Juvenile Hermanns - UK winter care help please??

Megang97

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Hello! I have a Hermanns who is a few months off being 2 years old. I’m in the UK and overnight it’s been about 7 degrees - I have a tortoise viburnum/tank.

I’ve been leaving his lights on for 12-14 hours and temps during the day seem to be fine (32-34 hot end, 30 middle and 28 cold end) - it’s night I’m worried about because it’s far too cold and o saw you can’t leave the lights on all night.

I’ve been doing some research and found a few ceramic heaters which seem to be exactly what he needs at night to keep him warm. I’m worried that I’ll start to hibernate/brumate as he’s been sleeping an awful lot! Would a ceramic heater be the best thing for him overnight? If so does anyone have any recommendations?

he’s my first tortoise and I’ve only had him for a couple of months so any help or advice is appreciated! Especially with how to keep him warm at night (I’ve seen very mixed things about heat pads so I have avoided them) ty x
 

JoesMum

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Hi I am in the UK too.

I prefer not to hibernate a tortoise weighing less than 500g

What you need is a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) which mist be used with a thermostat. It needs a ceramic bulb holder too because it will melt plastic!

A CHE emits heat without light. The thermostat makes sure the enclosure doesn’t overheat. You can leave it plugged in and running 24/7 as it won’t cut in unless the temperature dips :)

Of course, the CHE can only be properly effective in a closed chamber like a vivarium.

You are right to have your lights on for 12 hours a day. Using a timer makes life easier.

You don’t say how big your vivarium is or the size of your tortoise. They are active creatures and need a large floor area. Most outgrow a viv after a couple of years and you will need to build him something larger and covered (called a closed chamber) There are plenty of examples in the Enclosures section of this forum :)

If you post photos of your enclosure and lighting, people will be happy to look them over and check them for suitability :)
 

Megang97

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Oct 21, 2020
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Thanks so much for your reply, I’ll get him a ceramic heater today! I’m so glad I’ve found something that will work overnight (I can finally stop worrying!)

his tank is 6ft by 4ft I believe so it should at least last him a couple more years!☺️

being honest I’m not sure on his exact size but I’ve attached a couple of pictures of him.
 

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JoesMum

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6’ x 4’ is great.

The substrate is very dry. It needs to be an earthy type that you can mix with water until all of it is evenly damp. This raises the humidity and helps to prevent pyramidding.

Take a look at this thread by @Tom
 

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