Hello, new member

NeonAmnesia

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Jan 20, 2020
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Texas
You can call me Tyler

I've been researching on tortoises and such, the necessities and making sure I'm not forgetting any important parts. Once I found out what was suitable and available for me, I'm currently looking forward to getting a hermann's or Russian tortoise very soon. My parents are a bit warry about ordering online, and the reptile store near me has only Hermann's, redfoot, Russian, and Burmese mountain tortoise.

So far I'm pretty confident but at the same time I'm a little nervous. Not that type of worrying, I don't know how to explain it but first time tortoise owner here. I was like this when I got a betta after a long while. Just this stage of being nervous I have, hopefully it passes soon.
 

LaLaP

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Hi Tyler! It's probably good to be a little nervous. It's a lot of work getting things set up properly for a tortoise and if you're a bit worried it means you're likely to try and do a good job. So you're on the right track! Also you've found this forum which has the best info. There is a lot of conflicting information on tortoise care out there but you can trust what you find here.
So you should check out these threads:
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

That second one is a care sheet for Russian tortoises. We have caresheets for each species and you can find those under the heading for that species. I recommend reading these and figuring out what species you want and then getting totally set up with all equipment and spend time getting temperatures and other details right before you get your tortoise. If you need help or have questions people here are very helpful.
Another thing to consider is getting your tortoise either from a reputable breeder, a rescue organization or from someone rehoming their tort. We have resources here on the forum to get you connected to these. I also see a lot of torts on Craigslist that need homes.

Happy researching!
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome Tyler.
You are in the right place for up to date information and there's always someone to answer your questions and to advise on what sort of enclosure would be best for your tort.
It is best to have your torts home ready before you bring one home, but before you spend a lot of money on equipment at the pet store who like to make profits, check here to see if there are cheaper and/or safer alternatives. e.g. a shallow terracotta plant saucer is much better and safer water container than the deeper or steep sided reptile dishes and costs a lot less; a digital thermometer and hygrometer from somewhere like Amazon may be more expensive but will be more reliable than the stick on dial types they sell; you can make a hide by cutting a door in an upturned plastic tub etc.
Don't be persuaded that the coiled or cfl type bulbs are OK - they can cause eye damage in torts so look at safer heating and uvb sources.

Another option for you would be to see if there are any tort rescue centres near you, there's always plenty that need a forever home.
 

NeonAmnesia

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Texas
Hi and welcome Tyler.
You are in the right place for up to date information and there's always someone to answer your questions and to advise on what sort of enclosure would be best for your tort.
It is best to have your torts home ready before you bring one home, but before you spend a lot of money on equipment at the pet store who like to make profits, check here to see if there are cheaper and/or safer alternatives. e.g. a shallow terracotta plant saucer is much better and safer water container than the deeper or steep sided reptile dishes and costs a lot less; a digital thermometer and hygrometer from somewhere like Amazon may be more expensive but will be more reliable than the stick on dial types they sell; you can make a hide by cutting a door in an upturned plastic tub etc.
Don't be persuaded that the coiled or cfl type bulbs are OK - they can cause eye damage in torts so look at safer heating and uvb sources.

Another option for you would be to see if there are any tort rescue centres near you, there's always plenty that need a forever home.

Ah yes, there's a reptile store near me and they have the same brands at a cheaper price compared to petstores. But I'll look on here too.

I'm also not buying anything yet, currently made/making a checklist of the things I need. And I'll have the home ready before I get a tortoise.

So about those heat bulbs. Are you talking about those bulbs that emit no light? I heard about the red heat lights that cause eye damage. Or maybe you just meant the red light bulbs lol sorry for misunderstanding.
 

ZEROPILOT

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More important than price is how those tortoises are being kept.
Well "started" tortoises are going to be much stronger. Much more likely to survive and less likely to cost you a lot of money in vet bills.
For example, most baby tortoises should be in humid enclosures. With easy access to water.
Avoid any shop that has tortoises on pine shavings or rabbit pellets.
Avoid any shop that has ICEBERG lettuce as food for their tortoises.
Avoid any shop that has more than one species in a single enclosure.
Avoid any tortoise with runny poop, feels light or has nose or eye discharge. Has partially closed or puffy eyes or makes noises as it breathes. Or seems weak. A healthy baby will push your fingers away pretty strongly.
Finding the right animal now will save you SOO much time and money in the future.
Also, these different species that you've mentioned all have different requirements. Make sure that you zero in on one species. One that best suits your situation and then and only then, after you have everything set up and ready to go....your enclosure, your UV light and your heat source for that species should you actually buy your tortoise.
Don't rush any part of the process. And you'll be off to a great start.
 
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ZEROPILOT

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Ah yes, there's a reptile store near me and they have the same brands at a cheaper price compared to petstores. But I'll look on here too.

I'm also not buying anything yet, currently made/making a checklist of the things I need. And I'll have the home ready before I get a tortoise.

So about those heat bulbs. Are you talking about those bulbs that emit no light? I heard about the red heat lights that cause eye damage. Or maybe you just meant the red light bulbs lol sorry for misunderstanding.
Your UV light needs to be a strip florescent T5 strip. Either a 5.0 or 10.0 tube the width of your enclosure.
For heat, a CHE. Start with a 75 watt.
Depending on the species, you may need no other electronics.
 

NeonAmnesia

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Texas
Yeah, I am aware that both species require different. I just have a list made and will decide on one. Though I'm wanting to get a hermann's tortoise so I'm focused on that species more.

And thanks for the reminders I should be aware of when buying a tortoise.
 

TammyJ

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Welcome to you Tyler, and best of luck getting a good one!
 
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