Just ordered 2 Hermann's... looking for help

[glenfletcher]

Ah sorry I forgot to mention, the temp home was just until I got the viv/spot lamp/UV light set up, they're now all happy and comfortable in their viv (note with open door for circulation).

I have set the timer on the UV for 9am-7pm, does this sound about right? It's just gone off and now they seem to be going to bed... one under a half log thing that I bought, the other just under the lamp (which is still on, albeit low)

Which makes me ask... what's a good temperature for the spot lamp, and how long should it be on for? Should I turn it off at night? I'm planning on setting it up so that I can leave one of the glass doors at least ajar pretty much all the time, so that the air circulates, but I'm not sure how warm they need to be and how long the heat has to be on for.

Will post pics later

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Right it's now 7.50pm and they've both gone to bed, I guess it's normal for them to dig down into the soil before going to sleep? (as they've both done this)

Not sure if you'll be able to see these as they link to my Facebook page, if not let me know and I'll upload them somewhere else.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._434175873451_510853451_5505249_4012346_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._434175878451_510853451_5505250_5022333_n.jpg

And here's a video:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=434176573451

 

[alfiethetortoise]

I have my heat lamp on from 6:30am untill 8pm. In another couple of weeks ill set the timer to be off from 12-1. Alfie generally goes into her hide then anyway. The UVB strip gets turned on when i get up about 7-730 and goes off about 9pm. The UVB was on like this all over winter. The heat lamp was on intermittently over night when weather was cold in winter and when it was really bad i had the heat mat on day and night too.

Have you got a temperature thing under the lamp? I keep the lamp about 100 and the cooler end about 80. Try not to let it drop below 65 at night. You can by a thermostat but they are expensive and if you keep an eye on things it should be ok.

Alfie digs down a hole in her hide about bedtime. She has been asleep for about half an hour or so. In the morning she is up by 745 and usually heads straight for her lamp!

Will try and look at the pictures and see if it works! Glad to hear they have settled in well!

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Managed to see the pictures, but wouldn't let me open the vidio due to what facebook says are 'privacy issues'. And it even made me log in to see this too! Not sure if you can load vidios through photobucket or something...

 

[glenfletcher]

Hm, I replied to this but it doesn't seem to have saved it.

I've switched the timer around so it's now connected to the heat lamp (it was attached to the UV) to come on at... 8am I think it was? I'll check tomorrow. I figure I can just turn the UV on when I get up and turn it off at some point in the evening.

I've not been keeping the heat that high. They seemed fairly happy with it lower (around 80ish on the lamp thermostat, it came with the kit)

I'll see how they are tomorrow, they seem fairly happy. And it's a good job I don't have a tortoise table because it's bloody freezing in here tonight, it's 9.15pm and I'm in bed fully clothed!!!

 

[alfiethetortoise]

Ha ha. Your tortoises will probably be awake before eight and looking for that basking light, so you might have to go and change it sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

Your always better keeping temperatures higher, especially with younger tortoises. If the tortoises get too hot, they will move. I have myne on all day, and its not getting too hot at the moment even with the glass doors on.

 

[glenfletcher]

They can walk about all they like, I'm on holiday, I'm not getting up before 8am

I have set the thermostat to be a bit higher. Will look into it properly tomorrow (I think I need to move the cover round a bit since one of them has just dug a hole in the corner to go to sleep into, which is a tad worrying).

 

[Kristina]

Tortoises love to dig so I would not be overly worried about one digging down to sleep. All ten of mine do this.

I live in the U.S. in northern Michigan, and our winters regularly hit -28.8 C. I keep my tortoises in bins or open top tables, and I have had no problem with temps, as long as the basking lights are the right wattage.

Kristina

 

[alfiethetortoise]

You just need to change the timer on the heat lamp to comeon earlier. You wont have to get up before 8. Leaving the UVB untill then should be ok. Though you may find your tortoises are already awake....


Any progress on names?

 

[glenfletcher]

Well it came on this morning no problems and they seem to be happily basking in 85-90% heat. I thought the spot lamp would be brighter than what it is, I didn't really notice it at all (it's pretty much next to my bed)

Names... I'm going 1 of 2 directions.

I'm a bit of a Terry Pratchett geek so they may be Rincewind and Twoflower (which fits because Rincewind's always running around, panicking, and Twoflower tends to just stand there, confused).

