Hey!!

[BluRose]

Hey everyone!!

I am from Ontario, Canada. Just got my first Tortoise on Jan 3. He (breeder suspects male but he's got a 50/50 chance lol) was born Nov 14 and is a Hermann's. We had the hardest time figuring out a name lol. Each of my kids had a name and hubby who said no to said Tortoise had his choice along with mine. Lol

After much thought my husband was sitting there reading ancient names and some how Kung Fu Panda came up and well... his name is now Master Oogway or Oogie for short. I have to say it's pretty good. Lol

If you have any tips I am happy to read them. I've had and bred a variety of reptiles over the last 20 years but this is my first Tortoise. My current set up is a 40x18x19 front opening tank. Plantation soil with a sprinkle of orchid bark on the top. Mercy vapour bulb and a variety or greens and mazuri tortoise pellets 2 times a week. I also dust the greens with calcium and vit d3. He also gets a 15min warm soak in the morning and in the evening.
He's so tiny and we all love him!

 

[JoesMum]

Hello and welcome to TFO.

We are happy to look over photos of your enclosure and lighting to see if there are any improvements we’d recommend.

I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.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 Tortoise Care (written about Russians but applies to Hermann’s too)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

If I'm thinking of the same stuff, plantation soil has tiny white balls in it, no? That's not a good idea for tortoises. They tend to want to sample those balls and may become impacted from eating them.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Hello and welcome!

 

[LaLaP]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[BluRose]

Hey Yvonne the plantation soil doesnt have white balls it's just a finer coco fiber.

 

[BluRose]

This is my set up currently. I have 2 bricks (putting a 3rd in) of plantation soil and a sprinkle or orchid bark on top. The white pieces are broken up cuttlebone.
I have a 125w mercury vapour bulb on the one side. The tank is similar to an exo terra and is 40x18x19. Hubby will build me a tortoise table in the future. I am growing some chia seeds and I have an African violet to put into the enclosure soon.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome!

 

[BluRose]

Thanks everyone! I am learning alot from this forum. I survived my first week. Oogie is 2 months on the 14th and I weighed him today and hes 23g. Starting to put plants in and possibly plexiglas glass on the top to help with humidity.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Plexiglass is fine or you can use aluminum foil

 

[Chasen]

Congrats. He's beyond cute and you can't go wrong with this forum.

 

[Carol S]

Welcome to the Forum.

I would add more water to the coconut coir as it looks dry. The coir should be kept moist.

 

[BluRose]

@Carol S I mist every morning when hes having a soak. It's very moist underneath and his hide with moss is nice and humid. I need to get a plexiglass top as my screen top wasnt letting enough heat for the hot spot.

 

[Ray--Opo]

You can use tin foil before you get your plexiglas.