I have just homed my very first tort. Named tiddle. I want to make sure i am caring for it properly. I am using coco coir substrate with cypress mulch. I used the cypress mulch alone for first few days however was worried it wasn't the right substrate. I added the coco coir to it's hide however it's not slept in their since adding it. Also since adding the coco coir tiddle water is constantly dirty. I also worried about bathing tort. First time I tried it it just wanted out. Any advice would be appreciated.
Looking for advise for my new hermann tort
- Thread starter Kazamca
- Start date
Hello and welcome to another Brit 
I am assuming you have a very young tortoise as that is what is sold in the UK. Please say if you have an adult and I will correct what I say.
Photos of your enclosure and lighting will help us to help you ... and we just like looking at pictures of torts
I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.
They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.
Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
Baby Testudo Tortoise Care (written about Russians but applies to Hermann’s too)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
It is very important to have the correct temperatures for your tortoise as it cannot do anything including digest food without the heat you provide.
The basking lamp needs to hang vertically above the enclosure, not be at an angle, and it must be 35-37C directly underneath. This and your UVB must be on 14 hours a day, use a timer, with complete darkness at night.
The temperature must not drop below 26C day or night anywhere in the enclosure and the humidity needs to be around 80%. Use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) with a thermostat to heat the enclosure without light. Run the CHE 24/7
To achieve this you must have a closed chamber, not an open tortoise table... that is a roof of some kind. You also need the substrate to be damp - tip water in from a jug and mix it with your hands until all of it is evenly damp right to the bottom and into the corners.
Right now you and the enclosure are scary to your tortoise. It will take a while for your tortoise to decide you don’t want to eat it.
I recommend establishing a routine so your tort learns to trust you:
- Have the lights come on using a timer.
- Before your tort has warmed up in the morning, ie first thing, soak your tortoise in warm water for at least 20 minutes. Scrabbling to get out is fine; it encourages pooping. Use a high sided bowl that your tort can’t see over or through - a washing up bowl is ideal.
- While your soaks, tidy the enclosure and place food.
- Replace your tort and leave him entirely on his own to be brace and explore.
Resist the temptation to stand at watch and don’t keep picking your tortoise up. Your tortoise will realise you aren’t a threat and provide yummy food, but some are slower to catch on than others.
They aren’t social and are happiest with all 4 feet on the floor of their enclosure. If they’re out of the enclosure they are away from the warmth, humidity and UVB they need to be healthy - no roaming on the floor of your home.
I am assuming you have a very young tortoise as that is what is sold in the UK. Please say if you have an adult and I will correct what I say.
Photos of your enclosure and lighting will help us to help you ... and we just like looking at pictures of torts
I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.
They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.
Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
Baby Testudo Tortoise Care (written about Russians but applies to Hermann’s too)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
It is very important to have the correct temperatures for your tortoise as it cannot do anything including digest food without the heat you provide.
The basking lamp needs to hang vertically above the enclosure, not be at an angle, and it must be 35-37C directly underneath. This and your UVB must be on 14 hours a day, use a timer, with complete darkness at night.
The temperature must not drop below 26C day or night anywhere in the enclosure and the humidity needs to be around 80%. Use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) with a thermostat to heat the enclosure without light. Run the CHE 24/7
To achieve this you must have a closed chamber, not an open tortoise table... that is a roof of some kind. You also need the substrate to be damp - tip water in from a jug and mix it with your hands until all of it is evenly damp right to the bottom and into the corners.
Right now you and the enclosure are scary to your tortoise. It will take a while for your tortoise to decide you don’t want to eat it.
I recommend establishing a routine so your tort learns to trust you:
- Have the lights come on using a timer.
- Before your tort has warmed up in the morning, ie first thing, soak your tortoise in warm water for at least 20 minutes. Scrabbling to get out is fine; it encourages pooping. Use a high sided bowl that your tort can’t see over or through - a washing up bowl is ideal.
- While your soaks, tidy the enclosure and place food.
- Replace your tort and leave him entirely on his own to be brace and explore.
