New owners asking for feedback

PhilLindsAku

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Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
Hello everyone,

Two weeks ago my wife and I became surprise keepers of a two year old Eastern Hermann's tortoise we've named Aku. We had never had any intention of owning a tortoise but he was desperately in need of a good home as his previous keepers had lost interest in him and he was becoming neglected. We instantly fell in love with the little guy and, after reading alot of information from this site and others, we've been trying to get his setup right and we'd love to hear all your expert opinions on if we have interpreted the instructions correctly. Please forgive my long first post but we've all been through alot over the last two weeks!

When we had him he was living in a small open tortoise table with a thin layer of dry topsoil and an MVB, small dish of water a food tray. After having him here for a few days it was obvious it was waaaayyyyy too small for him as all he wanted to do was escape and was impossible to keep in humidity and heat, and probably the reason has appears to have started pyramiding.

So, we decided to go all in to try and rescue the little guy and give him an enclosure he deserved. We went to Ikea and bought a sliding glass door cabinet which I then modified to take his substrate as we felt a closed cabinet was the best way to go.

Little Aku, according to his certificate, was hatched in November 2019. I weighed him today and he is 144g and his carapace is approx 85mm long. Would you say this is OK for his age?

His enclosure is 1.5m x 1m, now fitted with a 75w flood basking bulb, 100w CHE, a Pro T5 Uvb light with forest bulb as its only mounted 12" from his substrate of moose coco coir (20%), orchid bark(20%) and top soil mix (60%). His light timers are set as:
Basking : 06:00 to 20:00
UV : 09:30 to 19:00

He has a humid hide on the warm side, and another hide on the cool side, along with a flower pot to hide in. His four temperatures/Humidity (at shell height) are:
Basking = 35°C
Warm side = 26°C
Cool Side = 22°C
Night = 18°C (from 20:00 to 06:30)
Humidity = 60-80%
All of these fluctuate by a degree or two but are controlled with thermostats, a CHE and regular daily mistings from a spray bottle.

He is fed on weeds from the garden (using tortoise-table lists) everyday along with a few pieces of komodo tortoise food that we put his calcium (twice weekly) , D3 (twice weekly) and multi vitamin powder (once weekly) on. When we first had him he passed quite alot of white pastey urates, but we soak him daily and now hasn't passed any for approx 1 week. He has only popped about four times that we've seen which we are a bit worried about.

He seems to wake up OK and eat, bask for a bit then sleep. My wife feeds him in the day and I soak him for 20mins when I get home from work, when he then eats a bit and burys himself in his soil for the night.

He doesn't seem particularly active (not sure what active is for a tortoise though!) but seems very alert when just had a soak, eating or investigating new stuff in his enclosure.

We would just love some feedback from you guys on what we have done and what we need to change. As I said we've totally fallen in love with the little guy and want to give him the best shot at a long, happy and healthy life.

Cheers
Phil and Lindsey
 

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Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Hello and welcome. All of that looks and sounds pretty wonderful. You've done an amazing job! Temperatures sound excellent as does humidity.

I tend to focus in on imperfections in an effort to make things perfect. I see a few minor tings that I perceive as imperfections that I would change, but I don't think any of them are deal breakers based on what I see.
1. I wouldn't use soil. There is no way to know what composted material it is made from, and therefore no way to know if it is safe or not.
2. I would swap out the water dish and the little porcelain food dish for terra cotta saucers sunk into the substrate. These offer better, easier access to the tort.
3. I would add a LED light bar for more ambient light. Something in the5000- 6500K range will look the best. This can run on the same timer as the basking lamp, or you can stagger it a bit to make a sunrise and sun set.
4. I prefer to run the UV tubes less. Since you have the "forest" type, which I think is a 6% bulb?, I'd run it for only 3-5 hours mid day. This would give him plenty of UV time, and also more closely simulate what happens outside with the mid day UV spike.

Your tortoise is gorgeous, so I would formally, in writing, like to request more pics when it is convenient for you to post them. :)
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
Hello and welcome. All of that looks and sounds pretty wonderful. You've done an amazing job! Temperatures sound excellent as does humidity.

