Humidity

[Rees2]

What's the humidity supposed to be for a Hermans tortoise?

 

[HermanniChris]

There really is no set amount of humidty for hermann's. Although they do favor a bit more humidity in their environment as opposed to other mediterranean tortoises, they should always be kept dry. It is however important to give your hermann's weekly soaks to prevent problems.

 

[lynncharlene]

they should always be kept dry. It is however important to give your hermann's weekly soaks to prevent problems.

I am getting 4 baby hermanns in a week or two. What is a good inexpensive set-up in a place where it gets down to 50 degrees at night in the house, 65 during the day, and less than 10% humidity.

I need suggestions for enclosure, substrate(s), lighting/heating, doodads basking rocks etc., in otherwords the whole shebang. I want it set up before the little ones arrive. Cheaper is better although I am thinking of MegaRay uvb/heat, and should I get a ceramic heater or a plant lite or both? I plan on putting in plants also so ideas for those would be most welcome.

 

[Ozric]

Great news on you getting your Hermannis !! Four little creatures!

Do tell which sub species you are getting please.

Personally I don't use any addtional heat at night unless I reckon the temp is going to go below 8 or 10 degrees Centigrade. And my house never gets that cold, so this only applies during summer when it can get cold overnight and I use a ceramic heater with a thermostat for outdoor accom. Mine live outside in summer, with access to safe and warm-enough wooden house at night.

During the day you want a cool end at 20C or a bit less and a hot spot of about 32C. I am talking of an indoor set-up here and the climate where I am is totally not like yours but when the temps are right get your beasts outside for that top quality UV.

Do not use a vivarium. I made a table top enclosure with a cheap pine table and I fitted some wood round the sides high enough so they don't get anywhere near climbing out, but the top must be open. I've got a table that is 2.5 metres long and I use two lamps at the hot end. You do need to test and adjust to get the temps right. I use the Mega Ray at the moment but I've also used powersuns. I use a 100W.

I use hemp bedding for part of the area and a mix of soil and playsand in the other areas. What I do is to fill up seed trays with substrate and then I can lift out and empty them one at a time. Its important to have places to hide. I always have a water dish out and they do drink from it, but not a lot. Phew !

Oh the plants......I have never got this to work indoors.

 

[lynncharlene]

Great news on you getting your Hermannis !! Four little creatures!

Do tell which sub species you are getting please.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I think they are westerns, the guy got his torts more than 20 years ago he just knows they are hermanns. He says the shape is like a russian with lots of black and no flaring. I'm not sure what they will be until they grow but I'm fairly sure they are T.h.h.. If they are eastern well then more to love!

I am trying to decide between a rabbit cage or a rubbermaid tub.

 

[HermanniChris]

Lynn, I forgot to include in our e-mail convo a link to a care sheet I have recently posted on a website I help run. here's the link:

http://www.reptastic.com/care_hermannstortoise.htm

it's a brief care sheet but includes a few things from my upcoming book on hermann's tortoises.

 

[egyptiandan]

Great news Lynn
When you get them post pictures of their carapcaes and plastrons and we will give a go at determining subspecies.

Danny

 

[lynncharlene]

Great news Lynn
When you get them post pictures of their carapcaes and plastrons and we will give a go at determining subspecies.

Danny

That's a promise Danny. I'll be happy with either but my fingers are crossed for westerns.

 

[lynncharlene]

During the day you want a cool end at 20C or a bit less and a hot spot of about 32C. I am talking of an indoor set-up here and the climate where I am is totally not like yours but when the temps are right get your beasts outside for that top quality UV.
...
You do need to test and adjust to get the temps right. I use the Mega Ray at the moment but I've also used powersuns. I use a 100W.

Oh the plants......I have never got this to work indoors.
[/quote]

Apparently I am not being clear enough, my whole house temperature is allowed to go down to 50 degrees at night. I like sleeping cold. I know that is too cold for the hatchlings. So should I turn off the uvb/heat light at night and use a red light heat lamp or a ceramic heater?

Even during the day unless the sun warms the place up it is only 60-65 degrees in here. I'm too cheap to pay the utilities more than I have to. I wear sweaters and use space heaters for myself.I guess I can use a space heater for the torts too. I just have to make sure I always have a small humid area and soak them a couple of times a week..

I think I will go with a rubbermaid type enclosure using course gravel and dirt for substrate maybe some bedabeast coconut stuff too. Tonights low outside will be about 9 degrees.

What is a hide? Is it a place for my torts to hide or an animal hide???
Someone said to get washable indoor/outdoor carpet to line the bottom of the enclosure. Opinions??

thanks lyn

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Lyn
If you've got a small room in your house that you could keep warmer than the rest of the house that would be perfect.
If not then I'd go with ceramic heat emitters to keep them warm at night.
I'd stick with the sand and soil for a substrate.
A hide is a place for the tortoise to hide in or under.

Danny

 

[lynncharlene]

Danny,
There is one room that is generally warmer than the rest of the house, my south facing spare room. I will use that at night with a space heater nearby. What wattage do you think for the ceramic heater, and as I said I'm thinking about MegaRay for the basking light as it will heat a 30" circle, with 4 torts Ithink I'll need that.

