Just purchase two Horsefield Tortoise - lighting/enclosure help!

Liz0r

New Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
11
Hi all!
I just got two horsefield tortoises and have an enclosure for them.
But I need to get substrate and lighting and there are so many different things!
I have just bought some Eco Earth which i have heard is good for them - is that right?
But unsure of lighting - I have bought a 60V bulb but is it enough - are there electricity efficient ones?
Hope you can help me!
 

Tyanna

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
1,077
Location (City and/or State)
Wisconsin
Welcome Liz0r!

Many of us here will tell you that you should separate your two tortoises. They do not do well in pairs because they bully. They will fight, and the least dominate one can get really sick and possibly pass away. :(

How big is your enclosure? Your 60 watt might be enough for the basking spot, but you will need UVB as well. I prefer to use Mercury Vapor Bulbs because it gives you heat & UVB all in one. :)

Eco Earth is a good substrate as it will help hold humidity.
 

Liz0r

New Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
11
Really? Will they fight and die?? We do not want that!!
Might have to separate them right?

The enclosure is 2ft by 3ft, they both went in fine last night and both slept in separate corners!

Oh I see, are Mercury Vapor Bulbs expensive? What's a good one to get and how many voltages coz there are so many!
 

Tyanna

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
1,077
Location (City and/or State)
Wisconsin
Really? Will they fight and die?? We do not want that!!
Might have to separate them right?

The enclosure is 2ft by 3ft, they both went in fine last night and both slept in separate corners!

Oh I see, are Mercury Vapor Bulbs expensive? What's a good one to get and how many voltages coz there are so many!

With a 2x3 I would say 100 watts. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDJK/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
I use the one above. You might need to still use your plain 60 watt bulb on the other end to light up the whole thing, but is this bulb a coil bulb?

Are your tortoises babies?

I would definitely separate them, even if they aren't showing signs of bullying.
 

Liz0r

New Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
11
Yep, they are babies!

Thanks for the recommendation - will look at getting this, do you know if it is electricity efficient - are there any?

I will look to separate and will look at the care sheet too.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks for the recommendation - will look at getting this, do you know if it is electricity efficient - are there any?

We use these bulbs to generate enough heat for our tortoises to get warm. Bulbs that are more energy efficient burn less power, but they also don't produce enough heat. If you wish to use less electricity you should make a closed chamber. THis will contain all the heat you generate and so you won't need to generate nearly as much. Most of the heat in a convention open topped set up just drifts up and into the room, which means you have to generate much more.

Read both of those care sheets for more info, and here are some more to help catch you up to speed.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

In most cases tortoises should not be kept in pairs. This will explain more:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
A warm welcome to the forum.

I have read it time and one again: torts do not need/like company. They prefer to be alone. And I for one was out with my tort in the hot sun when a neighbour saw us. She welcomed me to see her tort living outside in a garden. I put my Greek tort beside the other tort upon the lady's request and.....war broke out! My tort unexpectedly attacked the other tort till I removed it! Incredible but true, is it not?
 

Liz0r

New Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
11
Thanks for all the info everyone!

Another question! It's quite cold now, being winter in London and I've just gotten the Tortoises and they don't seem to want to eat and just want to hibernate. Is this normal?

I wanna play with them ehehe
 

PS95

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
18
My two Russians spend about 4 or 5 months under their substrate, not eating, hibernating every year. Even if I wake them up to soak them in warm water, when returned to their enclosure they will immediately go back to deep sleep. My two torts are housed indoors with a UVB Mercury vapor lamp hooked to a timer that gives 12 hours on and 12 hours off each day. Over the years, their hibernation has tended to drift away from the actual seasons, probably because they are not getting strong seasonal cues from the length of light. Once they come out of hibernation, they eat ravenously for another 5 or 6 months until they both suddenly disappear again. They literally seem to spend half their lives in hibernation and the other half eating. It's their adaptation to their harsh natural environment.
 

Millerlite

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
2,670
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Calif.
Should of got the torts after you set up your enclosure. I always test my enclosure temps before I get any new species. Good advice for the future.

People gave great advice on everything else. Just follow the advice and you will be good
 

Liz0r

New Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
11
My two Russians spend about 4 or 5 months under their substrate, not eating, hibernating every year. Even if I wake them up to soak them in warm water, when returned to their enclosure they will immediately go back to deep sleep. My two torts are housed indoors with a UVB Mercury vapor lamp hooked to a timer that gives 12 hours on and 12 hours off each day. Over the years, their hibernation has tended to drift away from the actual seasons, probably because they are not getting strong seasonal cues from the length of light. Once they come out of hibernation, they eat ravenously for another 5 or 6 months until they both suddenly disappear again. They literally seem to spend half their lives in hibernation and the other half eating. It's their adaptation to their harsh natural environment.
Do you have your two tortoises in the same enclosure? - everyone is telling me to separate them, not sure if I should or not.
 

WithLisa

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
967
Location (City and/or State)
Austria
I don't think it's necessary to separate them right away, but you have to be prepared to separate them sooner or later. Do you have enough space for two adults enclosures?
 

Liz0r

New Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2015
Messages
11
I don't think it's necessary to separate them right away, but you have to be prepared to separate them sooner or later. Do you have enough space for two adults enclosures?
At the moment they are only 6 mths old, for the moment the enclosure is big enough for the two but I'm worried they will fight and I have to separate.
They stay our of each other's way at the moment and keep to two ends of the enclosure - but already one seems quite feisty, when you try and touch it or anything it makes a hissing noise, I'm just worried it's going to attack! Even me!
 

WithLisa

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
967
Location (City and/or State)
Austria
It's normal for them to show a defence response to being touched. Tortoises are not animals to pet or play with, you should handle them as little as possible.
But if the two already try to stay out of each others way, maybe it would be better to separate them or at least enlarge the enclosure, so each can have its own territory.
 

New Posts

Top