I tend to focus in on imperfections in an effort to make things perfect. I see a few minor tings that I perceive as imperfections that I would change, but I don't think any of them are deal breakers based on what I see.
1. I wouldn't use soil. There is no way to know what composted material it is made from, and therefore no way to know if it is safe or not.
2. I would swap out the water dish and the little porcelain food dish for terra cotta saucers sunk into the substrate. These offer better, easier access to the tort.
3. I would add a LED light bar for more ambient light. Something in the5000- 6500K range will look the best. This can run on the same timer as the basking lamp, or you can stagger it a bit to make a sunrise and sun set.
4. I prefer to run the UV tubes less. Since you have the "forest" type, which I think is a 6% bulb?, I'd run it for only 3-5 hours mid day. This would give him plenty of UV time, and also more closely simulate what happens outside with the mid day UV spike.

Your tortoise is gorgeous, so I would formally, in writing, like to request more pics when it is convenient for you to post them. :)
Hello Tom,

Thanks so much for your quick response, kind words and positive comments. We both genuinely have lost sleep the last couple of weeks hoping we are not just making things worse for the little chap. We've only had dogs in the past, so this little one is a serious learning curve! It was from yours and hermanni heaven caresheets that we have achieved where we are, so thank you for sharing your expertise and experience.

In response to your feedback I too focus on detail (mechanical engineering background kicking in) :
1. OK we'll swap it out when we change to coco coir. One Friday two weeks ago we didn't know we were even getting a tortoise, then the Saturday he arrived and it was all a bit of a rush and organic topsoil was all we had to hand, as my wife is a keen gardener. The coco coir and orchid bark was added a few days later.
2. Yes will do, this was planned, again from your caresheets, I was just worried about stressing him out too much with all the changes. The bowls came with him, but we've added a small terracotta dish for his food, the other two are just water dishes.
3. Yes great idea, will do, especially if we reduce the uv timer as you suggest.
4. Yes it's 6% as the manufacturer say this one is needed if 12" away, but I'll reduce it to the time you suggest.

I'll post the pictures we have so far and how we progress as both my wife and I can't believe what an impact he's had on us, we find we can just sit and watch him for hours!

Would we also be correct in thinking he's the only tortoise to have Leonardo da Vinci and Van Gough pictures on his enclosure wall!?

Cheers
Phil ?
 

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zolasmum

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5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
2,001
Welcome from Devon - we have a 21yr old Hermanns tortoise - and I'm afraid he has never had much in the way of art-works in his enclosure, so you put us to shame. He does have a couple of embroidered things, though - slightly stronger if he manages to poo on them ! I will have to look out something suitable - I will try to find my Salvador Dali postcards for him.
Your enclosure looks great , ands so does he.
Best wishes from Angie
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
Hi Angie, thanks and greetings from the West Midlands. Wow 21yrs old huh, have you had him from a baby?
Ha ha, yes my wife is his interior decorator and she thought it a great use of a couple of old postcards. We won't even mention the little framed photo of himself on the wall too, or the little framed picture of a terracotta army chariot,as you know, that might be going too far........ ??
Thanks for the kind comments though, most appreciated. ?
 

ZenHerper

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New Jersey
Really clever use of a cabinet!

*holds up the 10 card*

Make sure that none of the landscaping stones will fit inside the mouth...torts have been known to swallow small white stones, mistaking them for old bone (calcium).

Welcome!
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
Really clever use of a cabinet!

*holds up the 10 card*

Make sure that none of the landscaping stones will fit inside the mouth...torts have been known to swallow small white stones, mistaking them for old bone (calcium).

Welcome!
OK will do, thanks for the advice. Would that be one possible causes of this 'impacting' problem?
 