Resist the temptation to stand at watch and don’t keep picking your tortoise up. Your tortoise will realise you aren’t a threat and provide yummy food, but some are slower to catch on than others.
They aren’t social and are happiest with all 4 feet on the floor of their enclosure. If they’re out of the enclosure they are away from the warmth, humidity and UVB they need to be healthy - no roaming on the floor of your home.
Thank you so much for ypur advice. Yes it's a baby tort. I already have made a few mistakes. I have let it out for 15 mins a day to roam my floor n it seems to love it n constantly climbs in the wardrobe ledge until it's fed up n amazingly it go ds it's way back to it's house when it's fed up. I was totally amazed. Also looking for advice on feeding. I provided leafy greens n the odd strawberry. I have read it shouldn't be given fruit at all. If this is the case I will stop giving it to Tiddle.
Your tort's diet should be a variety of weedy and leafy greens.
It can't digest sugars properly so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, bell pepper and carrot should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.
Write a list of the plants that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. It's a fabulous online search facility that explains why things are (or aren't) suitable to feed as well as saying how much.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
Few of us manage in the winter months without supplementing with a pelleted food softened in water. I used Komodo.
Please don't let your tortoise roam the floor. It feels least stressed in a familiar environment with all 4 feet firmly on the ground and when on the floor of your home it is away from the heat, humidity and UVB it needs to be healthy. Provide a secure and large enough enclosure and your tortoise will be much healthier and happier. The other risks on the floor include being stepped on and escape (we have had both on this forum of late) and eating something it shouldn't. Dust bunnies and human hair cause gut blockages and they are attracted to brightly coloured objects but don't have the intelligence to work out what's edible without swallowing it You only have to be distracted for a moment unfortunately.
It can't digest sugars properly so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, bell pepper and carrot should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.
Write a list of the plants that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. It's a fabulous online search facility that explains why things are (or aren't) suitable to feed as well as saying how much.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
Few of us manage in the winter months without supplementing with a pelleted food softened in water. I used Komodo.
Please don't let your tortoise roam the floor. It feels least stressed in a familiar environment with all 4 feet firmly on the ground and when on the floor of your home it is away from the heat, humidity and UVB it needs to be healthy. Provide a secure and large enough enclosure and your tortoise will be much healthier and happier. The other risks on the floor include being stepped on and escape (we have had both on this forum of late) and eating something it shouldn't. Dust bunnies and human hair cause gut blockages and they are attracted to brightly coloured objects but don't have the intelligence to work out what's edible without swallowing it
You only have to be distracted for a moment unfortunately.Thank you so much for your help. I won't let it out again. I just thought it seemed to enjoy it. Can i bathe it in my bathtub with very shallow water. Sorry for all questions but want to make sure I'm doin thing properly. Here are some pics of enclosure
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Welcome!
Read those care guides I linked to and compare them with what you have.
I am going to write my advice in list format, sorry if it seems a bit lengthy.
1. An open table such as you have is not suitable for a baby. You need a cover over the enclosure to hold in the warmth and humidity needed for a baby to be healthy. This can be in a vivarium with a very large floor area or some people use a plant tent like this
2. The substrate must be an earthy type that will hold moisture. Yours is far too dry and will not hold moisture. Coco coiror fine grade orchid barkare both great and cheapest when bought from Amazon or a DIY or garden store. Don't buy anything with additives such as calcium pieces (why would you encourage a tortoise to eat the substrate?), sand, fertilisers or vermiculite.
The substrate should be 3-4"/ 7-10cm deep. Mix the the substrate with water and stir with your hands until all of it is evenly damp right to the bottom and into the corners.
3. Getting the temperatures right is essential. Your baby needs temperature no lower than 26C day and night. Without external heat, your tortoise cannot digest food, eat or be active. The covered enclosure helps to keep the heat in, but you will also need a Ceramic Heat Emitter and a thermosat running 24/7 to maintain this. Use a ceramic lamp holder for the CHE as the heater will melt a plastic one.
