grandlinegirl
Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2015
- Messages
- 43
Hi guys. It was suggested that I join this site so I thought I would come check it out. I've been lurking for a few days and reading through the forums and care sheets. I wanted to post because there are some things I'm really unsure of and I'm getting different answers from different sites/care sheets.
First of all, I've researched the different types and I have decided on a Hermann's. They stay a small size and that's what I'm looking for. I understand that torts need room indoors and outdoors. I am planning to keep my tort indoors for the most part but in spring/summer when it's warm enough, I would definitely give them daily time outside in a safe enclosure.
So, herein lies my problem. I first started researching on different forums/sites and once I came here I realized that I've been bombarded with so much conflicting information. I'm hoping you guys can help me sort it out. I know you probably see posts like this all the time and for that, I'm sorry. I've tried looking through the different pages to find out the info I need but I am just getting even more confused. So here we go. I apologize in advance for how long this is!
1. Size of enclosure. The caresheet here for Hermann's says for 2-3 hatchlings an enclosure that's 2x3 will work. Will that be okay for just one hatchling or will that completely overwhelm them? And say I do get an enclosure that is 2x3. How long will that suit a Hermann's before I have to upgrade?
2. Type of enclosure. I've come across everything from tables, rabbit/guinea pig cages, rubbermaid bins, bookcases, tanks, vivs to closed chambers. I have also encountered different places that say every one of those things previous listed is no good. What's the truth? A rubbermaid bin appeals to me because I think it would be easiest to maintain parameters in it. I have snakes in plastic bins and it keeps their temps/humidity perfectly. But I want to be able to watch my tort and I can't do that if it's in a bin. I know they need something with solid walls so they can't see out, but I would still like to be able to see them easily. I like the idea of the rabbit/guinea pig cages but I feel like it would be possible to keep the humidity at 70% as is recommended.
Over everything else, a closed chamber appeals to me the most but I have absolutely no building skills. I'm familiar with the reptile market in my area and the closest I could get is a PVC enclosure, but the closest place that makes them is about 5 hours from me (I'm in Canada so no animal plastics).
Say I can find someone to make me a closed chamber cage out of wood. What size am I looking at for them to build? I assume if it was made of wood, it would have to be sealed some way. Hopefully I can find some tutorials on this.
3. Care of hatchlings. I've read over and over again how delicate and hard to care for hatchlings are. Is this true? A hatchling Hermann's is $450 here and I've never seen a subadult or adult listed for sale. The most I've seen is an adult pair and they're for sale at $1400, which is way out of my price range. I'm very nervous about getting a tort because I don't want to fail in caring for it and lose out on so much money. Maybe that sounds horrible, but I don't have money to waste and this would be a huge investment for me.
Also with regards to care, how much daily maintenance is there? I had a bearded dragon baby before and I couldn't handle the care. She pooped so many times a day that I couldn't keep up and had a habit of ripping her food up in little pieces and dragging it all around her cage to decorate it. I had to deep clean her cage every day and I couldn't keep up with her with the hours I worked. That's not to say I don't have time. I have 3 snakes I currently care for and enjoy them greatly. I just found that she needed so much attention and I know that torts generally don't like being handled but you can still interact with them and I think that's great.
4. Food. I see everywhere that self-grown food is the best but I have literally no gardening skills so that isn't a possibility. I am a self-admitted plant killer. Foraging for weeds isn't an option either. Can a tort live healthily on organic grocery store products and Mazuri? We also have a local farmer's market every week. Would a tort be okay eating greens from those places?
5. Heat/UVB. Are MVB's the best? I see them recommended here a lot and the all in one aspect really appeals to me!
6. Substrate. I was thinking for a substrate I would try and find some top soil that I can mix with coconut coir and cypress mulch.
7. Ambient temps. My home is quite cool during the winter months. We have the heat on but generally the house sits from 68-72. I'm not sure how I would raise the ambient temps.
I think I've covered all my questions. I might end up with some more...
