New Baby Dalmatian Hermann's

Maario

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Dec 2, 2018
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Hello, I am new here and am getting a baby dalmatian tortoise. I have a few questions with things I am uncertain about and have not been able to find the answer to anywhere else.

I live in an urban area, so most of the food for the tortoise will be bought from the grocery store or pet store. Is it safe for the food to come from the grocery store? And what types should I buy? I know cactus, cucumber, and weeds are good, but is aloe also good for it?

For substrate I am planning to use fir bark and coconut fiber, is this good and is there any better recommendations?

I also would like to make the enclosure more appealing for both me and the tortoise. Is there anything that you recommend for this and does anyone have ideas?

Thank you to anyone that helps.
 

daniellenc

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Is your set up closed top. Is it set up yet? There is an abundance of info on diet, substrates, and enclosure set up. Poke around and read the hermanns care sheet the answers are here. If then you have specific questions ask them. It’s very hard to provide generalized answers. Your substrate choice is perfect though.
 

JoesMum

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Hi there

There are some excellent care sheets on TFO written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and sadly from some breeders and vets too.

I remmend these two to start you off

Beginner Mistakes
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Baby Testudo Care (written about Russians but applies to Hermann's)
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/


Diet:
Your tort's diet should be a variety of weedy and leafy greens. That's variety over time, not in a day or in a meal. Make sure any foods are free of pesticides and herbicides. While weeds are best, they're harder to source in the winter months, so few of us manage without resorting to grocery store greens and supplementing with pellets softened in water (I suggested Mazuri, but not the LS version which many torts seem to hate) Cucumber and lettuce are low in fibre and nutrients so shouldn't be a dietary staple.

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 tells you why something is or isn't suitable as well as the frequency you can use it.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Substrate:
You needy an earthy substrate that holds moisture. Tip water in from a jug and mix ot with your hands until all of it is evenly damp right to the bottom and into the corners.

It is invariably cheaper to buy your substrate from a garden or DIY store or from Amazon than from a pet store. Watch out for additives even in pet store substrate. You don't want to encourage your tort to eat the substrate, so avoid any with white bits mixed in like calcium pieces (some pet brand shave this - ridiculous!), Perlite, vermiculite. Also avoid anything with water retention granules, sand or fertilisers added.

Fine grade orchid bark is probably best for babies. Although many swear by Coco Coir. You don't need to mix anything in with either just use them on their own.

Other gotchas
1. Compact CFL UVB bulbs - they cause eye problems in tort. Use fluorescent tube UVB.

2. Reptile bowls - they're a tipping hazard and hard for a tort to use. A terracotta plant saucer is a great water dish and a piece of flat rock or slate, or even the wrong side of a ceramic tile, makes an excellent food plate that helps keep the beak in trim by abrasion.

3. Any tortoise table bought from a pet store is to be avoided. Tortoises need a large floor area as they roam large distances. Babies need a closed chamber, something with a lid, to keep the humidity and temperatures steady so should not be housed in a table. Pet store tortoise tables are not large enough for older torts.
 

Maario

New Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Is your set up closed top. Is it set up yet? There is an abundance of info on diet, substrates, and enclosure set up. Poke around and read the hermanns care sheet the answers are here. If then you have specific questions ask them. It’s very hard to provide generalized answers. Your substrate choice is perfect though.
I got the tortoise today, and the tortoise table I am making is not yet finished, so I am temporarily keeping the tortoise in a 20 gallon tank, for 1 or 2 days. Thank you!
 

Maario

New Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Hi there

There are some excellent care sheets on TFO 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.

I remmend these two to start you off

Beginner Mistakes
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Baby Testudo Care (written about Russians but applies to Hermann's)
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/


Diet:
Your tort's diet should be a variety of weedy and leafy greens. That's variety over time, not in a day or in a meal. Make sure any foods are free of pesticides and herbicides. While weeds are best, they're harder to source in the winter months, so few of us manage without resorting to grocery store greens and supplementing with pellets softened in water (I suggested Mazuri, but not the LS version which many torts seem to hate) Cucumber and lettuce are low in fibre and nutrients so shouldn't be a dietary staple.