4. Your tortoise must be able to bask at 35-37C directly under the basking lamp. Use a Temperature Gun Thermometer to measure accurately and adjust the temperature under the lamp by raising or lowering it. The basking lamp must be on for 14 hours a day with complete darkness at night; use a timer to make life easy for yourself.
5. Hopefully your basking lamp is actually a Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) which also emits UVB light. Be aware that the UVB output of these bulbs fails long before the bulb blows. You can test it with a UV meter or replace the bulb every 9 months without fail.
6. If your basking bulb isn't an MVB then you need a separate UVB lamp. Don't get a compact screw thread bulb that looks like a low energy light bulb as these cause eye problems in tortoises. Use a long fluorescent tube UVB lamp. The life span of these bulbs is years rather than the months of an MVB so they're good value. The UVB also needs to be on for 14 hours a day.
7. The reptile bowl you are using isn't suitable for tortoises. The sides are too steep and are a tipping hazard and they are hard for torts to use. A piece of flat rock or slate, or even the back (rough side) of a ceramic wall tile makes a great food plate which helps to keep the torts beak in shape by abrasion as it eats. A terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate is a great water dish.
8. Diet is a variety of weedy and leafy greens. Your tort cannot digest sugars properly, they cause digestive and kidney problems, so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, red pepper and carrot should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.
Write a list of the greens that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. It's a fabulous online search facility that tells you why something is suitable or not
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
Few of us manage in the winter months when weeds are scarce without supplementing with a pelleted tortoise food softened in tap water. I used Komodo.
Your tortoise will also benefit from a calcium supplement. A cuttlebone can be left in the enclosure for your tort to chomp on when it wants which also helps with beak maintenance. You will find them in the bird aisle of the pet store. You could also use calcium powder; a tiny pinch sprinkled on food three days a week is sufficient as you can overdo it - sprinkle it sparsley as your tort will refuse to eat if it detects it!
9. Soaking your tort in the regular bathtub or kitchen sink is fine, but you must be absolutely sure there is no residue from bathroom or cleaning products in it before using it. Shampoo, shower gel and washing up are not good for your tortoise to drink.
I am going to write my advice in list format, sorry if it seems a bit lengthy.
1. An open table such as you have is not suitable for a baby. You need a cover over the enclosure to hold in the warmth and humidity needed for a baby to be healthy. This can be in a vivarium with a very large floor area or some people use a plant tent like this
2. The substrate must be an earthy type that will hold moisture. Yours is far too dry and will not hold moisture. Coco coiror fine grade orchid barkare both great and cheapest when bought from Amazon or a DIY or garden store. Don't buy anything with additives such as calcium pieces (why would you encourage a tortoise to eat the substrate?), sand, fertilisers or vermiculite.
The substrate should be 3-4"/ 7-10cm deep. Mix the the substrate with water and stir with your hands until all of it is evenly damp right to the bottom and into the corners.
3. Getting the temperatures right is essential. Your baby needs temperature no lower than 26C day and night. Without external heat, your tortoise cannot digest food, eat or be active. The covered enclosure helps to keep the heat in, but you will also need a Ceramic Heat Emitter and a thermosat running 24/7 to maintain this. Use a ceramic lamp holder for the CHE as the heater will melt a plastic one.
4. Your tortoise must be able to bask at 35-37C directly under the basking lamp. Use a Temperature Gun Thermometer to measure accurately and adjust the temperature under the lamp by raising or lowering it. The basking lamp must be on for 14 hours a day with complete darkness at night; use a timer to make life easy for yourself.
5. Hopefully your basking lamp is actually a Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) which also emits UVB light. Be aware that the UVB output of these bulbs fails long before the bulb blows. You can test it with a UV meter or replace the bulb every 9 months without fail.
6. If your basking bulb isn't an MVB then you need a separate UVB lamp. Don't get a compact screw thread bulb that looks like a low energy light bulb as these cause eye problems in tortoises. Use a long fluorescent tube UVB lamp. The life span of these bulbs is years rather than the months of an MVB so they're good value. The UVB also needs to be on for 14 hours a day.
