Hello all we are new here

xlondon-ladyx

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Hello all I'm Sara from London uk and this is my beautiful Mr Handsome his a Hermann tortoise male who was hatched 14th Aug 2017! He has his certificate and has been getting in the Christmas spirit thank you Nanny for my Christmas hat ❤ look forward to any helpful advice I will need in future x

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JoesMum

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Hello and welcome to TFO from Kent, UK

Have you read the TFO care sheets?

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Baby Testudo Care - written about Russians but applies to Hermann’s
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

We are happy to look over photos of your enclosure and lighting to see if there are any improvements we can recommend :)
 

xlondon-ladyx

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Messages
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London uk
Hello and welcome to TFO from Kent, UK

Have you read the TFO care sheets?

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Baby Testudo Care - written about Russians but applies to Hermann’s
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

We are happy to look over photos of your enclosure and lighting to see if there are any improvements we can recommend :)
Brilliant thank you I'll send pics now
 

xlondon-ladyx

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Brilliant thank you I'll send pics now
His bathed every mornimg in luke warm water under his heat lamp to prevent pyramiding and dehydration his dried well after
 

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xlondon-ladyx

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His bathed every mornimg in luke warm water under his heat lamp to prevent pyramiding and dehydration his dried well after
His bathed for 20 mins and given a sprinkling of calcium and vitamins and minerals powder his had curly kale and spinach and finely grated carrot his not fond of coriander tho lol I know his food should be the same size as his shell but the children where a bit excited when they fed him this morning lol the excess food was taken out after the pictures where taken lol
 

JoesMum

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You are spot on doing daily soaks, but these don’t have to be done in the enclosure. Soak for at least 20 minutes in a high sided bowl that your tort can’t see over or through. A washing up bowl is ideal. The larger volume of water cools more slowly. I find soaks most successful first thing in the morning before the tort has warmed up properly. You can use soaking time as an opportunity to tidy the enclosure and place food.

You need to read those links to get the enclosure right. They cover my comments and more.

That enclosure is far too dry. Your substrate isn’t suitable.

Your tortoise needs a earthy substrate like fine grade orchid bark or coco coir that you can mix with water so it is all evenly damp, right to the bottom and into the corners, and this raises humidity in a closed chamber.

The top of the enclosure needs to be covered with something like perspex, foil or wood to hold in the warmth and humidity.

A baby like this needs a minimum of 80F/27C day and night. It must be 95-100F/35-37C directly under that basking lamp. A temperature gun thermometer like this is the best way of measuring temperatures accurately. A digital hygrometer is needed to measure humidity. Those stick-on thermometers and hygrometers are not accurate.

You are using a compact UVB bulb. These frequently cause eye problems in tortoises and I recommend using a tube UVB lamp instead. Putting lights on a timer means you can have a lie or go out late and not worry about them.

You will need a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) and thermostat to keep the ambient temperature at that steady 80F/27C day and night.

The best plate for your tortoise is a piece of flat rock or slate, or even the wrong side of a wall tile, as the rough surface abrades the beak and helps keep it in shape.

Put the water bowl in the middle of the enclosure and your tort is less likely to stomp through it dragging the substrate in. A terracotta plant saucer makes a great water bowl as it’s sides slope gently and are less of a tipping hazard.
 

JoesMum

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Your tort’s diet is weedy and leafy greens.

It cannot digest sugars properly - they cause digestive and kidney problems - so sweet foods like fruit, peppers, carrot and tomato should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.

Write a list of the plants that grow around you and those that you can buy in the shops and markets and look them up online on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed.
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/

Be aware that tortoises need a high fibre diet, so avoiding low fibre greens like lettuce is important.

If you can’t identify a plant then post a picture in our Plant ID forum and someone will help you :)

Your tortoise only needs a tiny pinch of calcium powder sprinkled on food three times a week. No more as you can overdo it. Excess causes bladder and kidney stones and inhibits the uptake of other minerals. Sprinkle it as sparsely as possible as tortoises are good at detecting it and refusing to eat.
 

