What is wrong with my enclosure?

[Isa]

Hello All

When I got Hermy she had a RI so I had to put her on a carpet for 2 months. After that, I put aspen in her vivarium. After that, we made a tort table for her. I put carpet on the hot side a on the cold side and aspen in the middle. The problem is, she was always staying in her hot side. She was walking aroung and stop in front of the aspen, looked at it for 30 sec- 1 min and then turn back and walk in circle on the carpet. When I saw that, I put some carpet in the middle too. Now it is half carpte and half substrate in the middle, carpet on the cool end and carpet on the cold end. But she still does not want to go in the middle. She always stays on the hot end. On the hot side There are a 75W light and a 10.0 UVB. The temps are:
Hot side: 86
Cool side : around 77 (it depends on the temp in my house)
Basking spot: 93-95

Here is a picture of the hot side and what I call the middle

And this is the cool side (and the middle)

she only stays on the grey carpet. The light you see in the middle is a red light but I only open it in winter during the night. Each morning I put a food dish on the cold side to see if she went there but when I came home the dish still untouched.

Is there a problem with Hermy's enclosure?

 

[Jacqui]

Am I understanding you right here, the problem is she won't put her dainty little tortie trunk feet onto the bedding? If that's really the question you have, mine back would be have you tried adding the bedding to the top of the carpet? Sorta easing her into trying to be on it? You can always take the bedding back off the carpet after she either rejects that or comes to accept the bedding is ok. Just add a thin layer, one where you can still see carpet under it to try to get her use t it.

 

[Isa]

Am I understanding you right here, the problem is she won't put her dainty little tortie trunk feet onto the bedding? If that's really the question you have, mine back would be have you tried adding the bedding to the top of the carpet? Sorta easing her into trying to be on it? You can always take the bedding back off the carpet after she either rejects that or comes to accept the bedding is ok. Just add a thin layer, one where you can still see carpet under it to try to get her use t it.

Hello Jacqui
Hermy wont even go on the in the middle when there is a carpet, she only stays on the grey one. I thought the problem was the substrate but no, it is not. I already tried to put some aspen on the carpet to make it easier for her to go there but it did not work. I really dont understand. It is like she lovesss the hot side but there must be something wrong

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't keep Hermann's tortoises, and I don't keep any tortoises indoors, so I really can't contribute to your particular problem, however, my first thought was to just remove all the carpeting and rocks and put in some coconut coir mixed with play sand or top soil. Then decorate it so it pleases you, add her hiding place and food/water dishes and put her back in. She needs a cool side so that when she gets too hot she can go over and cool down. With the carpet I don't see how you can control the hot/cool problem. With substrate a couple inches or 3 or 4 inches deep, you can have humidity and hot/cool.

Yvonne

 

[Isa]

I don't keep Hermann's tortoises, and I don't keep any tortoises indoors, so I really can't contribute to your particular problem, however, my first thought was to just remove all the carpeting and rocks and put in some coconut coir mixed with play sand or top soil. Then decorate it so it pleases you, add her hiding place and food/water dishes and put her back in. She needs a cool side so that when she gets too hot she can go over and cool down. With the carpet I don't see how you can control the hot/cool problem. With substrate a couple inches or 3 or 4 inches deep, you can have humidity and hot/cool.

Yvonne

Thanks for the advice Yvonne

I will try that. The aspen in her enclosure is 4inches deep right now, but she is not interested in it.