoises all wrong for all their lives, and they're not dead yet, so what little time it takes you to get it "right" is not going to be harmful to them. They are quite hardy.
The aquarium is fine for now. But judging from what I can see of their size, it may not be big enough for the both of them. Do you have another tank that you can set up for one of them? Then, get rid of whatever that is you have on the bottom of the tank and put some fir bark or cypress mulch in there. Pet stores sell it in smaller bags called Forest Floor or Repti Bark. These are substrates that can be moistened. Yes, I know, I know. . . they come from the desert. But it is beneficial to them to have a bit of moisture in their enclosure, and as it evaporates it adds humidity to the air, which is also beneficial.
I think the Zoo Med Tortoise thingey is about 4' long, right? That would be ok for one of them, then leave the other in the aquarium.
Be creative. Let your artistic juices flow. Decorate those enclosures so they're eye pleasing for you and interesting for the inhabitants.
Your tortoises don't need "closed chambers." They're big enough to be able to get by with just a little humidity from moistened substrate. While the info given to you about foil, and covering the enclosures was good info, it was really for tortoises younger and smaller than yours.
I'm attaching a picture of an enclosure that I had with some desert tortoises in it just for you to get an idea:
The substrate in this plastic tub is called fine grade orchid bark, my favorite.
(Notice that the silly tortoise is high centered on the plant pot)
That's quite a lot you're going through, but it's really not as bad as it feels. Think about it. . . your mom was taking care of these tortoises all wrong for all their lives, and they're not dead yet, so what little time it takes you to get it "right" is not going to be harmful to them. They are quite hardy.
The aquarium is fine for now. But judging from what I can see of their size, it may not be big enough for the both of them. Do you have another tank that you can set up for one of them? Then, get rid of whatever that is you have on the bottom of the tank and put some fir bark or cypress mulch in there. Pet stores sell it in smaller bags called Forest Floor or Repti Bark. These are substrates that can be moistened. Yes, I know, I know. . . they come from the desert. But it is beneficial to them to have a bit of moisture in their enclosure, and as it evaporates it adds humidity to the air, which is also beneficial.
I think the Zoo Med Tortoise thingey is about 4' long, right? That would be ok for one of them, then leave the other in the aquarium.
Be creative. Let your artistic juices flow. Decorate those enclosures so they're eye pleasing for you and interesting for the inhabitants.
Your tortoises don't need "closed chambers." They're big enough to be able to get by with just a little humidity from moistened substrate. While the info given to you about foil, and covering the enclosures was good info, it was really for tortoises younger and smaller than yours.
I'm attaching a picture of an enclosure that I had with some desert tortoises in it just for you to get an idea:
The substrate in this plastic tub is called fine grade orchid bark, my favorite.
(Notice that the silly tortoise is high centered on the plant pot)