Newbie Care Questions

[Quixx66]

Hey y’all,
I’ve read the care sheets but still have questions. I have a baby Hermann’s I just got a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure whether to be concerned or not or how yo do some things.

Do I need to keep the Reptisoil/Reptibark damp or even wet/soaking/pour lots of water in it?

Mateo will eat only spring mix but not Mazuri. I bought the original, not the LS, and looked it up by the number. Do I need to buy/add the extra herbs that he ate at the breeders to entice him to eat Mazuri?

He hasn’t pooped or peed yet, even in soaks. I cut the soaks back to 3x a week. Is that correct?

I did a carrot soak last week after he didn’t eat for over a week after he arrived, and after that he started eating spring mix only.

Do I need to have the whole enclosure at least 90 degrees? It’s only that on his basking slab. He used to turn over a lot, and the breeder said it because he’s hot. But then he’s not doing much because he’s cold?

He’s not as friendly/personable as I’d hoped. Is it because he young?

Thanks, y’all.

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Hey y’all,
I’ve read the care sheets but still have questions. I have a baby Hermann’s I just got a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure whether to be concerned or not or how yo do some things.

Do I need to keep the Reptisoil/Reptibark damp or even wet/soaking/pour lots of water in it?

Mateo will eat only spring mix but not Mazuri. I bought the original, not the LS, and looked it up by the number. Do I need to buy/add the extra herbs that he ate at the breeders to entice him to eat Mazuri?

He hasn’t pooped or peed yet, even in soaks. I cut the soaks back to 3x a week. Is that correct?

I did a carrot soak last week after he didn’t eat for over a week after he arrived, and after that he started eating spring mix only.

Do I need to have the whole enclosure at least 90 degrees? It’s only that on his basking slab. He used to turn over a lot, and the breeder said it because he’s hot. But then he’s not doing much because he’s cold?

He’s not as friendly/personable as I’d hoped. Is it because he young?

Thanks, y’all.

Not the whole enclosure 90 try to do an ambient temp of 80 and a basking temp of 95-100. Keep soaks up to once a day and keep the humidity above 85%. Mix in the mazuri with the spring mix, he might not eat it but he will eventually give in. Torts are stubborn, the trick is to be stubborner. Keep you substrate so that the underneath is wet, but the top is dry. Soaking helps them poop, keep them up he will eventually poop, if he doesn‘t feed wet foods like cucumber and aloe vera.

 

[Agathaade]

My baby Hermann flipped quite a bit the first week it was there. It was a hot week, though I couldn’t tell if that was the reason or if it was just a reaction to the transition. I rearranged his pen, half-buried the main thing he was always trying to climb over so now he can step over it safely, and added a few rocks so he would have traction if he needed to right himself. In the light orchid bark he was struggling to find grip. But was able to right himself each time. Stressful to watch though.
it hasn’t happened - that I have seen - since.

 

[Quixx66]

Thanks, y’all!

 

[KarenSoCal]

In regards to your concern that he isn't super friendly yet...remember that he is pre-programmed to be fearful. After all, most wild critters would enjoy a snack of fresh tortoise.

You are a huge monster to him, and he just doesn't trust you yet. What I've done is pull up a chair and just sit there where he can see you. Sit quietly while he eats. Let him get used to your presence as much as possible. One day he'll decide you're OK.

 

[Quixx66]

In regards to your concern that he isn't super friendly yet...remember that he is pre-programmed to be fearful. After all, most wild critters would enjoy a snack of fresh tortoise.

You are a huge monster to him, and he just doesn't trust you yet. What I've done is pull up a chair and just sit there where he can see you. Sit quietly while he eats. Let him get used to your presence as much as possible. One day he'll decide you're OK.

Thanks so much! I’ll try that. I guess I was comparing him to my bold betta. ?

 

[Minority2]

Thanks so much! I’ll try that. I guess I was comparing him to my bold betta. ?

Good comparison. Just like betta fish, tortoises cannot live safely in pairs. Keep that in mind in case you wondering if your tortoise needs a friend. It doesn't

 

[Quixx66]

Good comparison. Just like betta fish, tortoises cannot live safely in pairs. Keep that in mind in case you wondering if your tortoise needs a friend. It doesn't

Thanks!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the "flipping over because it's too hot" part.
I have absolutely no experience with any species but Redfoot. But I know a bit about flipping over.
Flipping over is very common in smaller, inexperienced and unstable tortoises.
And the culprit is usually an item in the enclosure that the tortoise tries to climb and then falls over.
Removing the item is the only remedy. Or modifying it in such a way that it eliminates the issue.
Like a sideways flowerpot. If it is a climbing hazard, burying it deeper into the substrate would help.
It's also very important that no heat source is directly above a spot that has ever had a tortoise upside down. That extra heat could kill the tortoise quickly

 

[Quixx66]

Yikes about death! I think I need to rake the soil smoother. That and his slate are what’s uneven. He doesn’t flip quite so often anymore, thank goodness! TY!