The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
she can wait 2 weeks for the uvb, but not the heat
Advices for my lil wstern herman
- Thread starter Cicciof
- Start date
Its coming in a couple of days, in doing my best to keep her sunbathing, the only vendor i found was outside ue
i bought this like 1 year ago and i havnt used it yet, could it be fine considerilng i would mount it 50cm/1m above the enclosure
Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
This one is decorative LED light. But if you can place whole 20 meters above the enclosure, this should be bright enough. One thing to check before installing - is how "white" color looks. The strip has colored and white diodes and in the worst case "white" color is only when 1/4 of diodes is on.
Just in case, common LED bulbs or spotlights can be used too.
@Tom basking light has arrived. At first she seemed to like it but after a while she went away goin around in the enclosure. i think she just needs to get used.
The problem is that she hates when i soak in water, i took an high wall bowl for soaking and she spend the entire time trying to climb the walls.
What can i do? she seems very stressed when i soak her.
also when she enters her pool in the enclosure and then she gets out she becames a meatball with the coco coir stuff, is it bad for her?
The problem is that she hates when i soak in water, i took an high wall bowl for soaking and she spend the entire time trying to climb the walls.
What can i do? she seems very stressed when i soak her.
also when she enters her pool in the enclosure and then she gets out she becames a meatball with the coco coir stuff, is it bad for her?
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Don’t worry too much about that, like you say she’s getting used to the change, they hate any kind of change, even the positives lol.
As for the soaks, again don’t worry if she looks like she’s stressing, lots of tortoises get like it during their soaks, it’s actually not a bad thing as it gets them moving, which helps them poop during it🙂it’s a good form of exercise so honestly don’t worry about it! Soaks are 100% necessary no matter how they’re acting, some learn to chill, some never do haha.
With the coir, it’s one of the reasons I’m not too keen personally because of how it can stick to them, but countless people use it without issue, if it’s not bothering your tort, I wouldn’t worry about that either😊
Thanks for the response i appreciate u guys so much.
What do u use instead of coco coir?
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
no problem at all🥰 we personally use orchid bark, some use forest floor, you can even have coir underneath with a layer of the bark on top, it’s up to you🙂like I say though if it doesn’t appear to be bothering your tortoise or causing any problems, you can stick with just the coir, whatever your preference is😊
i searched orchid bark everywere i found just pine one not fir so i surrenderered. :/
Then then a breeder told me about beech wood and said it was fine so i bopught it but it didnt felt right to cover the full area.
Then i let dry some stuffs from the garden that the lil herman liked so much.
she go to sleep everyday in the same spot where there is little coco coir and just beech wood and the grass dry stuff on top. she is kinda dumb i think lol.
idk why every other place in the enclosure has like 6 to 10 cm of substrate to bury in but she choose the 3 cm one.
Its either she likes the beech wood or idk what else ( is on it way a hide spot little house for her)
If u have any suggestion i would like to hear please.
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Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Might be worth trying forest floor if you want to go the bark route, do you get the zoo med reptibark where you are though? Or habistat? Cause they are suitable orchid barks🙂
Beech wood chips aren’t a good idea, breeders and stores tend to use them cause it’s easier to clean, but long term it’s not ideal, it doesn’t hold humidity yet if it does get wet it can mould.
I would also discourage the edible bedding as it’s not a good idea to encourage them to eat substrate, that grass being on the wood chips means they could swallow some chips, which isn’t ideal either.
For now I do remove the chips and grass stuff and just leave the coir, make sure it’s nice and damp and firmly packed down, I’m noticing yours looks a little fluffy which can have it dry out quicker, just a tip😊you want the consistency that when you smush it into a fist, it holds its shape somewhat🙂
What type of basking lamp did you get? They are supposed to sit under for a short while, get all warmed up, and then go eat and explore. That all sounds like it is working well.
She doesn't "hate" soaking. That is a human emotion. Just leave her in the water for 30-40 minutes and keep it warm in whatever way works for you. All the climbing out is good exercise and stimulation. We call that the tortoise treadmill.
Coco coir needs to be kept damp, and it needs to be hand packed firmly. Even then it is still a bit messy, but I still like it for baby Testudo. I switch to orchid bark as they grow larger.
maybe thats because she likes staing in wood, cuz its firmer. it looks fluffy because i mixt it now and then and try to create some mountains for her to climb. So i will pack down the coir and remove the chips.
Maybe she hides in there cuz she feels more hidden?
can u also suggest me something to add in the enclosure please?
i got the lamp just today in the evning so i dont know but when the lamp wasnt there yet she spent most of the day sleeping, she woke up in the morning, eat, and hide to sleep, then i usually take her, soak, she stays sunbathing for like half an hour and then go to sleep.
i got a random mount for the lamp and then the arcadia baskin floodlight 75.
ahahahhaa it kinda really is.
This is the mount that im using with the arcadia bulb.
The mount came with 2 bulbs that u can se in the link, do u think they are ok to use in case the arcadia one break or whatever can happen?
What wattage is that fixture rated for? I like them to be at least double the wattage I am using.
The Arcadia bulbs are great.
Anyway 3 days ago i found a very little worm on her face, killed it and kept searching in the enclosure, on her, and in her poop if there were other worms, till today i couldnt find anything. Is it concerning? or just a worm passin by maybe from food
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
She probably does burrow down to hide yeah, I’d definitely add a hide or two and perhaps some safe plants, spider plants are good! If buying from a store, wash roots and plant in your own organic soil, then wait for spider babies to appear, you can then plant them in the enclosure and have a never ending supply from the mother plant🙂
And yeah she’ll sleep if she’s feeling too cool or there’s not enough light, so makes sense she was mainly just sleeping without it.
Oh btw do you have a topper you put over to maintain your humidity as they’re a baby? It needs to be 80+ 24/7 which is impossible to maintain with an open top. I’d also stick with just a terracotta saucer for the water dish😊
You might find this thread I made recently useful to go through because there’s some more visual examples at the bottom, I know I gave you some a while ago now, but I’ve made it better🙂
Housing young Russian/Herman
Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...
tortoiseforum.org
