Need Help Getting Started + I'm new here

[JazLuk]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and I need help on getting started with tortoises

First of all, let me tell you some things about myself, I'm a 13 yr boy, I moved to the Netherlands about 4 yrs ago, but now I'm moving back to Malaysia in July and I will get my torts around August when we settle in our home. Back in Malaysia, for about 5 years my brothers kept 4 tortoises, all different sizes and one of them a different species (I think). I watched them over the years, washing out the tanks, feeding etc. so I do have a decent idea/experience (I was like, 8 lol).

In Malaysia, obviously it is a very hot country and plenty of sunlight. I chose a tortoise instead of turtle as I heard they were easier to take care and I figured in such a hot climate the water tank the turtles live must get hot very easily and therefore it needs to be changed quite frequently. I'm not sure if an outdoor tortoise is what I want because like mentioned before it might be too hot for him and I don't feel very comfortable leaving him outside. I will be the only one taking care of them, my parents will barely be helping, so I will be considered as a beginner.

So what I want to ask are:
1) What species would you suggest?
2) My mum suggested that I should get two instead of one as one would be lonely and requires companion, id this true?

And also, I also enjoy gardening, and I searched up and saw that a lot of the vegetables tortoises enjoy, are plants that I have, so would that help?

Thank you for reading up to here, I really appreciate it.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Well, first off, there is no such thing as an indoor tortoise. Tortoises are wild animals, and do much better when kept outside. Do people keep them indoors? Yes, there are times when tortoises have to be indoors, but your tortoise's main habitat should be outside. There's a whole lot you can do to an outside yard to make it more tortoise friendly...plants, water, misting, etc.

Tell your mum that tortoises are solitary animals. They neither want nor need another tortoise for company. In fact, if you put two tortoises together, chances are pretty good they will fight.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Ditto what Yvonnd said, both about outside and two tortoises. When you get back to Malaysia, check out what is available to buy there and read up on them on the forum. Then decide which one you'd like to have. Ask questions if you don't find all the info for your questions. That way you will know what your getting and will get the right answers for that species

 

[lismar79]

Welcome! Here is a good site to help you find more information on tortoise safe plants:
http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plant_database_14.asp

 

[JazLuk]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Well, first off, there is no such thing as an indoor tortoise. Tortoises are wild animals, and do much better when kept outside. Do people keep them indoors? Yes, there are times when tortoises have to be indoors, but your tortoise's main habitat should be outside. There's a whole lot you can do to an outside yard to make it more tortoise friendly...plants, water, misting, etc.

Tell your mum that tortoises are solitary animals. They neither want nor need another tortoise for company. In fact, if you put two tortoises together, chances are pretty good they will fight.

Really? The tortoises we kept in Malaysia were all indoors and they were pretty healthy and lived for quite a while. But I'll take your word for it and try an outdoor tortoise, do you have a link to a website about how to start an outdoor tort? And is it possible for a tortoise to get too much sunlight?

 

[JoesMum]

It's not possible to get too much sunlight.

It is possible for a tort to overheat if it doesn't have access to shelter from direct sun.

The sun is a great free UVB and basking resource - especially somewhere where it shines more reliably like Malaysia.

Tortoises also need space - lots of it. A small tort still needs a minimum of around 1.5 x 2.2 metres (4'x8') That is easier outside usually.

Have you read our Beginner Mistakes thread?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Here's a lighting summary:

Every tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from B&Q will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

 

[WithLisa]

And is it possible for a tortoise to get too much sunlight?

No. Tortoises are not stupid, they would go into a hide or rest in a shady place if the sunlight is too strong.
You just have to build a large enclosure that meets all their needs.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Would love to see pics of your torts.

 

[JazLuk]

It's not possible to get too much sunlight.

It is possible for a tort to overheat if it doesn't have access to shelter from direct sun.

The sun is a great free UVB and basking resource - especially somewhere where it shines more reliably like Malaysia.

Tortoises also need space - lots of it. A small tort still needs a minimum of around 1.5 x 2.2 metres (4'x8') That is easier outside usually.

