NEW OWNER ADVICE

KGRoberts

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Joined
Aug 13, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Birmingham, England
So I recently became the owner of a baby horsefield but I'm questioning myself if I have done the right or wrong thing by purchasing a vivarium rather than a table. Ive seen many sites arguing for and against and went to 2 different stores beforehand, one saying a well ventilated viv is fine (mine has 3 vents at the top) and the other saying only a table should ever be used for the horsefield.
All advice welcome
 
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KGRoberts

New Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
Birmingham, England
Temperature throughout the viv is 80•F in the left hand side (cooler) and around 90•F under the basking bulb. At night i turn the thermostat for the basking bulb to 70•F and turn off the UV/B light
 

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sjones28

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Aug 6, 2019
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Rochester NY
how old is your tortoise? that looks small but may be okay for a young tortoise. I don't know much about Horsefield's but based on their adult average size i'd say a large table (maybe 8x4') would be good for an adult Horsefield. Post pics of your tort!
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Either can work well, but vivs are better for babies. In side-by-side experiments with clutch mates, they do better in the viv. Ask anyone telling you otherwise how many times they've done side-by-side experiments to back up their answer.

It is an old and persistent myth that glass tanks are bad for tortoises. Small tanks are bad for tortoises, but the material they are made of is irrelevant. It does NOT stress them out to be able to see out, and the "invisible barrier" is no problem for them. As your tortoise gains size, make sure the enclosure does too.

Here is some care info that should help you:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
 

Carol S

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Welcome to the Forum. I definitely would replace the substrate that you have in the enclosure with coconut coir or cypress mulch which can be kept moist. If the bottom of your enclosure is made out of wood you can cover the wood with linoleum which will protect the wood from moisture.
 

HoosierTort

Active Member
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Aug 20, 2019
Messages
171
Location (City and/or State)
Indianapolis
Either can work well, but vivs are better for babies. In side-by-side experiments with clutch mates, they do better in the viv. Ask anyone telling you otherwise how many times they've done side-by-side experiments to back up their answer.

It is an old and persistent myth that glass tanks are bad for tortoises. Small tanks are bad for tortoises, but the material they are made of is irrelevant. It does NOT stress them out to be able to see out, and the "invisible barrier" is no problem for them. As your tortoise gains size, make sure the enclosure does too.

Here is some care info that should help you:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

I use a table, but I cover it with windows on top and vent only based on my meter. I agree they need the humidity and I would have loved to see your study!
 
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