Need help with enclosure

[Isa]

View attachment 625Hello Everyone

My name is Isabelle, I'm from Montreal, Canada. I got a little Hermann tortoise 2 months ago. She's about 9-10 months, her name is Hermy and she is really really cute. It is my first tortoise so I'm not an expert on the subject but I hope to be one one day When I bought her, the guy at the pet shop told me to buy a glass vivarium!! This week, I read on this site that it is not good for Hermann tortoise because they do not understand the glass thing. So I put some paper around the terrarium, so she can not see outside anymore. The vet told me to put some plexiglass on one half of the top of the vivarium because it is not humid enough in my house, so that way the humidity will not come out of the terrarium.

The temps are: 24-27 on the cold side
27-31 on the warm side
and around 31-37 on the basking spot

The humidity is about 21-35% (where I live it is very cold outside 6 months a year so with the heat, the humidity goes down fast)

A month and a half ago, I put some coco husk in the terrarium as a substract. But the vet told me to remove it because she was eating it (she eats everything my little Hermy )

The same time I went to the vet, he told me my little Hermy had a RI so she had to take antibiotic with her food for 21 days. He told me that since she had a RI, to not put any substact in the cage because of the dust and everything. So I bought some carpet for reptiles and tortoises.

Tomorrow is the last day that I will give her her antibiotic so I can put a substract next week end (the vet told me to wait 1 week to see if she is still sick)

I have 2 ideas in mind. Aspen (10CM) or a mix of top soil (70%) and play sand (30%) or both

My questions are:

1. Is it dangerous if she eats the aspen or the mix?? I heard it is normal for a tortoise to eat her new substract?

2. Is the aspen going to be too dusty since it's very dry?

3. Is it ok if I let the mix (sand and top soil) dry? Or do I really have to put some water in it once in a while?

4. Can I put both of them (the mix on the warm side and the aspen on the cold side and put some rocks in it to be sure the mix does not go in the aspen.

5. Where I live they only sell aspen in the pet shop, the substract for reptiles and rabbits, is this kind of aspen is ok?

6. Does it really matter if I keep the terrarium and do not buy a rubbermaid? If I keep the terrarium I will make sure the temps are always good

7. Can the mix (top soil and play sand) can attract the flies?

I know I have a lot of questions, I'm really sorry but I want the best for my little Hermy


Thanks a lot for your help, I will try to post some pics of her enclosure this week?

Thanks a lot
Isa

 

[Ozric]

Hello Isa

most don't have a problem with the soil and sand mix - most tortoises will not eat this. I did not find it is a breeding place for flies.

Any substrate can get too dry indoors - a plant mister can help to prevent it getting too dusty.

A terrarium is not a good place to keep your tortoise because there is not enough air movement and its difficult to get a temperature range.

Your temps seem a bit high. I think 20C or less is right at the cool end. 37C is too hot at the basking spot in my opinion, 32 is plenty. If your home is a very dry environment there are ways to raise the humidity on an open container, and I think this is better than trapping moisture in which is what the terrarium does.

 

[Isa]

Hello Ozric.

Thanks a lot for your answer.

I will make the changes.

Isa