First time tortoise owner set up advice

Sophie1432

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Hi I got my hermanns tortoise last October and he is almost a year old, I did lots of research into lights, diet, enclosures etc.. before getting him by watching YouTube and browsing the web. However I am always looking to improve as he is my very first tortoise so any advice is greatly appreciated!
I will attach some pics below he has 2 heat lamps 100 watt and an Arcadia uvb strip light. I feed Him mainly dandelion weeds and sometimes pellets of I stuggle to find weeds. Calcium powder sprinkled every other meal ?image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 

wellington

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First thing you did wrong unfortunately was listen to YouTube and other places. Many of us did the same thing in the beginning.
Now you found the right place.
The open top/side enclosure is not keeping proper heat or humidity. Read the care sheet and follow this forums info only. Its the only place with current correct info.
 

Sophie1432

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First thing you did wrong unfortunately was listen to YouTube and other places. Many of us did the same thing in the beginning.
Now you found the right place.
The open top/side enclosure is not keeping proper heat or humidity. Read the care sheet and follow this forums info only. Its the only place with current correct info.
What do you mean, Is it not the same as a tortoise table style set up? It’s so confusing all conflicting advice haha
 

wellington

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What do you mean, Is it not the same as a tortoise table style set up? It’s so confusing all conflicting advice haha
Tortoise tables are not good either for hatchlings upto around 3 years. They do not hold proper heat or humidity.
A closed chamber is needed. Unless your tort is bigger and older then what it looks.
The pyramiding has started and that's due to low humidity and if you are using a mercury vapor bulb, that adds to the pyramiding.
 

MarginatedMooney

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I'm also a new tortoise owner and had the same problems with controlling heat and humidity at first because my enclosure has a screen top. After about a week, I ended up getting some plexiglass and covering the top of it. In my short experience, it is way better to have a closed chamber rather than an open top in order to control the temperature and humidity. I'm not sure how you would fix that with your enclosure besides just getting or making a new one. You could try covering it with plastic or tin foil or putting a greenhouse tent or something around it.

There are great people on this forum with decades of experience housing tortoises so you've come to the right place. I think to get the best advice, the experts will need more information like, what kind of heat bulbs are those and what is the substrate? What are your temps and humidity like ?
 
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Sophie1432

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Tortoise tables are not good either for hatchlings upto around 3 years. They do not hold proper heat or humidity.
A closed chamber is needed. Unless your tort is bigger and older then what it looks.
The pyramiding has started and that's due to low humidity and if you are using a mercury vapor bulb, that adds to the pyramiding.
Do you have any recommendations for enclosures? I’ve added a pic of the current bulbs I’m using for his basking spot
 

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Sophie1432

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I'm also a new tortoise owner and had the same problems with controlling heat and humidity at first because my enclosure has a screen top. After about a week, I ended up getting some plexiglass and covering the top of it. In my short experience, it is way better to have a closed chamber rather than an open top in order to control the temperature and humidity. I'm not sure how you would fix that with your enclosure besides just getting or making a new one. You could try covering it with plastic or tin foil or putting a greenhouse tent or something around it.

There are great people on this forum with decades of experience housing tortoises so you've come to the right place. I think to get the best advice, the experts will need more information like, what kind of heat bulbs are those and what is the substrate? What are your temps and humidity like ?
This is the bulb I use in basking spot substrate is top soil thank you
 

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Sophie1432

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I'm also a new tortoise owner and had the same problems with controlling heat and humidity at first because my enclosure has a screen top. After about a week, I ended up getting some plexiglass and covering the top of it. In my short experience, it is way better to have a closed chamber rather than an open top in order to control the temperature and humidity. I'm not sure how you would fix that with your enclosure besides just getting or making a new one. You could try covering it with plastic or tin foil or putting a greenhouse tent or something around it.

There are great people on this forum with decades of experience housing tortoises so you've come to the right place. I think to get the best advice, the experts will need more information like, what kind of heat bulbs are those and what is the substrate? What are your temps and humidity like ?
Sorry for the second message do you think covering it in this would help keep it warm and humid ?
 

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Sophie1432

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Tortoise tables are not good either for hatchlings upto around 3 years. They do not hold proper heat or humidity.
A closed chamber is needed. Unless your tort is bigger and older then what it looks.
The pyramiding has started and that's due to low humidity and if you are using a mercury vapor bulb, that adds to the pyramiding.
Sorry for the second message would covering the bars with this help keep it warm / humid
 

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Cleopatra 2020

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The best bulb for Basking is just a regular incandescent flood bulb not a halogen or Mercury none of those just a regular old hardware store incandescent flood bulb you can choose the wattage between 45 and 65 Watts depending on your enclosure also put it on a dimmer or a rheostat so you can control the heat and check it with a digital temp gun kind of like taking your temperature but this one measure surface temperature not human temperature they say 95 to a hundred degrees I go at the 92 to 95 mark which was the Breeders recommended instructions of what he does which sounds like being on the safe side so that's what I've always done no more than 93° on her stone here's a picture how I have my lights setup
 

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wellington

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Sorry for the second message would covering the bars with this help keep it warm / humid
Yes that would work. But first put some tin foil/aluminum foil on top of the bars where any heat and lighting sources are to be on the safe side of them not melting the plastic. Then you can place the plastic. Cover top and bottom bars.
 

wellington

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Don't ever be sorry for asking questions here. We are all here to help you and your tort enjoy a long life together in the best way possible.
There is a uvb florescent light on top right?
And the other fixture that is sitting on top, what is that and can you hang it inside?
For now if you can get all lights and heat inside the enclosure and cover with the plastic then I think the enclosure is workable until you need a larger one.
I would put the heat source on a thermostat.
 

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