xlondon-ladyx

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The substrate is only temporary as the specialist soil mix is being delivered and I didnt see buying more for a few days worth it as he was on this bedding when we got him from a well known reptile breeders in the area....they said as long as the room temp is 20 at night that's fine for him to turn all lights and heat off as he will dig down and keep snuggled up... I spray in enclouser to keep it moist you can't see from that pic but iv been told that he needs fresh air to circulate the enclouser so by putting perspex over the mesh would cause stale air and then cause respiratry issues... His been eating drinking and passing urine and poo fine not to hard or dry and defo not runny... this isn't the final set up we have only had him 3 days so specialist items are still in the post it's just tempory lighting and heat sorce for now but thank you for all your advice but as long as I follow the basic guidelines I'm sure its ok for me to do certain things my way as its winter and the water will cool too fast away from the heat lamp as I kept testing the water in the jug away from the heat lamp and it rapidly cooled too cold.... I put him in the small clear container so I can see from all sides the level of water and to make sure his not drawing or stressed or trying to get out as he gets bigger I'll use a washing up bowl but for now where his is tiny i feel more confident bathing him in the small container I can see water level at but thank you for all your advice
 

JoesMum

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We have owned a Greek in the UK since 1970. I do understand the weather :)

A washing up bowl works fine. Just make sure the water is deep enough to come just up over the join between the shell and the plastron. Walking round the bowl encourages pooping. Change the water when it goes cool.

Please do read those links.

When you get your substrate make sure it has no white pieces like calcium bits or vermiculite. The white bits encourage the tortoise to eat the substrate which is daft - substrate should never be eaten! I cannot understand why this stuff is sold.

You will never completely seal the top of a vivarium. The lid is essential for raising humidity and temperature. 20C is too cool for a baby at night.

Plain stuff from the garden centre is cheaper and safer!
 

xlondon-ladyx

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As I said thank you very much for your advice and there's alot of different information out there to learn and take in knowledge is always appreciated but please respect my wishes on how I chose to bath my baby both myself and Mr Handsome are both happy and confident with bath time at the moment his very tiny and I'm a new tortoise mummy... when his bigger and Its warmer and I'm more confident in his safety ofcause I'll bath him in a washing up bowl but for now I'm happy doing it my way! Im doing everything in my powder to look after him the best I can hence why I joined this page to gain knowledge but something's that won't harm him and make me feel more secure I'm going to do my own way! Please don't force the way you do things onto me ( regarding bath time ) every morning his woken up his felt warm to the touch I wouldn't let him freeze at night time I'm a mother to 6 children so if I can raise them I can raise and look after a tortoise lol my husband has bred and raised a vast amount of replies and animals ( my mother had a tortoise growing up ( thing's where different 50 years ago to now days) his sister currently has one and everyone has their own views on the right way to do things) as long as his healthy loved feeding and drinking and passing wee and poo fine then I'm happy... we have spent months looking into research before getting him and the enclosure his in now isn't his final home his very tiny at the min and in his life time his going to have many enclosures ( just like our other pets lol) but once again thank you for your advice kind regards Sara
 

xlondon-ladyx

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I am not trying to force anything on you. I am sorry it came over that way.
Thank you I really appreciate that! Sometimes it feels people judge roo hard... when people are here to learn how to do it right.... I don't want mr Handsome getting pyramiding from a too dry climate but there's not much i can do till his soil comes...also how do you measure humidity? So many different internet pages and books confuse me with different information! They say they need humidity but you can't get humidity on a tortoise table and too much humidity causes shell rot and respiratry issues honestly I'd really appreciate advice on this I did alot of research and this came up the best one can you give me your views on it please thank you... if you dont apove I'll get the top soil from the garden centre like you said... I just want us to work together as I just want the best for me handsome x
 

xlondon-ladyx

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This is what I chose! It says it's got no added bits and it stops consumption! Is this ok if I keep it sprayed? X
 

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JoesMum

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Go onto Amazon and find a digital probe Hygrometer. Drop the probe wire into the enclosure and it will measure it for you.

The temperature gun I linked to is honestly the best way of measuring temperatures accurately.

We know there is plenty of conflicting and outdated advice out on the internet and in books which is why species experts have taken the time to write our care guides with the most up to date info and why I linked to those.

Hermann’s don’t really suffer from shell rot. It really only happens when the substrate is sodden and it usually starts on the plastron.

The much bigger risk is respiratory infection from conditions that are too cool, especially if it’s also damp. Getting the temperature and humidity balance right is very important which is why a closed chamber is necessary for a baby like yours.
 

Cheryl Hills

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Welcome to the forum. Just some advice. The people here are very versed in raising torts. They have gone through all of the mistakes and bad advice. Pet stores and other areas on the net do not have the right info always. I trust these people with all my heart. They would never steer you wrong. Baby torts need very specialized care or they will get sick and die. How you have a wonderful time raising Mr Handsome, because he sure is!
 
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