So no gravel, too bad. Easier to clean. Why not?
How do I find suitable topsoil? Walmart? HomeDepot?
I have to make decisions soon. Right now I'm thinking of using an opaque plastic storage box which is 14"x33"x5". Can you give me an idea how to set that up? Heaters/uvb at each end cooler in the middle or cooler at one end uvb/heaters middle and other end. How deep is the substrate, how do I put it in? sand on soil? mixed together? Should I line it with anything?

I know my questions are endless but I don't want to injure or do harm to these guys because I didn't ask the right questions.

Lynn

 

[egyptiandan]

Gravel is hard to heat up, it will stay cold longer in the cold ends. It will also heat up under the basking lamp and get to hot.
Sand and soil won't heat up to hot or get to cold at night.
Either of those places you should be able to find top soil or a Garden center/plant shop. Just make sure you get organic top soil.
The soil and sand should be mixed 70/30 soil to sand. You won't be able to get more than a 2 inch layer in something thats only 5 inches deep. No need to line the storage box.
I'd go with the heat/UV lamp at one end. The hide should be at the cool end. In the middle I'd add a regular 2 foot florscent light. You can never have to much light on Testudos. I'd put the ceramic heat emitter in a reflector over the cool end. That will come on only at night after the light have gone out.

Danny

 

[lynncharlene]

Sand and soil won't heat up to hot or get to cold at night.
Either of those places you should be able to find top soil or a Garden center/plant shop. Just make sure you get organic top soil.
The soil and sand should be mixed 70/30 soil to sand. You won't be able to get more than a 2 inch layer in something thats only 5 inches deep. No need to line the storage box.
I'd go with the heat/UV lamp at one end. The hide should be at the cool end. In the middle I'd add a regular 2 foot florscent light. You can never have to much light on Testudos. I'd put the ceramic heat emitter in a reflector over the cool end. That will come on only at night after the light have gone out.


Danny,
How do I attach the light to plastic? I will be doing this by myself. What is a reflector? and what do you mean "over the cool end?" I'm trying to imagine the set up but without a lid, heck even with a lid I can't visualize the above. I'm in a very small town with limited resources for supplies. I will have to get nearly everything at Walmart, Home Depot, or online. There is no place to go within 150 miles to get help with this so you guys are it....If I need to order things online I have to hurry and choose because he could send the babies as early as later this week.

lynn

 

[TestudoGeek]

I need suggestions for enclosure, substrate(s), lighting/heating, doodads basking rocks etc., in otherwords the whole shebang. I want it set up before the little ones arrive. Cheaper is better although I am thinking of MegaRay uvb/heat, and should I get a ceramic heater or a plant lite or both? I plan on putting in plants also so ideas for those would be most welcome.

Lynn, here´s a link to a thread with some ideas for a Hermann's Enclosure.

I started with a coconut fiber substrate and ended up using 100% TopSoil wich is better for moisture (although a little harder to keep clean).

 

[lynncharlene]

I need suggestions for enclosure, substrate(s), lighting/heating, doodads basking rocks etc., in otherwords the whole shebang. I want it set up before the little ones arrive. Cheaper is better although I am thinking of MegaRay uvb/heat, and should I get a ceramic heater or a plant lite or both? I plan on putting in plants also so ideas for those would be most welcome.

Lynn, here´s a link to a thread with some ideas for a Hermann's Enclosure.

I started with a coconut fiber substrate and ended up using 100% TopSoil wich is better for moisture (although a little harder to keep clean).

Thanks for the link, got lots of ideas.
Lynn

 

[egyptiandan]

Well you won't be using the lid so we just have the open tote.
Here's the reflector lamps http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/12-35-clamp-lights/clamp-on-reflector-lamp-646969.aspx
you can find these at walmart, get the one's with the ceramic socket.
Okay your looking at the tote stretched out the long way, for the demonstration purposes the right side will be the warm end. Hang the heat/UVB over this end. The left side will be the cool end. The hide goes on this end. The heat emitter will be over the left end, above the hide.
The florscent light will be inbetween the 2 reflector lamps.

Danny

 

[Ozric]

Hi Lyn

if your house is really cool at night I suggest a ceramic heat emitter fixed up to a thermostat. You do not want light at nighttime.

Your torts need a place where they can hide when they want, my torts like a small box or empty food packet. Sometimes they like to feel snug and safe in a hiding place but they won't be really shy!

 

[lynncharlene]

Well you won't be using the lid so we just have the open tote.
Here's the reflector lamps http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/12-35-clamp-lights/clamp-on-reflector-lamp-646969.aspx
you can find these at walmart, get the one's with the ceramic socket.
Okay your looking at the tote stretched out the long way, for the demonstration purposes the right side will be the warm end. Hang the heat/UVB over this end. The left side will be the cool end. The hide goes on this end. The heat emitter will be over the left end, above the hide.
The florscent light will be inbetween the 2 reflector lamps.

Danny

How high does the emitter have to be and how high does the heat/uvb have to from the torts? I may have to get a higher sided tub.
lynn

 

[lynncharlene]

Hi Lyn

if your house is really cool at night I suggest a ceramic heat emitter fixed up to a thermostat. You do not want light at nighttime.

Your torts need a place where they can hide when they want, my torts like a small box or empty food packet. Sometimes they like to feel snug and safe in a hiding place but they won't be really shy!

no light at all during the night?

 

[egyptiandan]

No, no light at night Lynn
Your going to have to adjust the heights of the light and the heat emitter to get the right temperature at ground level.

Danny