My hermanns is in a 7 foot by 29 inch wide enclosure, good temps...fed carrots kale romaine and turnip greens every other day, weeds I pick every now and again when they're growing...also give him calcium supplements, should I offer him toys or anything? I just want to find ways to keep him stimulated. Thanks.
Am I doing it right?
- Thread starter Lucas791
- Start date
Not to sure about hermans but with my russian I have found that if I change up her enclosure bi-weekly at least, she excersises more. I have several good size rocks I rearange to give her something to climb. I also add spider plants and soon hostas for hiding.
More hides and things to climb. Lots of plants and rocks and all that are good. 
I'd do a little more variety in the diet. Try some spring mix salad blend instead of romaine. Romaine isn't that nutritionally complete. Spring mix will give a good variety of greens. Also, carrots should be more of a treat then a staple, IMHO.
I would switch the positions of the basking lamp and uv light. You should aim for a hot end, cool end, and middle. uv in the middle will give more access to those healthy rays.
Otherwise, off to a good start!
I'd do a little more variety in the diet. Try some spring mix salad blend instead of romaine. Romaine isn't that nutritionally complete. Spring mix will give a good variety of greens. Also, carrots should be more of a treat then a staple, IMHO.
I would switch the positions of the basking lamp and uv light. You should aim for a hot end, cool end, and middle. uv in the middle will give more access to those healthy rays.
Otherwise, off to a good start!
Natalie Jean
Member
I change up my hermanns enclosure every month or so and as already mentioned I find it encourages her to be more active. I tend to have a few tunnels or hides, plenty of fake and real plants and as already mentioned different stones and rocks (they also help to keep her (?) claws down. It's fun getting new things and giving their enclosure a revamp every now and again- I hope it keeps her interested too!!
Your tort should be offered food every day, enough so there is a little left over. I would be sure you have a good substrate if you give things too climb on. Watch for flipping and see if she can right herself, otherwise things to climb on that causes flips, if she can't right herself, could be the death if her
I have a black thumb, I never water (coir just stays wet from humidity), and I have been doing well with my plants...spider plant, echeveria, Aloe Vera especially. My bromeliad was doing really well but the light went on the fritz for about 36 hours while we were on vacation (tort was with us) and the bromeliad kinda browned and never really recovered. I've lost the echeveria and aloe now, but that's because they were nommed/trampled. I even have a small aralia tree in the enclosure that is doing great, though I trim off lower leaves so he can't snack on it. Pick easy, inexpensive plants. I thoroughly rinse the root system and leaves, plant in my ecoearth and just let it do it's thing. Make sure plants are organic, too.
