I have a newbie question.

[Truckerww]

I am going to get a hermann in a week or so when I finish the table. I need to know if it would be better to get a new hatchling or one about 6 months.
I had a water turtle for years but never any experience with a tortoise.

 

[Oogway the russian tort]

I don't understand the question are you asking which age is easier to take care of or...

 

[Tom]

I am going to get a hermann in a week or so when I finish the table. I need to know if it would be better to get a new hatchling or one about 6 months.
I had a water turtle for years but never any experience with a tortoise.

Either one will not do well in an open table. It is too difficult to control the heat and humidity in an open topped enclosure. As an adult, it could live well in a large open topped table, but babies do best in a closed chamber.

The age isn't really important. What is important is how the baby was started and cared for as a hatchling. Was it soaked daily? Kept on damp substrate or dry? What was the incubation media?