Hi! Nervous new tortoise owner!

[lexi41269]

Hi, my names Lissi.
I'm a first time tortoise owner from Wolverhampton in England. I purchased my tortoise, T-Bone, last week and have joined the forum for some advice! I'm a nervous first reptile owner
I've spent the last 3 months researching tortoises and settled on a Hermann's. I bought him from a local hobby breeder and I'm already in love! T-Bone is 6 months old.
I have him in a 32L plastic storage container with HabiStat tortoise bedding. There is currently hay in his hide (I have house rabbits) but I have ordered sphagnum moss to replace this. He's on a diet of dandelions and pansies at the moment as that's what is currently growing in my garden lol. He also has a cuttlefish bone. At the moment I'm bathing him for 15 minutes every morning before feeding. I'm keeping his day time temperature between 32-34 and nights are around 20-21.

I have a couple of questions...

I am having a bit of trouble keeping the humidity up! Any tips would be much appreciated!

Can you recommend which supplements I should be buying for him?

Should I be concerned that I haven't seen him poop yet?! Urine and urates seem fine, he's going just after his bath.

Sorry for the information overload! I've attached a pic of T-bone and his enclosure.

Thanks a lot,
Lissi

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

 

[dmmj]

Salutations!
Humidity will be next to impossible in an open enclosure. Cover as much as possible. Closed chamber works best. Let's ask @JoesMum for advice.

 

[jsheffield]

Closed chamber and daily soaking will help your tort a lot.

Jamie

 

[lexi41269]

Closed chamber and daily soaking will help your tort a lot.

Jamie

Thanks,
I have been soaking him for 15 mins each morning under the basking light. I still have the plastic lid for container so will try to fashion something [emoji16]

 

[jsheffield]

Thanks,
I have been soaking him for 15 mins each morning under the basking light. I still have the plastic lid for container so will try to fashion something [emoji16]

If you can get it mostly enclosed, the humidity will soar ... it doesn't need to be airtight.

Jamie

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome! This is a great site for getting help with your tortoise.
Yes, I agree that the enclosure needs to be covered (why not just use the same cover it came with?) He looks like he has been kept much too dry for quite a while.
The diet also needs to be more varied. Check out the diet sheets for these tortoises as well as all the other information available here. All the best!