PURCHASING MY HERMANNS TORTOISE THIS WEEK CALLED TONY

[Richmond2]

ANY LAST INITIAL DETAILS OR ADVICE ANYONE WOULD GIVE PLEASE FEEL FREE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED

 

[ada caro]

Start doing research on Hermanns.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-easthermanns.htm
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hermann-s-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1q56f0ynk
http://premiumtortoises.com/hermans.aspx
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilesturtles/p/hermannstort.htm

 

[Richmond2]

I've been researching them for 2 months I know loads

 

[dmmj]

Pick the healthiest most active one. Clear eyes, no nose or mouth discharge.

 

[Richmond2]

Q1,How many time does the vivairium have to be cleaned and how?
Q2,How long in hours do I need to keep the lighting on including the heat?
Q3,Should I avoid a red heat lamp or not if so why, do they irate the tortoise shell skin?
Q4Is sand a good substrate or neesh?

 

[Akronic]

depends on what kinda substrate you go w/ i use repti bark, which is not always recommended for certain species. but it allows you to just pick out their turds when you see them, if they dont go in the water dish.

usually a minimum of 12hrs light/heat some go longer to deter certain breeds from hibernating.

the red heat lamp will only offer heat and some red light, which contains no UVB. if your looking for a lamp that puts out both UVB light and heat i would go with the ZooMed Powersun UV, comes in 100/160watts. if you are just looking for heat an no light, i would suggest a CHE(ceramic heat emitter). i have never heard of the red lights irritating tortoises, unless im mistaken. if you are looking for UVB light and no heat go w/ the Linear Reptisun 10.0 UVB Flourescent tubes, most ppl say stay away from the CFL's unless you have the proper fixture(some say they must be mounted horizontally, but if you use a nice deep dome w/ a polished aluminum, and dont put them to close(follow package instructions) they are ok but not ideal.


sand is NOT a good substrate, it causes impaction in the Intestinal Track, some ppl use Coconut coir bricks that expand w/ HOT water, some use topsoil(no commercial potting soil tho) some will mix the Coconut Coir w/ a little sand like 50/50 (by weight NOT volume) or 75/25 but i would think less sand the better.

 

[Richmond2]

What is a UVB ? I was thinking of getting a tube light and a redhead lamp also I was thinking about using coconut coir and repti soil and damp moss underneath the log and do you have to renew the substrate every month or just puck the **** out of it ????

 

[Akronic]

well i thought you said you knew loads about what the Hermans needed? take some more time and learn about lighting requirements. the red lamp will be useless except for a little heat. some i just pick stuff for now, after a few months tho, if it starts to have a funk smell then you might wanna remove some/all and replace it.

*this is from another website and it's for Russian's most of the info will be the same sep diet and humidity probably*
http://russiantortoise.org/care_sheet.htm
Lighting: Currently the best lighting is the Zoo Med Powersun . These are used extensively in zoo's. The 100 watt flood is the most commonly used. While they do put out heat you may need to add a ceramic heat emitter to get the right temperature. Also make sure to get a good clamp on light fixture with a ceramic socket that is rated for the wattage bulb you buy. The preferred fixture is the deep dome lamp fixture by Flukers or Zoo Med'
An alternative is the Reptisun 10.0 straight tube. But since it doesn't give off heat you will also need a basking light such as the ESU Reptile Basking Spot BrightLight Incandescent Bulbs. Keep in mind that these bulbs should be replaced every 6 months.
There are many other bulbs out there. There is a basking light that provides UVA. But this doesn't have the UVB. There are colored bulbs...again no UVB. If it doesn't specifically say "UVB" it doesn't have it.
Keep the lights on 12-14 hours a day.

 

[DanaLachney]

If you've been researching for two months then you should know what UVB is by now...

 

[Richmond2]

I'm fully aware of what a UVB is it provides natural sunlight door the tortoise to feel like its in it's natural habitat Such as the exo terra glo tube very expensive however it is a fantastic lighting resource and provides great amount of heat and if people have no constructive comments to make please do not bother thank you

 

[DanaLachney]

I'm fully aware of what a UVB is it provides natural sunlight door the tortoise to feel like its in it's natural habitat Such as the exo terra glo tube very expensive however it is a fantastic lighting resource and provides great amount of heat and if people have no constructive comments to make please do not bother thank you

I wasn't being unconstructive. My appologies but in an earlier thread you did ask the question "What is UVB?"

 

[wellington]

I'm fully aware of what a UVB is it provides natural sunlight door the tortoise to feel like its in it's natural habitat Such as the exo terra glo tube very expensive however it is a fantastic lighting resource and provides great amount of heat and if people have no constructive comments to make please do not bother thank you

I agree. Let's be nice. We have all done our research and still ask tons of questions that have been answered a million times on here. Myself included . We all know that all the research, even if done just on TFO can still be confusing.

I use coconut coir. However I have a leopard. It does not mold and you won't get the little flying bugs. However, it will get other little bugs that stay in the substrate. They don't bother anything though. You can go a long time with out changing out substrate. Clean up any poop and uneaten food daily. The lights I like to use is the UVB/UVA MVB along with the CHE. That way I get all I need and there is no light on at night. If you guy will get lots of natural sunlight, you might want to go with the cheaper UVB tube lights and a Che. Good luck and don't forget pics

 

[Richmond2]

I wasn't being unconstructive. My appologies but in an earlier thread you did ask the question "What is UVB?"

Yeah sorry about that I was confused lol

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I have purchased my 3foot viviarium I am very pleased with it I have aspen in it which came with the product however I will be using topsoil up the heat end also I have a glo t8 UVB light and a red heat lamp

 

[Richmond2]

Top soil isn't a very good substrate is it it apparently starts to smell

 

[DriveWRX]

Top soil isn't a very good substrate is it it apparently starts to smell

Thanks to several TFO members, I'm finding top soil mixed with coir (70&/30%) is great for hatchlings and juveniles. It helps keep the little guys hydrated, big time.
But with adults, it I'm finding that soil/coir mix is very messy. It gets in their water, on their food and besides, the tortoises get dirty themselves. That's not a problem with the little guys, because they are misted and soaked often and get cleaned in the process.

I prefer to keep adults on shredded aspen bedding. So much cleaner!

 

[Richmond2]

When I bought the viv I got aspen with it I have put about 70% in the viv but I don't no what to put in 30% of the viv I was thinking coconut coir because it will be up the heated end with the red heat lamp