Hi! Nervous new tortoise owner!

lexi41269

New Member
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Wolverhampton
Hi, my names Lissi.
I'm a first time tortoise owner from Wolverhampton in England. I purchased my tortoise, T-Bone, last week and have joined the forum for some advice! I'm a nervous first reptile owner :)
I've spent the last 3 months researching tortoises and settled on a Hermann's. I bought him from a local hobby breeder and I'm already in love! T-Bone is 6 months old.
I have him in a 32L plastic storage container with HabiStat tortoise bedding. There is currently hay in his hide (I have house rabbits) but I have ordered sphagnum moss to replace this. He's on a diet of dandelions and pansies at the moment as that's what is currently growing in my garden lol. He also has a cuttlefish bone. At the moment I'm bathing him for 15 minutes every morning before feeding. I'm keeping his day time temperature between 32-34 and nights are around 20-21.

I have a couple of questions...

I am having a bit of trouble keeping the humidity up! Any tips would be much appreciated!

Can you recommend which supplements I should be buying for him?

Should I be concerned that I haven't seen him poop yet?! Urine and urates seem fine, he's going just after his bath.

Sorry for the information overload! I've attached a pic of T-bone and his enclosure.

Thanks a lot,
Lissi

IMG_20190517_085619.jpg IMG_20190516_184548.jpg
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
Salutations!
Humidity will be next to impossible in an open enclosure. Cover as much as possible. Closed chamber works best. Let's ask @JoesMum for advice.
 

lexi41269

New Member
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Wolverhampton
Closed chamber and daily soaking will help your tort a lot.

Jamie
Thanks,
I have been soaking him for 15 mins each morning under the basking light. I still have the plastic lid for container so will try to fashion something [emoji16]
 

jsheffield

Well-Known Member
Moderator
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Sep 29, 2018
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Westmoreland, NH
Thanks,
I have been soaking him for 15 mins each morning under the basking light. I still have the plastic lid for container so will try to fashion something [emoji16]

If you can get it mostly enclosed, the humidity will soar ... it doesn't need to be airtight.

Jamie
 

TammyJ

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
7,120
Location (City and/or State)
Jamaica
Hi and welcome! This is a great site for getting help with your tortoise.
Yes, I agree that the enclosure needs to be covered (why not just use the same cover it came with?) He looks like he has been kept much too dry for quite a while.
The diet also needs to be more varied. Check out the diet sheets for these tortoises as well as all the other information available here. All the best!
 
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