New- need help

[Cassiemoore]

Can someone help please? We are considering getting a Herman tortoise but don't know whether to get a viv or table. I have heard that they can get respiratory problems from a viv not being as ventilated but with the tables it is more difficult to regulate temperature and they can get respiratory problems if draughty. Our house is quite open plan so can be draughty- would a table be suitable? Also food - do you feed mixed veg and pellets? Everything I read has conflicting views, please help! Many thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi CassieMoore:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you? ...and may we know appx. where in the world you are?

I've moved your question to its own thread. Forum etiquette tells us its a good idea to start a new thread when you're not responding to the thread you're reading. This way our members know that there's a new question being asked and you'll be able to get more answers and better help for your problem.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

I will let those wih more Hermanns experience answer your questions...

 

[ashned7]

Hey, you have discovered the key to tortoises already, contradicting information!!!
There are positive and negatives to both types of housing, but as I live in the UK where vivs are somewhat condemned, I am biased towards tables. I kept my hermann's in a viv when he was young and I dont think I was able to set it up in a way that allowed him to get the best out of his environment. It takes a lot more knowledge to set up a viv properly, which may be worth it as temperatures can then be regulated more accurately.
However, Hermanns tend to have requirements that are easier to meet than some other tortoises, and can be set up perfectly in a table, which in most cases will allow them more space and possibly better air flow (unless your viv is set up for tortoise requirements).

Food wise Hermann's tortoises need a wide variety of food: leafy greens like mixed leaf sald, italian style salad, florette, and mediteranean stlyle salad can work well for store bought lettuce, especially in winter, but if you can mix this with weeds like dandelion etc, and plants like pansies/ violas, rose leaves, geraniums, hibiscus etc then theis will be a much better diet. They dont really eat much in terms of "veg". Variety is the key and you will soom find out what your hermanns enjoys and what he/ she doesnt. I dont personally use any commercial diet enhancers just provide a cuttlefish bone and scrape this over his food once or twice a week as all he does with the one in his table is stand on it!!

There is a brilliant link for hermanns tortoise foods, I think its at the top of the Hermanns toroise section on this forum.