Hermann not eating

[Argr483]

Hello all,
We have had our 8 month hermann for 5 days.
We are putting fresh food out. Rocket, kale, dandelions and clover but he's not interested.
Cool end is 23-25 degrees and basking end around 34 degrees.
He seems to like corners and trying to climb up.
He is in a vivarium and we do open the glass slightly to allow ventilation, there's also 4 vents on the back.
We have a basking light and uvb bulb, one at each end.

Any advise please??

 

[ManAlive85]

Hi, do you know what your tortoise was fed before you bought him/her?

My first tort was fed romaine exclusively by her breeder and it took me a few weeks to wean her onto a more varied diet. I started with only romaine and gradually introduced more variety over time.

Has yours eaten anything since you got him/her home? It’s not uncommon for tortoises to eat like a horse on day one and then go on hunger strike for a few days until they’ve sussed out their new environment.

 

[Argr483]

Hi, do you know what your tortoise was fed before you bought him/her?

My first tort was fed romaine exclusively by her breeder and it took me a few weeks to wean her onto a more varied diet. I started with only romaine and gradually introduced more variety over time.

Has yours eaten anything since you got him/her home? It’s not uncommon for tortoises to eat like a horse on day one and then go on hunger strike for a few days until they’ve sussed out their new environment.

He was fed with dandelions and clover. We did see him eat a little bit but nothing since.

 

[ManAlive85]

It sounds like you’re offering the right stuff then. It may be worth offering some romaine anyway, It’s not recommended as a primary source of nutrition but I’ve never seen a hungry tort turn their nose up to it and it might just help to kick start some feeding.

Have you noticed any signs of illness? Lethargy, wheezing, closed eyes, runny nose?

I’m afraid I don’t have any experience with Hermanns but I’m pretty sure someone else will be able to provide good advice soon.

It might help if you could post some photos of the setup you’re using and details of the kinds of light, heat and UVB sources you’re using in case there are environmental factors at play.

 

[Argr483]

Basking bulb on the left and a uvb bulb on the right. I will be putting in a t5 arcadia strip light on pay day. Food is in the cooler side. As we speak he's active

 

[ManAlive85]

I would recommend you remove the UV coil bulb today and replace it with a standard domestic light bulb. The coil bulbs have been found to be ineffective sources of UVB for tortoises and can lead to health problems, particularly burned eyes. My understanding is they emit a tiny, negligible amount of UV to a wide area and a massive concentration directly below them which can cause tissue damage. Probably fine for beardies etc but the general consensus here is that they do more harm than good.

A few days without UVB won’t do any harm as long as you’re going to get a strip light in the next week or two.

Are the tortoises eyes open? They should look black and shiny, if there has been damage to the eye then they might be closed, this would explain why it’s not eating.

 

[Argr483]

Ah ok, I know the screw type is e27. Il have a hunt for a normal bulb. Are they better for tortoises then? This is the basking bulb I have.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
I think his viv is too small now, it would be OK for a hatchling but he needs something bigger now - there are lots of ideas in the Enclosures thread or use the search facility to find them. Torts are roaming creatures and need to be able to move for bone health and digestion.
The curly bulb you have has been found to damage tort eyes so you need to remove that asap. The T5 HO tube will be much better, If he can have some short supervised spells in a secure enclosure in the sun he'll be fine without it until you can replace it. Don't be tempted to get an all in one MVB bulb because these dry and damage tort shells. They used to be recommended but the tubes are better.
There is a lot of old information being given by pet shops, breeders and even vets about tort care but this is the most up to date caresheet you need that will help you correct any bad information you've been given.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

You'll also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk useful for finding tort safe foods.
What substrate are you using?

 

[ManAlive85]

The normal bulb won’t produce any UVB so it’s not a solution, it’ll just help light that end of your viv. You’ll still need to get a UVB source soon (I’ve just dropped you a PM about this).

As far as I’m aware, there’s nothing wrong with your basking lamp, it’s just your coil type UV bulb that I’d swap out ASAP.

Have you got a solution to maintain nighttime temps? As I mentioned, I don’t keep Hermanns so I don’t know how crucial night temps are for this species but I’d expect you’d need a ceramic heat emitter or radiated heat panel for ambient and night time temperature management.

 

[Lyn W]

Torts hate change so maybe he's not eating because he's still settling in.
Keep offering a good variety of foods.
I don't see a water dish in the viv - he needs fresh water available at all times.
A terracotta plant saucer sunk level with the substrate that he can access and exit safely will be ideal for him.
Do you soak him at all?

 

[Argr483]

Hi and welcome,
I think his viv is too small now, it would be OK for a hatchling but he needs something bigger now - there are lots of ideas in the Enclosures thread or use the search facility to find them. Torts are roaming creatures and need to be able to move for bone health and digestion.
The curly bulb you have has been found to damage tort eyes so you need to remove that asap. The T5 HO tube will be much better, If he can have some short supervised spells in a secure enclosure in the sun he'll be fine without it until you can replace it. Don't be tempted to get an all in one MVB bulb because these dry and damage tort shells. They used to be recommended but the tubes are better.
There is a lot of old information being given by pet shops, breeders and even vets about tort care but this is the most up to date caresheet you need that will help you correct any bad information you've been given.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

You'll also find www.thetortoisetable.org.uk useful for finding tort safe foods.
What substrate are you using?

The viv is 4ft long. He's still young and small.

 

[Lyn W]

The viv is 4ft long. He's still young and small.

He is going to outgrow that soon so best to plan ahead.
Does he use the box on the side? Maybe you could remove that to give him more space.

 

[Argr483]

That's his sleeping house, he goes there and dreams

 

[method89]

Where is his water bowl? he looks incredibly dry. He will benefit from a good soak.

 

[Argr483]

We bath him everyday and his water is by his house which is changed twice daily with fresh water

 

[method89]

How long are his baths and what is the overall humidity in the viv?

 

[zolasmum]

Hello and welcome from another Devon resident - our Hermanns tortoise is 20 -nearly 21 years old- his favourite food is radicchio - in case you don't know it, it's the red and white salad stuff you can get in bags of Florette mixed crispy salad -we actually order whole heads of it now, as it keeps well in the fridge. He might like it shredded up a bit at first. Here is a photo of Zola demonstrating what he feels about it. He needs a mixed diet obviously, but for a start its worth a try !
Best wishes from Angie