Confused first time owner

chard_c

New Member
Joined
May 26, 2022
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
ARMAGH
Hi Everyone,

we have thought about a tortoise for a long time and settled on getting a Hermann's, we did everything the pet shop told us to do but after 2 weeks the 6month old Hermann's pass away. so we have been very apprehensive that we have done something wrong.

we decided to get another one hoping Terrance just had an infection or was poorly before.

we now have Sheldon who is over 1 so a little bit bigger. I am panicking that we have done something wrong and all the websites i read say something different. Are new tortoise was raised in a vivarium and the breeder told me that his head was left on 24h a day and the uv bulb only 12h, this the opposite to all the info online. I dont want to suddely stop giving him heat if he is used to it.

does anyone have 4-5 key points that i should stick too?

advise on how long they can be out of the vivarium during the day in the house before they get too cold?
should i ween him off 24h of heat?
he is on a bed of tortoise soil, 1st breeder recommended wood chippings. is one better than the other?
temperature is 32 degrees celsius under the head and 25 in the shade.
fresh water daily( our tap water is quite hard if that's ok)
the breeder said they where feeding him on pellets so we started with that, he didn't seem to eat them changed to mixed leaves and seems to eat this better.
any key points to look out for that he is not doing too well?

sorry if this is a lot but we were devastated when Terrance died and just want to make sure we have done everything right for Sheldon.

thanks Richard
 

Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Hi and welcome,
Sorry to hear about your upsetting experience with your first tort.
There is a lot of old and incorrect care information still being passed on and pet shops especially, know very little about tortoise care. You'll only get current care methods here that will help you avoid mistakes made by others.
This is the most up to date caresheet that will help your tort thrive if you follow it as closely as possible
It will cover the temps you need, substrate and the sort of lamps you need.
If you post some pics of the lamps you're using and his enclosure you'll get good feedback and advice on making it as safe as possible
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a good guide to good safe foods.
 

chard_c

New Member
Joined
May 26, 2022
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
ARMAGH
So it has a uv strip and a head lamp in the vivarium. This enclosure is about 3ft by 1.5ft. I have read they like to explore so a few times a day we let him out and build different shape enclosures out of logs. Then also try and get him outside on the grass.
 

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Lyn W

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
So it has a uv strip and a head lamp in the vivarium. This enclosure is about 3ft by 1.5ft. I have read they like to explore so a few times a day we let him out and build different shape enclosures out of logs. Then also try and get him outside on the grass.
The substrate with white bits could cause choking/impaction and it may be too dry - the caresheet I linked will give you better options.
Many of use cheap terracotta plant saucers for food and water because they have sloping sides and when sunk level with the substrate are easier and safer for torts to access and exit. Steeper sides could be a tipping and drowning hazard.
Do you have any night heat?
When outside he would be safer in an enclosure or fenced off area, even though supervised, because they are faster than you think and if you take your eyes off them for 2 minutes they could easily disappear into bushes, under fences etc. You also have to be careful of large birds too.
There's a lot to think of!
 

chard_c

New Member
Joined
May 26, 2022
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
ARMAGH
I was sold the substrate as tortoise substrate with something in it if they did eat it it would help digestion. He does seem to like digging in it buy I will look into alternatives. No at the moment we have the heat light on all night so he still has heat. Should we have a ceramic heat source for night time and turn the light off?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hi Everyone,

we have thought about a tortoise for a long time and settled on getting a Hermann's, we did everything the pet shop told us to do but after 2 weeks the 6month old Hermann's pass away. so we have been very apprehensive that we have done something wrong.

we decided to get another one hoping Terrance just had an infection or was poorly before.

we now have Sheldon who is over 1 so a little bit bigger. I am panicking that we have done something wrong and all the websites i read say something different. Are new tortoise was raised in a vivarium and the breeder told me that his head was left on 24h a day and the uv bulb only 12h, this the opposite to all the info online. I dont want to suddely stop giving him heat if he is used to it.

does anyone have 4-5 key points that i should stick too?

