A Little Overwhelmed

[geckos65]

I have read the care sheet and many posts but it is all overwhelming. this is what I need to know
what food can I purchase from the grocery store for our Hermanns
Best substrate for a Hermanns
Can I feed it Oxbow timothy hay or orchard grass or Botanical Hay
How often should we clean out enclosure
Is there some kind of grass seeds that I can plant inside. I live in Toronto Canada too much pollution.
Calcium supplements should we use and how often
Mazuri or some other type of commercial diet fed in addition to greens
red leaf lettuce or green leaf lettuce
Sorry for all the questions but we want to provide the best care for our little Tortoise when he or she comes to live with us.
thanks

 

[ashned7]

Hey I know exactly what you mean by overwhelmed there is alot of conflicting info out there and Im sure someone with a lot more knowledge will answer soon but:

1. mixed leaf salad like italian style, florette or mediterranian style is ok for easily store bought food especially during the winter but if you can find a shop that has radichio, escarole, chicory etc and find some weeds like dandelion etc and plant some flowers like pansies/violas then that will be better, the bigger variety the happier the tortoise this is a really informative link for foods:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-5823.html
You'll soon get to know what your tort likes to eat and what he/she doesnt

2: in the uk the advice is mainly from the tortoise trust website, and that specifies that 75% sterilised top soil to 25% play sand, well mixed together when wet and then alowed to dry before the tortoise is introduced is successful
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/
although sand can cause impaction, so it may not actually turn out to be the best option, like I said, conflicting advice

3. Hermann's can eat Timothy Hay but I think they have to be over a certain age...Im not 100% on that question

4. I usually remove all uneaten food, especially the teeny tiny pieces our hermanns leaves all over as this is mainly what causes the area to get dirty/smelly and I actually use a fork to rake over the soil and break it up each day to keep it aerated and not too dry and then take out the poos. Every 2/3 days i pour some water in the enclosure before i rake it over to stop it drying out too much, but without making it too damp as hermanns need well drained substrate. Full clean outs depend on personal choice really...

5. I wouldnt really know the answer to this one, I think plenty of others will though

6. My hermanns has constant access to a cuttlefish bone which he never ever uses except to stand on or bury underneath, but we scrape this over his food 1/2 times a week. He also has rocks and stones in his enclosure to nibble as a source of calcium (he never does and i wish he would as he has a bit of a beak issue going on)

7. I personally have never used any commercial diet product with either of my torts so I wouldnt know but Im sure there are plenty of other members who can help you out with that one

8. I think a mix of both if you have store bought mixed leaf lettuce as then there is some variety, although not really enough. I know if we have this in then Lola (RT) will pick through her food for the red leaf and Horace (Hermanns) will leave the red as he loves the green

Hope this helps a little bit and i hope someone who knows a lot more also helps soon

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I treat my Hermann's pretty much the same way as my Russians. Russiantortoise.org has really good information.