Beginner help

[linco]

Hi All,
I am new to the tortoise world, and have been debating whether a tortoise would make a suitable pet for me. I live in the North East of the US, so my tortoise would have to live indoor's for a portion of the year. After doing a bit of research it seems like a Hermann or Russian would be the best choice for me. They both seem very similar and based off of look's alone I would go with a Hermann, but they seem harder to find. I live in southern Maine, and could only find one reptile store in the area that only deals in snakes/lizards would ordering online a good option? As for tortoise home has anyone tried converting a large indoor rabbit cage? I was thinking this might be an easy setup for the colder months to start with, and I could build a tortoise table as he grows larger. What other starting supplies might I need other than lighting, water/food dish, place to hide? Any other advise/ things you wish you knew before jumping into a tortoise would be appreciated.

 

[Jodie]

Read the care guides in the specific section for tortoises you're considering. They are pinned at the top. There are enclosure ideas in the enclosure section too. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Evy]

Read the care guides in the specific section for tortoises you're considering. They are pinned at the top. There are enclosure ideas in the enclosure section too. Welcome to the forum.

Hi linco and welcome to the forum. You need to remember that tortoises are far long commitment. With that being said the tortoises that are you looking are not massive but they can get big. You will need to research in the correct breed what are the differences on habitats and diet for each one or them. If you go to the main page you will find info about them.

I hope you find what would suits you better

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

One of our members raises and sells the Hermanni and he's also a Forum sponsor. Take a look at his web sites:

www.HERMANNIHAVEN.com
www.GARDENSTATETORTOISE.com

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome to forum! And.......good luck.

 

[Heather H]

hi no matter if you get a russian or a hermanni you will have to have space for a large enclosure as it gets older. Are you looking for a baby? juvinie , or adult?
how much space do you have? how much money are you looking to spend? are you a gardener
I am about to get a baby hernanni from hermannichris. he is great to work with and will answer any questions. if you go to his website there are caresheet and a lot of information there. also we here will try to answer anything for you. please do not buy anything without talking to us. because things can be bought from amazon, places like walmart and home depot a lot cheeper than pet stores. petstores also try to sell you things that are dangerous or just not needed.
so when you decide what you want to get , we will help you welcome to the forum and the crazy life of tortoises. it is addictive.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Welcome!

 

[linco]

Thanks for all the info guys! I have a large home with plenty of space for a nice indoor wintertime setup, and I plan to setup a place for him in the garden during the warmer months. After doing some reading I think I am going to go with a Home Depot Concrete Mixing tub or Rubbermaid to start. Any suggestions on lighting you guys might have would be appreciated.

 

[Heather H]

Thanks for all the info guys! I have a large home with plenty of space for a nice indoor wintertime setup, and I plan to setup a place for him in the garden during the warmer months. After doing some reading I think I am going to go with a Home Depot Concrete Mixing tub or Rubbermaid to start. Any suggestions on lighting you guys might have would be appreciated.

well again the enclosure depends on the age. a hatchling need warm humid enclosure.
light do not buy any that are the coil type they can damage the eyes.
Murcury Vaper bulbs ( MVB) is heat and UVB all in one. Make sure that the fixture has a non plastic base. A CHE is just for heat.
you can get both at Amazon. Also you will need a gage for heat and humidity these can be found at amazon, home depot and walmart for about $10.
different people like different substrates. I like coco coir, you can also use bark, soil from your yard. Some people use a mix with sand with no problems and others have had problems and even lost their tortoise due to impaction.

 

[linco]

Would something like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Plasgad-Black-Large-Concrete-Mixing-Tub-887102C/205451585?N=5yc1vZaq89 be to appropriate? Would I be better off with something smaller with higher walls to keep in the heat/humility? I was looking around on Amazon and it seems like the Zoo Med Power sun has a lot of good reviews.

 

[Yvonne G]

I like the really large Sterlite tubs instead of the concrete mixing tubs. They're bigger. Not only that, but you can cut out opposing ends and put two together to have an even bigger habitat.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for all the info guys! I have a large home with plenty of space for a nice indoor wintertime setup, and I plan to setup a place for him in the garden during the warmer months. After doing some reading I think I am going to go with a Home Depot Concrete Mixing tub or Rubbermaid to start. Any suggestions on lighting you guys might have would be appreciated.

I would not recommend this unless the room where you will be keeping your baby will be warm and humid all the time. Open tops allow the room air to mix with your tortoises enclosure air. If you are getting baby, this is not good since most people's homes are far too dry and cool. If you are getting and adult, these tubs are too small.

Here are some care sheets to help you learn what needs to be done. Care for both species is similar, so all of these care sheets will have something to offer you for either species.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/

 

[linco]

Thanks for all the great info guys! I found this care sheet very helpful, and going to follow it for most of my setup. Would I be better off going with a MVB or do most people prefer to have the 2 separate fixtures?

 

[mini_max]

I am a fan of an mvb, but upon building a bigger enclosure, I found I was a little shy on light in some parts of the enclosure, so having two separate fixtures can help with that.....

 

[ascott]

Thanks for all the great info guys! I found this care sheet very helpful, and going to follow it for most of my setup. Would I be better off going with a MVB or do most people prefer to have the 2 separate fixtures?

You can also find an old bookcase or piece of furniture that can be placed on its back and repurposed as a tortoise enclosure if you want larger size...

 

[linco]

So the local animal shelter has a 3 year old Russian tortoise, and I am considering adopting it. Does this sound like a good idea, or would I be better off getting something younger to start with?

 

[linco]

You can also find an old bookcase or piece of furniture that can be placed on its back and repurposed as a tortoise enclosure if you want larger size...

I am pretty handy and enjoy building things, so it would be a fun project building a home for my tortoise.

 

[Lyn W]

Sounds like the Russian at the animal centre would be going to a great home!

 

[Tom]

I am pretty handy and enjoy building things, so it would be a fun project building a home for my tortoise.

That's great. Get a 4x8' sheet of plywood and some 2x4s, add some 16-24" tall walls, slap some primer and paint on it and you will have a great enclosure for an adult russian.

 

[linco]

That's great. Get a 4x8' sheet of plywood and some 2x4s, add some 16-24" tall walls, slap some primer and paint on it and you will have a great enclosure for an adult russian.

I did some measuring today, and the area would allow for something 5.5x4 would this be to small? I will also build a large outdoor setup for the warmer month's.