Help! Poultry Waterer for Hermann & Other Advice Please

[MichelleK]

I've decided to adopt a baby Hermann and am making a list and pricing out everything needed to start a 3ftx2ft enclosure. I read leaving a bowl of water in an enclosure can needlessly raise the humidity level and can be dangerous if the tortoise flips.
1. What do you think about using a small quart poultry waterer instead? I was thinking this would be a good way to not add too much to the humidity levels, relieve any dangers of flipping and keep the water cleaner and available at all times.
2. I want to get a fluorescent UVB strip light and a separate heat light, please advise on the best kinds to get.
3. What are the best devices to use to measure all the required temperatures and the humidity levels?
4. When setting up a humidity hide box, how often should I dampen the spaghnum moss inside?
5. Where do you generally place the humidity hide box as far as temperature wise in the enclosure?
6. Should I keep a pile of moss in the hotter end of the enclosure and keep damp at all times?
7. Should I put damp moss inside the cooler hide house as well, keep it dry or non at all?
8. Can a baby tortoise (say 2-3 months old) miss one day of food and soaking or is it not suggested?
9. I read an adult tortoise can be left for a couple of days with no food and it will be okay, Is this true?
10. Do hermann torts eat timothy hay? I read that they do, that they don't and then I read that it's too high in protein to give to them. Any advise on offering timothy hay cubes?

I plan to use cypress mulch as the substrate as well as strategically place spaghnum moss (or, Should I just mix the mulch with the moss?). The enclosure I will be using for now is a 3ftx2ft rabbit/ guinea pig enclosure. It has a nice 8" deep tub and a 1" wire spaced dome top to keep my cats out. I'm thinking I may need to attach the UVB strip to a wood plank to be able to easily place it at the optimal height. All opinions are welcome and any suggestions or advise will be very helpful as I will be a first time tort Mom and I want to make sure I take care of my new baby correctly now and for the rest of her life. Thank you in advance!

 

[Jami]

Hi there,

It seems you & I are not getting many answers! Maybe it's a busy week for our experts. I'm still a new tort mom and I've asked many of your questions. If you read a bunch of threads on your topics that can help. Search them with key words and just read, read, read. There's a ton of good info here, and it can all be overwhelming to sort thru and digest. It sounds like you're going to be an excellent tort parent!!!

Hopefully people here can get you some good info and a list of threads. The Hermann's care sheet is a little outdated, according to the experts here, and one thing I think it says is to use aspen bedding or something but they all say DON'T use that now. They recommend coco coir. My baby has decided to eat his, but I'm working on that. Other people like to mix soil and coco coir or repti-bark and coco coir. Which is what I may switch to if he keeps this up. I'm increasing vitamin supplements this week to see if it helps.

Good luck! After you research, and if you still have questions, try asking on those topic specific forums. I've done that - you may get more feedback, as this is specific to hermanns.

Welcome! Don't stop asking and learning!!!!
Jami

 

[MichelleK]

Hi Jami,
Thank you for the kind words and encouragement. I've been researching obsessively for about 6 six months now. I did contact a breeder personally and he was very kind to answer all my questions. I'm happy to share if you would like? I plan on using cypress mulch as the substrate. Thanks again and let me know if you would like me to share the info I received from the breeder. Have a great day!

Michelle

P.S. Beautiful boxer!

 

[HermanniChris]

For the more updated version of the care sheet at the top of this forum please visit my sites gardenstatetortoise.com or hermannihaven.com which is entirely targeted at Hermann's tortoises. Hermanni Haven is under construction on certain pages but there is still a boat load of information and photos and videos. Also, I know it's a long way off but a very in depth article on Hermann's care I have written will be in the April 2015 issue of Reptiles Magazine. Yes aspen was once a suggested safe substrate for hatchlings and while it is 100% possible to still use that method (if you take the time to do the extra work for proper hydration), I highly suggest using other substrates that retain humidity much better which is beyond crucial for Hermann's tortoises as babies. Michelle, I will continue to answer your questions in our private conversation, just very busy with hatching season here and thank you for your understanding! And ANY of you are always welcome to contact me directly through the mentioned sites above which is many times a lot faster for you to get a response out of me!

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I think whoever warned you about excess humidity was using outdated and bad information. Humidity is good. Cold & damp is bad. The bottom layer of the substrate should never dry out.

You don't want a dish deep enough for drowning, true, but you do want to allow your tortoise to drink & soak at will. Use a shallow saucer. No poultry waterer. It takes up too much room and doesn't serve the purpose.

Zoomed or reptisun UVB bulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket. They throw both heat & light. Put it on a timer. I don't like strip lights.

Dampen moss as needed. Don't let it dry out. Your substrate should be holding moisture. I'm not sure what your thinking is about the two hides - do you have room? The hide should not interfere with the basking area.

I never use gauges. They can be misleading. Touch the soil for moisture. Observe the animal's behavior.

Someone with hatchling experience will have to weigh in on your proposed substrate. I'd use coir, but I'd be advised by those with hatchling experience.

An adult can be left with a big pile of food and skip a day of feeding if necessary. Hatchling? Maybe, maybe not.

Go to russiantortoise.org.

 

[sillyfurby]

Hi. Something that makes an excellent water dish, is the bottom part of the broiler pan from your stove. They are usually enamel coated, which makes them easy to keep clean. They are also large enough to put a flat stone in the center for babies to bask on. The weight of the stone also makes it more difficult for a large tort to shove the dish around.