advise on how long they can be out of the vivarium during the day in the house before they get too cold?
should i ween him off 24h of heat?
he is on a bed of tortoise soil, 1st breeder recommended wood chippings. is one better than the other?
temperature is 32 degrees celsius under the head and 25 in the shade.
fresh water daily( our tap water is quite hard if that's ok)
the breeder said they where feeding him on pellets so we started with that, he didn't seem to eat them changed to mixed leaves and seems to eat this better.
any key points to look out for that he is not doing too well?

sorry if this is a lot but we were devastated when Terrance died and just want to make sure we have done everything right for Sheldon.

thanks Richard
The info you need is in the care sheet that Lyn linked for you. Disregard other sources and what you have read before. Most tortoise care info on the internet is all wrong and misguided.

How long they can be out depends on where they are going and what the temperatures are. They should always be in a safe enclosure either indoors or out. Loose on the floor is a recipe for disaster. Time spent in a safe outdoor enclosure is great, but they don't need to be "out" of their enclosure if the enclosure is large enough and set up correctly. Your enclosure looks too small for a one year old.

Read the care sheet for the correct temperatures. It should be dark at night and cooler than the day time, but not too cool. Some people need supplemental night heat and some people don't. You could add the correct night heat controlled by a thermostat and gradually reduce the temperature at night if you want to.

The substrate you have is dangerous and should be removed immediately. Wood chips are not correct either. This just shows how much ignorance there is about tortoise care even from breeders. Babies should be on hand packed damp coco coir. Once they reach 3-4 inches, fine grade orchid bark works the best. Soil or sand should never be used.

Temperature directly under the heat lamp should be 36-37C. Ambient can be 32C during the day and 22C at night.

Hard tap water is fine. As long as it is safe for you to drink, it is safe for your tortoise.

Read the care sheet that Lyn linked for feeding info.

Do you have a Solarmeter 6.5 to check the UV levels from your UV tube? What type of tube is that? It should be mounted directly over head and a meter is needed to adjust the height correctly.

Your questions are welcome.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I was sold the substrate as tortoise substrate with something in it if they did eat it it would help digestion. He does seem to like digging in it buy I will look into alternatives. No at the moment we have the heat light on all night so he still has heat. Should we have a ceramic heat source for night time and turn the light off?
Pet shops give terrible tortoise advice and sell the wrong products. Its awful and many tortoise die a slow death because of it.

That substrate will cause an impaction if eaten. Whoever thought it was a good idea to encourage tortoises to satisfy their calcium cravings by eating their sandy substrate should be taken out and flogged. What a stupid moronic idea that is. Many tortoises die from sand impaction annually.

Whether you need a heat source at night depends on your temperatures at night. The daytime heat lamp should be off either way. A CHE set on a thermostat will always be a good idea. If night temps are warm enough, the thermostat will keep the CHE off. If things get chilly, the thermostat will turn the night heat on for you as needed.
 

Moozillion

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
10,744
Location (City and/or State)
Louisiana, USA
Hello and welcome!
I have a Hermannn's tortoise, too! I got my girl when she was 4 years old, and she is now 16!
I know it's VERY stressful when you get a new pet! It sounds like you are trying very hard to do the right things- good for you!
One thing that my tortoise LOVES is plants in her enclosure. In the wild, they burrow under plants to sleep and hide. Having plants helps them feel secure and safe, and it also helps add humidity to the air, which they need.
I first tried live plants directly planted in the soil- she loved them so much she uprooted them the first night trying to sleep under them! She always kills plants in the substrate very quickly, even though it's accidental because she walks on them and burrows under them.
I have had live plants in pots that I half-buried in the substrate, and she would rest under them sometimes.
What has worked best for me is artificial plants. I get the ones with a large stem and large leaves that arch like an umbrella. Those are her favorite places to sleep.
I think anything we can do to reduce the stress for our tortoises is good for their health and helps them feel like they have a safe home.
GOOD LUCK with your tortoise and post questions any time! :)
 

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