Help!helphelphelp!

[BowandWalter]

I need help making a decision! the store I ordered my female through is offering me 50% off a hatchling because they couldn't get me an adult female. I have no confidence that I'd be able to raise it, even though I know the care required! It is however a really good deal!

I'm so torn. I think I could pull off asking if I could pay for half and then working twice the hours required to pay for the other half.

I know it would need its own tank, and heating stuff. But lately I've really started wishing that Walter had been a baby when I got him! Agh!

 

[LuckysGirl007]

I'm sure with all the help you can get from here you would do fine with a hatchling.

 

[BowandWalter]

I'm doing it! So excited!!

 

[LuckysGirl007]

Good!

 

[BowandWalter]

He's even pretty sure that I can do the pay for half, work for half thing! The boss even delayed his order to give me time to decide! I'm so excited!!

---

I'm starting to make a list, so I can be prepared. I have a MVB and stuff I can use already.

So far I need a tank, what size?

And heat cables are my heater of choice, but what temperature should it be? What gradient should I aim for?

I want this tortoise to be smooth, any adaptions to Toms method for a hermann's tortoise?

 

[GBtortoises]

The first thing that I would recommend with a young Hermann's or other young Northern Mediterranean species is to not use and MVB lamp! They produce too much heat for a baby tortoise, can easily dehydrate them and only provide very localized UV and light. The rest of the enclosure will remain nearly dark and with no UV. A better choice would be an incandescent bulb for basking which can be adjusted up and down and/or the wattage increased or decreased to produce the heat needed without having to be too hot. This used along with a UV tube flourescent which will provide better overall lighting and UV rays throughout the enclosure.

A glass tank can be used, but Rubbermaid style sweater boxes work much better for hatchling and young tortoises.
There should be no reason for the use of heat cables at all.

 

[BowandWalter]

The first thing that I would recommend with a young Hermann's or other young Northern Mediterranean species is to not use and MVB lamp! They produce too much heat for a baby tortoise, can easily dehydrate them and only provide very localized UV and light. The rest of the enclosure will remain nearly dark and with no UV. A better choice would be an incandescent bulb for basking which can be adjusted up and down and/or the wattage increased or decreased to produce the heat needed without having to be too hot. This used along with a UV tube flourescent which will provide better overall lighting and UV rays throughout the enclosure.

A glass tank can be used, but Rubbermaid style sweater boxes work much better for hatchling and young tortoises.
There should be no reason for the use of heat cables at all.

I'm in northern Canada, won't it get way to cold?

 

[Moozillion]

What is Tom's method for a Hermann's tortoise?

 

[BowandWalter]

What is Tom's method for a Hermann's tortoise?

His method is for sulcatas, I was wondering if anyone had tinkered with it so it would work for Hermann's.

 

[Laurie]

What is Tom's method for a Hermann's tortoise?

Gbtortoises has a LOT of experience with Mediterranean tortoises. A few others come to mind off the top of my head too. Terry Allen, eweeezyfosheezy raises hermanns, and quite a few others.

Not to discount Tom of course

 

[BowandWalter]

Gbtortoises has a LOT of experience with Mediterranean tortoises. A few others come to mind off the top of my head too. Terry Allen, eweeezyfosheezy raises hermanns, and quite a few others.

Not to discount Tom of course

I'm just hoping for it to grow up smooth, because Walter is a rescue he is very lumpy. I'd hoped someone might know about the temperature and humidity level that would correspond with a Hermann's being smooth, instead of sulcatas.

 

[Laurie]

I'm just hoping for it to grow up smooth, because Walter is a rescue he is very lumpy. I'd hoped someone might know about the temperature and humidity level that would correspond with a Hermann's being smooth, instead of sulcatas.

I like to get input from a few different sources and then make an educated decision on what will work for my specific situation. There are people on this forum that have DECADES of tortoise keeping experience. Everyone brings something to the table, even newer keepers who may have some "fresh" ideas. You'll get great ideas from a lot of people on this forum that being said, I pm Tom quite often for help, he's very knowledgable and nice too .

