Overwhelmed by options!

[Novarei]

Hey all!

I'm brand new here today. : )
My name is Nova. For now I'm located up in Boston.
I've wanted a tortoise for almost my entire life and now finally am in a position to get one!

But now I've been researching and reading forums for months and months, and I'm at a stand-still.

There are so many options!!! I just want to know some assuredly-safe, happy healthy tortoise how-to's for getting started. The basics!

What sort of cheap but healthy enclosure can I use?
Where should I get my substrate and lamp, etc, from?
I'm leaning towards a Russian, where is a good place to get them from online?
What should I expect when it arrives?

etc!

I'm ready to take the plunge but absolutely swimming in decision-making stand-stills that are preventing me from moving forward. There's so much out there!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, Nova, and welcome to the Forum!

Here's a good place to start:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Rue]

I'm new to tortoises too! I understand your problem and am interested in what more experienced folk have to say.

Don't cheap out on the enclosure. You can make do for the short-term but if you can't afford a good enclosure, you probably should wait to buy your animal. I'd say the enclosure and important basic supplies are the bulk of the expense of keeping any animal.

I didn't want to fuss looking for cheaper options, so we bought all our supplies from PetSmart and the garden center. If you buy the MV light...buy the lamp stand to go with it. Not worthwhile trying to make do there. Not to mention the potential safety issues of hot lights falling down or burning something.

I also bought a reptile thermometer and powerbar...more expensive... but both do exactly what I want them to do. I spent many years trying to be more cost effective with various pets but either ended up spending MORE money in the long-run on DIY projects or hating what I put together. This time I gave myself permission to have the kind of housing that is suitable and to my liking. After all I have to look at it and the tortoise has to live in it.

The set-up I just put together will do for 2-3 years. Then we will put together something more suitable. But the supplies were still very expensive.

Regardless...I now have some time to see what will work best for me and the tortoise and I can then build (or have someone build) something suitable down the road. I also want to keep the tortoise outside over the summer when it's old enough, so we will be building some sort of outside enclosure for it too.

As to species I can't help you there. I wanted a small, easy tortoise and the Hermann's were on the list, and I found a good source locally. Win-win.

 

[Gillian M]

Hey all!

I'm brand new here today. : )
My name is Nova. For now I'm located up in Boston.
I've wanted a tortoise for almost my entire life and now finally am in a position to get one!

But now I've been researching and reading forums for months and months, and I'm at a stand-still.

There are so many options!!! I just want to know some assuredly-safe, happy healthy tortoise how-to's for getting started. The basics!

What sort of cheap but healthy enclosure can I use?
Where should I get my substrate and lamp, etc, from?
I'm leaning towards a Russian, where is a good place to get them from online?
What should I expect when it arrives?

etc!

I'm ready to take the plunge but absolutely swimming in decision-making stand-stills that are preventing me from moving forward. There's so much out there!

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Don't worry/panic. You will get all the help you need.Just keep reading, asking questions and researching. And good luck!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. You have found the right place for all the info and help you will need. We have two great Russian care sheets. One for hatchlings, one adults. The best place to buy one from is one of our active forum members. Check the for sale section and see if there are any for sale. If you are getting a hatchling, the plastic tote storage boxes makes good cheap set ups for the first couple years. Then go bigger and better for a permanent adult home. Don't buy a lot of the pet store stuff or take their advice, most is wrong and A lot of the stuff they sell should not be used. Read the care sheets and if that doesn't answer all your questions start another thread with the remaining questions