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 tells you why something is or isn't suitable as well as the frequency you can use it.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Substrate:
You needy an earthy substrate that holds moisture. Tip water in from a jug and mix ot with your hands until all of it is evenly damp right to the bottom and into the corners.

It is invariably cheaper to buy your substrate from a garden or DIY store or from Amazon than from a pet store. Watch out for additives even in pet store substrate. You don't want to encourage your tort to eat the substrate, so avoid any with white bits mixed in like calcium pieces (some pet brand shave this - ridiculous!), Perlite, vermiculite. Also avoid anything with water retention granules, sand or fertilisers added.

Fine grade orchid bark is probably best for babies. Although many swear by Coco Coir. You don't need to mix anything in with either just use them on their own.

Other gotchas
1. Compact CFL UVB bulbs - they cause eye problems in tort. Use fluorescent tube UVB.

2. Reptile bowls - they're a tipping hazard and hard for a tort to use. A terracotta plant saucer is a great water dish and a piece of flat rock or slate, or even the wrong side of a ceramic tile, makes an excellent food plate that helps keep the beak in trim by abrasion.

3. Any tortoise table bought from a pet store is to be avoided. Tortoises need a large floor area as they roam large distances. Babies need a closed chamber, something with a lid, to keep the humidity and temperatures steady so should not be housed in a table. Pet store tortoise tables are not large enough for older torts.

I will try to find more things I can feed and I already started using the tortoise table website. I won't be able to find much that grows around me since it is currently too cold and there aren't many places where plants grow in the city. I can definitely grow some of my own when the weather gets warmer but for now I just wanted to know if grocery store food is safe?
I did buy a small bowl but it is not too tall and I made sure to keep the edges under the substrate in order to prevent tipping as well as making it easier for the tortoise to get to it. I am currently in the process of finishing the tortoise table however I did not make any cover for it.
Thank you!
 

JoesMum

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10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
21,606
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
I will try to find more things I can feed and I already started using the tortoise table website. I won't be able to find much that grows around me since it is currently too cold and there aren't many places where plants grow in the city. I can definitely grow some of my own when the weather gets warmer but for now I just wanted to know if grocery store food is safe?
I did buy a small bowl but it is not too tall and I made sure to keep the edges under the substrate in order to prevent tipping as well as making it easier for the tortoise to get to it. I am currently in the process of finishing the tortoise table however I did not make any cover for it.
Thank you!
If the greens are safe for you to eat then are safe for your tortoise to eat with regard to pesticides and fertilizers.

However, you must also check them on The Tortoise Table for suitability to feed. As there are some greens that you can eat that they should not eat at all or should only eat occasionally.
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
 

JoesMum

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10 Year Member!
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Messages
21,606
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
And in response to your PM


On my post about the Baby Hermann you said there are some problems with some UVB bulbs.
I purchased my bulb a few days ago.
This is the one I got:

https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-repti..._5NAHBhsP8mshWXoyQKPwVHWzR7-dIoQaAkbKEALw_wcB

Is this bulb okay?
No. This is the Compact CFL type that I mentioned. We frequently see these causing eye problems with tortoises.

You should use a long fluorescent tube type UVB bulb.

A Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) can also be used. It is a bulb that combines UVB with basking heat in one bulb. You have to be aware that the UVB output of MVB bulbs fails long before the bulb actually blows and the only way you would know is by using a UV meter. If you get one of these MVB bulbs, the recommendation is to change it every 6 months unless you have invested in a meter.
 

Maario

New Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
New York
And in response to your PM



No. This is the Compact CFL type that I mentioned. We frequently see these causing eye problems with tortoises.

You should use a long fluorescent tube type UVB bulb.

A Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) can also be used. It is a bulb that combines UVB with basking heat in one bulb. You have to be aware that the UVB output of MVB bulbs fails long before the bulb actually blows and the only way you would know is by using a UV meter. If you get one of these MVB bulbs, the recommendation is to change it every 6 months unless you have invested in a meter.

Okay thank you!
 
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