But I'm also a big RPG gamer, Final Fantasy in particular. So I really should call one Genbu (the water god, he's a giant tortoise). But that leaves me short on another name... still thinking

Oh, and should I feed them every day? I'm keeping the water topped up for them but I put some more food in yesterday afternoon and while they tried a bit, it's not really been touched.

 

[maevamichelle]

/cheers to Glen and his two babies!!!

 

[alfiethetortoise]

Yes, feed every day. I feed Alfie twice a day, she eats both usually

Im always thinking i should change Alfie's name but just not sure. She was supposed to be a he!

Is the spot lamp red or white? Red ones are good if its in your room. Also tortoises are blind to the red light so wont be confused if they wake in the night. Tortoise Centre sent me a red one and i have always replaced with reds. Once you get over it, its much better!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Glen:

to the forum!!

It sounds like you're going to be a very attentive and organized tortoise-keeper. Congrats on your new tortoises.

 

[helensky]

Hi Glen I'm also a UK tortoise keeper- I got mine from the tortoise shop too and they were really helpful and full of advice when I'd only had Tallis for a few weeks and she dug down in the outdoor enclosure for a few days in the middle of summer (I had no idea they did that, we've sorted out our growing pains now!).

I thought I'd just post a few links to UK-based ebay shops (which took ages of trawling to find) which I have found really useful and reliable re feeding and housing, and generally so much cheaper than UK reptile stores which are few and far between at any rate! Sorry if you've seen this already!

These ones specialise in tort-friendly seeds you can plant (so much less hassle than it sounds!), as I like to keep a varied diet, as do they! I keep a few plants in a propagator on the window sill, and have planted up my outdoor enclosure so between them I almost have a year round supply of food, and some great grazing space!
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/torts-n-allsorts&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSX:SELLERID
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/shelledwarriorsshop/

I got my tort table here:
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/THE-HAPPY-TORTOISE__W0QQ_armrsZ1

I find a table is easy to keep in the UK, they have their uv and heat lamp, but never display signs of being cold like digging down to sleep they prefer their hides. I share a room with them, and if its warm enough at night for me its warm enough at night for them!


hope this is helpful

 

[glenfletcher]

It's a red spot lamp. (With a small spot on it where I made the mistake of touching it while it was on full power.)

So they'll huddle up and hide if they're cold, then? These are things I will make note of for future reference. One new thing I noticed today was that they actually dug under the soil and disappeared completely (until I went and found them again).

I put them outside to get some natural sunlight in the box I use for storing the substrate - it's about 6-8" deep with soil, they loved it for a bit but then both decided to just go and dig down, it was a little bit breezy but it was really warm, would this be why?

Also, I have 2 little hidey homes for them to go and sleep in. One of them seems to be very happy with this and has already made one his home, whereas the other just seems to be content sitting in the corner by the spot lamp. He's also not "been to the bathroom" yet, either... which I'm a little worried about. (I know the other one has because both times i've been fortunate enough to witness the event.)

I have so many questions, and I'm sure some more will spring to mind. Thankyou all for your help so far

 

[helensky]

Glen I think mine took a while to 'go loo' as well, but warm (body temp-ish, or below) shallow baths help I find. On spring days mine don't tolerate cloudy weather too well as it is so chilly and become cold quickly, so will dig a little or find a corner to cuddle up in. They also took a while to get used to being outside! They'll tell you when they've had enough, but keep at it!

 

[glenfletcher]

Ah, so it's not just mine being lazy then

I shall have to find an old bowl so that I can give them a bath. For now, I've updated the viv with a few pebbles & an old piece of brick under the heat lamp.

Also one of the logs has been converted into a sort of slope (soil on both sides) because one of the little tearaways kept climbing on top of it, then falling off and landing on his back (you really would think they'd learn...), now he can get down without falling over

 

[alfiethetortoise]

Sounds like yu have evereything under controll yes an old ice cream tub would do for the baths, it really will help with going through the motions!

Alfie usually sleeps in her hide but now and again she likes to dig and sleep in random holes. Who knows what that is about I haven't put her out at all yet, i like to aire on the side of caution with temperatures!

 

[glenfletcher]

I'm a little bit worried, they both ate loads this morning but have both been asleep in their hide since 4pm... I'm leaving them to it (don't want to upset them) but should they be sleeping this long?