 

[BowandWalter]

I like to get input from a few different sources and then make an educated decision on what will work for my specific situation. There are people on this forum that have DECADES of tortoise keeping experience. Everyone brings something to the table, even newer keepers who may have some "fresh" ideas. You'll get great ideas from a lot of people on this forum that being said, I pm Tom quite often for help, he's very knowledgable and nice too .

I've been here for almost a year, Terry and GB have always had great info when I was fixing Walter up. It just that a hatchling is something I've never even seen in real life before. I'm half excited and half terrified. I rattled off a huge list of questions for the pet store owner to ask the suppliers, I just really don't want anything to go wrong. I feel like hatchlings must be ridiculously fragile because I never see them, Walter is 5 years old, and he's the smallest tortoise I've ever seen. Even though I keep mentally saying "They survive in the wild, you can do this" I'm still panicking. I want everything to be perfect for next Tuesday. The store manager assured me that the breeder is great, apparently no one has had any problems with their hatchlings before, but it's still panic city here.

 

[Laurie]

I hear you I recently got a hermanns hatchling and boy is he small! It's so exciting, isn't it? I've had my share of tortoise panic attacks!

 

[BowandWalter]

I hear you I recently got a hermanns hatchling and boy is he small! It's so exciting, isn't it? I've had my share of tortoise panic attacks!

Tuesday or Wednesday! I'm going to visit my Granny in Vancouver this weekend and when I get back she'll be here! I'm going to load up on everything I need while I'm down there. I known a few store owners who will probably give me deals on stuff. I'm rapidly becoming the 'animal hoarder' I have a tortoise AND a fish soon I'll have another tortoise!

 

[Laurie]

Tuesday or Wednesday! I'm going to visit my Granny in Vancouver this weekend and when I get back she'll be here! I'm going to load up on everything I need while I'm down there. I known a few store owners who will probably give me deals on stuff. I'm rapidly becoming the 'animal hoarder' I have a tortoise AND a fish soon I'll have another tortoise!

You're on your way! I'm sure you'll do fine with your hatchling , I don't think they are as fragile as we think they are .

Animal hoarder, lol, I have four cats, as of this coming up Thursday 6 tortoises, one bearded dragon, and a fish! All living happily under one roof.

 

[BowandWalter]

You're on your way! I'm sure you'll do fine with your hatchling , I don't think they are as fragile as we think they are .

Animal hoarder, lol, I have four cats, as of this coming up Thursday 6 tortoises, one bearded dragon, and a fish! All living happily under one roof.

Haha, I've convinced my roommate to get a fish. But she spent this morning chanting "do it" when I was thinking about getting the tortoise, so we're even. She's getting a fish when I go pick up my tortoise.

 

[GBtortoises]

The first thing that I would recommend with a young Hermann's or other young Northern Mediterranean species is to not use and MVB lamp! They produce too much heat for a baby tortoise, can easily dehydrate them and only provide very localized UV and light. The rest of the enclosure will remain nearly dark and with no UV. A better choice would be an incandescent bulb for basking which can be adjusted up and down and/or the wattage increased or decreased to produce the heat needed without having to be too hot. This used along with a UV tube flourescent which will provide better overall lighting and UV rays throughout the enclosure.

A glass tank can be used, but Rubbermaid style sweater boxes work much better for hatchling and young tortoises.
There should be no reason for the use of heat cables at all.

I'm in northern Canada, won't it get way to cold?

"way to cold?"

You do heat your house don't you? Very few people keep their homes below 62 degrees druing the winter. Temperatures this low (even lower) are absolutely fine at night for a Hermann's tortoise. In fact they should have at least a 15-20 degree temperature differential from day to night for temperate climate species. The lights being on during the daytime should provide the necessary heat for basking and activity if they are set up correctly.

 

[BowandWalter]

"way to cold?"

You do heat your house don't you? Very few people keep their homes below 62 degrees druing the winter. Temperatures this low (even lower) are absolutely fine at night for a Hermann's tortoise. In fact they should have at least a 15-20 degree temperature differential from day to night for temperate climate species. The lights being on during the daytime should provide the necessary heat for basking and activity if they are set up correctly.

I didn't even think of that, haha. Yes, yes my house is heated