Have you read our Beginner Mistakes thread?
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Here's a lighting summary:

Every tort needs:

1. A basking lamp
This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light
Read the instructions for the source to see how close to the substrate it must be. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside.

UVB does not pass through glass or perspex(plexiglass) - light must be direct to be effective not through a window. Mesh screening can also interfere with UVB.

3. A minimum overnight temperature (see the care sheet for your species) and complete darkness at night to sleep.


Notes

(a) A Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB) provides combined UVB and Basking. Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from B&Q will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

(b) Ignore any references to UVA you may read - it's misleading marketing speak.

(c) Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes and must not be used.

(d) Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

(e) Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

(f) Torts have outstanding colour vision and love red and purple food. Coloured heat lamps colour tank decor and torts don't always apply intelligence to what they eat, resulting them in eating tank decor. Coloured bulbs should not be used.


Measurements

There are 4 important temperatures that you must know for an indoor enclosure.
- Directly under the basking lamp
- Warm side
- Cool side
- Overnight Minimum

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital probe hygrometer to measure humidity.

Thermometers and hygrometer that stick to the side of the enclosure tend to be less accurate.

Ok, thank you for allege information.

 

[JazLuk]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Would love to see pics of your torts.

Thank you, I would definitely be using this forum until I get my torts, I might even continue using after!

 

[JazLuk]

So for an outdoor tortoise, will they sell a box/tank specifically for torts or does it require for me to make one?

 

[Yvonne G]

Really? The tortoises we kept in Malaysia were all indoors and they were pretty healthy and lived for quite a while. But I'll take your word for it and try an outdoor tortoise, do you have a link to a website about how to start an outdoor tort? And is it possible for a tortoise to get too much sunlight?

I didn't say it couldn't be done, I said they do better outside. So if your tortoises in Malasia were "pretty healthy" just think how excellent they would have been if they lived outside.

They need a well-planted habitat so they have trees, shrubs and plants to hide among. They need a waterer sunk into the ground and big enough for them to climb into. And yes, they can get too much sun. That's why you need plants.

 

[Yvonne G]

So for an outdoor tortoise, will they sell a box/tank specifically for torts or does it require for me to make one?

You build some sort of fence in the yard so they can't escape, but they actually live in the yard. This is where my sulcata lives:



And this is where the box turtles live:



The leopard tortoises live here:



Some of the Manouria tortoises live here:



Well, I think you get the picture, right?

 

[JoesMum]

So for an outdoor tortoise, will they sell a box/tank specifically for torts or does it require for me to make one?

What you need depends on what you get. Most tortoise enclosures sold in pet stores are far too small. You are better off browsing the TFO Enclosures forum and building yourself.

 

[JoesMum]

Just a thought, but what lies in the future for you and your family?

A tort is a pet for the next 60+ years. We have had ours for 46 years now. How high is the risk of your parents moving overseas again or you going away to school or college and your family not being in a position to care for it any longer?

 

[JazLuk]

Just a thought, but what lies in the future for you and your family?

A tort is a pet for the next 60+ years. We have had ours for 46 years now. How high is the risk of your parents moving overseas again or you going away to school or college and your family not being in a position to care for it any longer?

100% my parents will not move anywhere, but when I go to college my parents will definitely take care of it but that's a long way to come

 

[JazLuk]

You build some sort of fence in the yard so they can't escape, but they actually live in the yard. This is where my sulcata lives:

View attachment 177349 View attachment 177350

And this is where the box turtles live:

View attachment 177351 View attachment 177352

The leopard tortoises live here:

View attachment 177353 View attachment 177354

Some of the Manouria tortoises live here:

View attachment 177355 View attachment 177356

Well, I think you get the picture, right?

I think it will be better for me to get/build a pen for it because there are open drains and the fences have holes big enough to fit a tortoise, so I really don't think it will be safe. An enclosure would be perfect for me but I just want to know if you are supposed to build one or buy one. I think some sort of tortoise house/tortoise table would be great.

 

[Rue]

In short...plan to build one. Nothing you buy will be big enough or fit your yard properly (to take maximum advantage of the space in the yard).

Even for your indoor enclosure...build one.