Maggie3fan

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Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
It is so nice to see there still are newies who try hard to do it right. I love Hermanni...they are easy care and personality plus. He will be very rewarding for you...my tweak...
This is just me...I have several tortoises in my house and several in a tort shed outside...my lights go on at the same time every morning...everybody gets a warm soak and while they are involved in swimming, I feed everybody. My thinking is this...the lights are the sun...up around the same time, we shower... the tortoises soak...they go back to their enclosures and eat. In my tort shed the lights are on now and I can hear banging on the door...so I go out and open their doggie doors they saunter out into their separate pens and bask and eat. I believe in routine for the animals...I think it's important to their well being. It's how they act in the wild. They don't soak at night, they do it in the morning then they graze and walk for miles, eating and sleeping. They take themselves to bed the same time every night. Part of that thinking is that if they get sick they are used to eating at x:xx o'clock, so they just migjt eat even tho they are sick because they are used to eating at the same time. That's not written in stone anywhere, just me.
We have a long term member, hermannichris (I think tht's spelled correctly) and he is the best...if you need help, there ya are...
Tom likes pictures but I like long chatty posts...lol
@Tom ...and then there are newbies like this one...

Mary is not actually going iunside in this photo...that's the last bit iof sun in her pen and she's napping like that warming her butt...
100_0645.JPG
lol...Mary Knobbins
100_0646.JPG
 

zolasmum

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
2,001
Hi Angie, thanks and greetings from the West Midlands. Wow 21yrs old huh, have you had him from a baby?
Ha ha, yes my wife is his interior decorator and she thought it a great use of a couple of old postcards. We won't even mention the little framed photo of himself on the wall too, or the little framed picture of a terracotta army chariot,as you know, that might be going too far........ ??
Thanks for the kind comments though, most appreciated. ?
Hello again-we have had Zola since he was about a year old - he had been moved around several times by then -Holland, Exeter, and finally the pet shop where found him. During that time, he had been injured (probably trodden on) and had a split in his shell above his neck. It see!ms there were internal injuries too, but he managed to recover completely, except for the split, this has grown bigger as his shell has grown. We actually think it looks really attractive, naturally,as proud parents
Thought you might like to see this photo of him which my husband did - the main photo was taken by Fowey harbour, about 2 years ago, and Richard added the 2 early photos of him - left one was when he was about 2, and the right-hand one when he was nearly 3. The sizes of the babies are not really to scale, though, but I thought it shows the changes in patter and colour of the shell. (He was at Fowey because we take him out with us in the car all the time.)Angie
growing-up_sm.jpg
 

ZenHerper

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Joined
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Messages
2,078
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
OK will do, thanks for the advice. Would that be one possible causes of this 'impacting' problem?
Yes, although technically, an impaction is backed-up hard stool. Usually happening in dehydrated animals where the digestive organs cannot squeeze-relax-squeeze properly. Impactions can be managed at home in most cases with warm water soaks and exercise. Impactions are prevented with good hydration and exercise.

Non-food items cause blockages. Swallowed stones, string, coins, hair...large urate crystals or bladder stones that are stuck in the cloaca...eggs that a female cannot pass which close off the lower bowel. These types of situations should be treated as medical emergencies if they don't resolve within a day of first notice, or if a tort in any way seems ill or distressed or in pain.
 

Humbug & Maz

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
120
Location (City and/or State)
Chesterfield UK
Hello from Derbyshire, Phil! ? This forum has been wonderful and I learned so much since my little Hermann arrived at the end of August. Come on here every day now and the joy Humbug has brought us is immense! Regarding substrate, after much advice on here I settled on this orchid bark from Amazon and he loves it! Buries happily and it isn't messy. Just thought I would pop the link up: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TOBNT4U/?tag=
 

