Beginner In Need Of Advice (getting another tortoise)

[Lando1305ftw]

Sorry for your loss and forgive me for asking, but I didn't see it mentioned yet... what did the baby die from? Were there symptoms leading up to death or was it sudden? Was he/she eating & pooping normally? I know those chips are sometimes recommended but they sometimes come with broken small pieces that might be ingested and cause internal blocking. In any case, the recommendations I've seen here are in line with what I've seen in the past. I've read that lack of hydration and humidity are the number one killers of baby torts. Daily (or more frequent) soakings have been recommended for little ones. Long term tort parents here can confirm/deny that. Your enclosure I think would be fine for a juvenile or adult but the baby's require a more controlled environment.

I don't really know what he died of. It was honestly very sudden to me, there may have been symptoms but I didn't recognize them. He was a bit less lively in the days leading up to it but I just took him outside one day and he just died. I soaked him every other day, gave him water and I had a little thermometer / humidity gauge thing and it said the humidity was fine.

 

[Walnut's_pet]

Anything that can be said here is conjecture or at best educated guess without having been able to see or know the details. It does sound to me like you tried to follow best practice. So maybe it wasn't environmental. Maybe it was internal (blockage) or perhaps something from the breeder. In any case, if you decide to get another tortoise, perhaps it would be best to look into getting a juvenile or adult tortoise. They are easier to care for and are far less sensitive than the babies. Then follow the links to the guides offered here at TF (or other reputable sites) and seek the advice from the experienced tort parents. I've found folks here to be friendly and a wealth of knowledge over the last several years.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Thank you for your help and I think that going with a well started baby will probably work best as you were saying but on the enclosure, it needs to be completely enclosed? That seems like quite a lot. The one I currently have is honestly not that small for a young Greek I think as I just measured it and it's 2 feet by 3 feet. I don't really get how the tortoise could get oxygen in without letting some moisture out, is there a way I could buy something like a grow tent as shown in the build forum you linked to put around it? I really wanna get another one but I'm not very handy and don't really have much money either so I'd like to use what I've got when it comes to the container. What sort of substrate should I use for the Greeks? I was told what I have (coconut chips I believe) works before but it seems like most of what I was told is incorrect.

Even with enclosing a habitat completely there is plenty of oxygen. You will be tending to it probably teice/day, opening the door or lifting a lid. Plus none of it is airtight...there's lots of leakage. No worries there.

You could use your current box for maybe 6 months, but it really is too small. Torts need lots of walking space in order to digest their food. And if he decides his enclosure is too small, he will constantly try to climb out, making lots of noise, and possibly flipping onto his back.

For around $100. or so you can get a grow tent that is a larger footprint than what you have now, and you could use it for a long time, instead of having to replace it in 6 months. Plus you will have spent money to make the box enclosed. I think replacing it now with something larger will save you money.

Look at this...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089KJMG7K/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

It gets turned sideways for tort use, so this is almost 7ft x 4ft. It would make a beautiful closed chamber.

Your substrate would be fine. There's nothing wrong with it. The lights you need are the same no matter which enclosure, so that makes no difference except the tent will hold heat and humidity better.