7. The reptile bowl you are using isn't suitable for tortoises. The sides are too steep and are a tipping hazard and they are hard for torts to use. A piece of flat rock or slate, or even the back (rough side) of a ceramic wall tile makes a great food plate which helps to keep the torts beak in shape by abrasion as it eats. A terracotta plant saucer sunk into the substrate is a great water dish.
8. Diet is a variety of weedy and leafy greens. Your tort cannot digest sugars properly, they cause digestive and kidney problems, so sweet foods like fruit, tomato, red pepper and carrot should only be fed very sparingly and very occasionally if at all.
Write a list of the greens that grow around you and those that you can buy and look them up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability to feed. It's a fabulous online search facility that tells you why something is suitable or not
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
Few of us manage in the winter months when weeds are scarce without supplementing with a pelleted tortoise food softened in tap water. I used Komodo.
Your tortoise will also benefit from a calcium supplement. A cuttlebone can be left in the enclosure for your tort to chomp on when it wants which also helps with beak maintenance. You will find them in the bird aisle of the pet store. You could also use calcium powder; a tiny pinch sprinkled on food three days a week is sufficient as you can overdo it - sprinkle it sparsley as your tort will refuse to eat if it detects it!
9. Soaking your tort in the regular bathtub or kitchen sink is fine, but you must be absolutely sure there is no residue from bathroom or cleaning products in it before using it. Shampoo, shower gel and washing up are not good for your tortoise to drink.
Hey ok that's great. I have ordered terracotta plant dish and cuttle bone just waiting on delivery. I will order a plant tent to ensure adequate heat. I have coco coir in side area under the cypress mulch just can't see it very well. My tort however won't go in hide now that I have added the coco coir. I have spray bottle I use to spray it n mix it thru. It was pet shop that provided me with bowl and told me no lid required. Yes the bulb is a ice a uvb and basking light I have attached photo of bulb. I have just moved bulb higher as it was to hot on basking spot. I was worried I was burning my wee tiddle
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Tortoises sleep where they darn well please. They don't hide away if they feel safe. They just sprawl where they choose. If the enclosure is well set up, it isn't the end of the world that they won't go in the hide.
A plant spray will slow the rate at which the substrate dries out, but you must still tip water into the substrate and mix it with your hands so all the substrate is damp and not just the surface.
A plant spray will slow the rate at which the substrate dries out, but you must still tip water into the substrate and mix it with your hands so all the substrate is damp and not just the surface.
Haha ok I was worried it was the substrate it didn't like. Hopefully it feels safe then if it's just sleeping anywhere mainly right o top of feeding bowl. Ok last 2 questions I promise. I feeding my tort in morning but it always seems to be starring at feeding bowl when I give it more food it lunches it all. I do not want to over feed. And lastly what do you classify as baby tort. As mines is a year old they don't sell them younger than that from the breeder where I got tiddle. Is this still s baby or juvenile will I still need to cover up at this age. Sorry about all questions just want to get it right.
You won't overfeed your tortoise. The usual guidance is to offer a mound of food the size of the shell and if that is all eaten then offer more. In the wild they browse through the day, so let your tort do that. As long as the food is the healthy greens your tort will be fine.
Tortoises do have growth spurts like children do. You will find appetite will fluctuate depending on how much your tortoise is growing.
I would treat your tortoise as a baby until it reaches 300g or so. By this stage it is a sub adult and still has growing to do. We do things by weight in the tortoise world as they all grow at different rates depending on diet and habitat.
Tortoises do have growth spurts like children do. You will find appetite will fluctuate depending on how much your tortoise is growing.
I would treat your tortoise as a baby until it reaches 300g or so. By this stage it is a sub adult and still has growing to do. We do things by weight in the tortoise world as they all grow at different rates depending on diet and habitat.
That's fine. Changing the water if it goes cool is fine too. The water can be baby bath warm rather than tepid.
Some people splash water on top, some don't. I tended to do it when Joe was filthy and needed more thorough bathing.