Maggie3fan

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OK will do, thanks for the advice. Would that be one possible causes of this 'impacting' problem?
Could be...feed some iceberg lettuce or cucumber because of the water content, or feed some Mazuri...my Sulcata was constipated so I fed her some mazuri tortoise food and she pooped a lot..
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
It is so nice to see there still are newies who try hard to do it right. I love Hermanni...they are easy care and personality plus. He will be very rewarding for you...my tweak...
This is just me...I have several tortoises in my house and several in a tort shed outside...my lights go on at the same time every morning...everybody gets a warm soak and while they are involved in swimming, I feed everybody. My thinking is this...the lights are the sun...up around the same time, we shower... the tortoises soak...they go back to their enclosures and eat. In my tort shed the lights are on now and I can hear banging on the door...so I go out and open their doggie doors they saunter out into their separate pens and bask and eat. I believe in routine for the animals...I think it's important to their well being. It's how they act in the wild. They don't soak at night, they do it in the morning then they graze and walk for miles, eating and sleeping. They take themselves to bed the same time every night. Part of that thinking is that if they get sick they are used to eating at x:xx o'clock, so they just migjt eat even tho they are sick because they are used to eating at the same time. That's not written in stone anywhere, just me.
We have a long term member, hermannichris (I think tht's spelled correctly) and he is the best...if you need help, there ya are...
Tom likes pictures but I like long chatty posts...lol
@Tom ...and then there are newbies like this one...

Mary is not actually going iunside in this photo...that's the last bit iof sun in her pen and she's napping like that warming her butt...
View attachment 334496
lol...Mary Knobbins
View attachment 334497
Thanks for the tips, really appreciated. I've changed the uv light time as Tom suggested and we'll now get some led strips for ambient lighting and set it as sun up/ sun down. ?
P. S. Nothing wrong with a warm bum if you ask me!
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
Hello again-we have had Zola since he was about a year old - he had been moved around several times by then -Holland, Exeter, and finally the pet shop where found him. During that time, he had been injured (probably trodden on) and had a split in his shell above his neck. It see!ms there were internal injuries too, but he managed to recover completely, except for the split, this has grown bigger as his shell has grown. We actually think it looks really attractive, naturally,as proud parents
Thought you might like to see this photo of him which my husband did - the main photo was taken by Fowey harbour, about 2 years ago, and Richard added the 2 early photos of him - left one was when he was about 2, and the right-hand one when he was nearly 3. The sizes of the babies are not really to scale, though, but I thought it shows the changes in patter and colour of the shell. (He was at Fowey because we take him out with us in the car all the time.)Angie
View attachment 334499
Awesome photo Angie so thanks for sharing. My wife and I can't believe the transformation their shell goes through with age. We are both very much looking forward to our journey with this little chap.
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
I also use a small piece of slate for feeding which I was told helps the beak and nails from getting over grown ?
Cheers for the tips. We are just so grateful to everyone for their advice and I'd hate to think where we, and little Aku would be without this awesome forum and expert advice.
That orchid bark is the same as we bought to mix with his soil but when we change it out we'll ditch the soil all together.
Yes the slate is on the list of next enclosure additions ?
 

PhilLindsAku

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2021
Messages
23
Location (City and/or State)
West Midlands
Yes, although technically, an impaction is backed-up hard stool. Usually happening in dehydrated animals where the digestive organs cannot squeeze-relax-squeeze properly. Impactions can be managed at home in most cases with warm water soaks and exercise. Impactions are prevented with good hydration and exercise.

Non-food items cause blockages. Swallowed stones, string, coins, hair...large urate crystals or bladder stones that are stuck in the cloaca...eggs that a female cannot pass which close off the lower bowel. These types of situations should be treated as medical emergencies if they don't resolve within a day of first notice, or if a tort in any way seems ill or distressed or in pain.
OK great thanks, so what would you suggest for giving them a bit of exercise outside their enclosure? Living in the UK in October doesn't really allow us to take him outside as it's a bit too chilly for him I believe, and I've read that letting him walk around the floor is also a no no?

How about knocking up a mini tortoise treadmill from technical lego? I need every excuse possible for me to be able to mess with lego....... ???
 

Sarah2020

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Mar 16, 2020
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
London, UK
Welcome! You have taken on a lovely tortoise that is caving, drinking and eating etc.... Enjoy your new charge. I use orchid bark as substrate, as your in the UK have a look for supplies from swell.co.uk.
Feel free to ask questions.
 
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