Thank you so much to whoever made it through this post. I want to have a thorough understanding of what I am getting into. As I said, this is a very big investment if I decide to go through with it.
First of all, I've researched the different types and I have decided on a Hermann's. They stay a small size and that's what I'm looking for. I understand that torts need room indoors and outdoors. I am planning to keep my tort indoors for the most part but in spring/summer when it's warm enough, I would definitely give them daily time outside in a safe enclosure.
So, herein lies my problem. I first started researching on different forums/sites and once I came here I realized that I've been bombarded with so much conflicting information. I'm hoping you guys can help me sort it out. I know you probably see posts like this all the time and for that, I'm sorry. I've tried looking through the different pages to find out the info I need but I am just getting even more confused. So here we go. I apologize in advance for how long this is!
1. Size of enclosure. The caresheet here for Hermann's says for 2-3 hatchlings an enclosure that's 2x3 will work. Will that be okay for just one hatchling or will that completely overwhelm them? And say I do get an enclosure that is 2x3. How long will that suit a Hermann's before I have to upgrade?
2. Type of enclosure. I've come across everything from tables, rabbit/guinea pig cages, rubbermaid bins, bookcases, tanks, vivs to closed chambers. I have also encountered different places that say every one of those things previous listed is no good. What's the truth? A rubbermaid bin appeals to me because I think it would be easiest to maintain parameters in it. I have snakes in plastic bins and it keeps their temps/humidity perfectly. But I want to be able to watch my tort and I can't do that if it's in a bin. I know they need something with solid walls so they can't see out, but I would still like to be able to see them easily. I like the idea of the rabbit/guinea pig cages but I feel like it would be possible to keep the humidity at 70% as is recommended.
Over everything else, a closed chamber appeals to me the most but I have absolutely no building skills. I'm familiar with the reptile market in my area and the closest I could get is a PVC enclosure, but the closest place that makes them is about 5 hours from me (I'm in Canada so no animal plastics).
Say I can find someone to make me a closed chamber cage out of wood. What size am I looking at for them to build? I assume if it was made of wood, it would have to be sealed some way. Hopefully I can find some tutorials on this.
3. Care of hatchlings. I've read over and over again how delicate and hard to care for hatchlings are. Is this true? A hatchling Hermann's is $450 here and I've never seen a subadult or adult listed for sale. The most I've seen is an adult pair and they're for sale at $1400, which is way out of my price range. I'm very nervous about getting a tort because I don't want to fail in caring for it and lose out on so much money. Maybe that sounds horrible, but I don't have money to waste and this would be a huge investment for me.
Also with regards to care, how much daily maintenance is there? I had a bearded dragon baby before and I couldn't handle the care. She pooped so many times a day that I couldn't keep up and had a habit of ripping her food up in little pieces and dragging it all around her cage to decorate it. I had to deep clean her cage every day and I couldn't keep up with her with the hours I worked. That's not to say I don't have time. I have 3 snakes I currently care for and enjoy them greatly. I just found that she needed so much attention and I know that torts generally don't like being handled but you can still interact with them and I think that's great.
4. Food. I see everywhere that self-grown food is the best but I have literally no gardening skills so that isn't a possibility. I am a self-admitted plant killer. Foraging for weeds isn't an option either. Can a tort live healthily on organic grocery store products and Mazuri? We also have a local farmer's market every week. Would a tort be okay eating greens from those places?
5. Heat/UVB. Are MVB's the best? I see them recommended here a lot and the all in one aspect really appeals to me!
6. Substrate. I was thinking for a substrate I would try and find some top soil that I can mix with coconut coir and cypress mulch.
7. Ambient temps. My home is quite cool during the winter months. We have the heat on but generally the house sits from 68-72. I'm not sure how I would raise the ambient temps.
I think I've covered all my questions. I might end up with some more...
Thank you so much to whoever made it through this post. I want to have a thorough understanding of what I am getting into. As I said, this is a very big investment if I decide to go through with it.