First-time Tortoise Owner!

TFAH

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio, USA
I just got my first tortoise today (a 3 month old Elongated) and was referred here by the guy I got them from. :tort: I keep lots of snakes and lizards and other critters...and kept a box turtle when I was little that was "mine" but actually just happened to live in my yard, but this little one is my first tortoise. Any suggestions or stories anyone has to share would be awesome! =) I have her? in a 20 gallon aquarium with a mossy side (where her water is) and a side with a mixture of wet eco-earth and a little bit of mulch and a hide. Her heating pad is on that side and I have a heat emitter kind of mid-way between the two sides.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi Amber:

Welcome to the Forum!

You didn't mention a light. Do elongated tortoises require UVB in order to make vitamind3 for their calcium?
 

TFAH

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio, USA
ascott said:
wet eco-earth

Just be sure that this wet area does not get chilled at all....welcome to the Forum :D Oh, we LOVE PICS :p

The "wet" eco-earth is really just me spraying a few times a day for humidity! =) That's the bit that has the heating pad and emitter set up. The cooler side is about 75 degrees and has the moss. I'll try to get pics up tomorrow! :cool: I'm also going to be getting a better heat set-up tomorrow.
 

TFAH

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio, USA
Grandpa Turtle 144 said:
Hello Amber welcome to the TFO from AZ
is it cold in Ohio ?

Thank you! Also, yes!!! :( It's been pretty cold and crappy here the last few days, unfortunately. I live on the third floor, "luckily," and it tends to just stay about 73 degrees in here!
 

TFAH

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio, USA
alan88k said:
Welcome to TFO!
Attach some Pics please :)

Thank you! I will definitely add more pics tomorrow! :) I am going to be changing her set-up just a bit after work tomorrow, anyhow.
 

TFAH

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio, USA
Yvonne G said:
Hi Amber:

Welcome to the Forum!

You didn't mention a light. Do elongated tortoises require UVB in order to make vitamind3 for their calcium?

Thank you! =) I currently actually don't have a UV light set-up. I'm kind of on the fence about it. I've read a lot about tortoises in general needing them, but then I've read that this species eats/is active between sunset and sunrise. Is this accurate? The person I got the her from does not keep his under UV lighting, and all of his torts that I've seen are very healthy. His do spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, though. I'm going to try to get some natural sunlight time in for mine whenever possible, but I did read that they don't spend much time basking in the wild. That's why I'm pretty conflicted. I'm thinking I may just have UV lighting available for her anyway, but if anyone has any thoughts/opinions on this...please let me know!

**I just realized as I was typing this last message that I may be having lots of double-posting going on...I can't yet see my own posts, since I'm new, so I just now realized that me replying to individuals may come out as a lot of separate posts...sorry guys!
 

TFAH

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio, USA
This is the latest update to my tortoise baby's enclosure! I did decide to go ahead and put the UV lighting in.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20131210_212144.jpg
    IMG_20131210_212144.jpg
    66.3 KB · Views: 24
Top