New tortoise

[Angel]

I have bought a new tortoise today- he is a one year old Herman. He is in a four foot open top vivarium, on one side of the tank I have a 150w heat lamp controlled by a Habistat and a uv light. I have read so much conflicting information about timings for the lights and basking lamp, and I would appreciate any advice or guidance on keeping my tortoise but more especially information about basking lamp and light timings, also optimum day/night temperatures. I have tried to find this information in the threads but I got a bit lost with it all.
Thank you in advance for your help

 

[egyptiandan]

As long as your not using a MVB (mercury vapor bulb) for heating you can use a thermostat on the light. If you are using a MVB you can't use a thermostat on the bulb. Your lights should be on 12 to 16 hours a day and the heat lamp can go off an hour sooner than your other light.
Temperatures should be 32 to 34C under the basking lamp, 28 to 30C on the warm end, 22 to 24C on the cool end and night time temperatures around 15C.

Danny

 

[dreadyA]

I don't have Herman's but here's this caresheet.it was created by a gentleman named hermannichris & is a successful breeder.

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-1000.html

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Angel:

to the forum!!

 

[Weloveourtortoise]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the addition to your family!

 

[Angel]

Thank you everyone for the welcome and the information!!

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Crazy1]

Hi Angel welcome to the forum do you have a name for your new addition yet?

 

[Angel]

Hi Angel welcome to the forum do you have a name for your new addition yet?

Hello!! Yes his name is Henry.

Just a question:- some sites say you can feed torties Budlia and Fuschia, is this right? and what part do they eat?

Thank you for being so welcoming!

 

[egyptiandan]

The whole plant on both of them are fine to feed your tortoise

Danny

 

[Angel]

The whole plant on both of them are fine to feed your tortoise

Danny

Thank you Danny

 

[tortoisenerd]

Welcome to the group! Congrats on the tort. You have great advice already on the temperatures and times.

 

[Angel]

I have bought a new tortoise today- he is a one year old Herman. He is in a four foot open top vivarium, on one side of the tank I have a 150w heat lamp controlled by a Habistat and a uv light. I have read so much conflicting information about timings for the lights and basking lamp, and I would appreciate any advice or guidance on keeping my tortoise but more especially information about basking lamp and light timings, also optimum day/night temperatures. I have tried to find this information in the threads but I got a bit lost with it all.
Thank you in advance for your help

Hello again!

I wonder if you could help me out again. My little Hermann (Henry) seems to wipe his eyes with his forelegs very often and I am worried that he may be irritated by them. The substrate in his vivarium is made of 3 types of stones, some 1-2mm (looks like thick sand) and the other 2 types are slightly bigger. This is what the reptile store recommended for Henry. Could this be the problem?

Thank you for your help

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Angel:

Here's a link to a good care sheet for Hermann's tortoises. He recommends using aspen bedding for substrate:

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-1000.html

And you're probably right about the eyes and the substrate. Besides being very dry and dusty, what you are using might be ingested and cause a blockage.

 

[GBtortoises]

Welcome Angel.

If you see the substrate actually sticking to the tortoises eyes and mouth the substrate could be the culprit. If that is not the case than as Ynonne said it could be general dryness and/or dust. Remember that a 150watt light bulb, even in a large enclosure, will dry things out quickly with the heat that it is producing. It is also a good idea to know what the ambient temperature and humidity levels are in other parts of the enclosure away from the light and the room that your tortoise is in since they can both affect the tortoise and the conditions within the enclosure.

Hermann's and other Northern Mediterranean tortoises require a a semi moist soil in at least part of their enclosure and constant or frequent access to water in order to stay well hydrated. This is especially true of young tortoises. I also mist my tortoise's enclosures twice daily because the room that mine are in gets drier than I would like it to.

 

[Angel]

Thank you so much for your help!!

---

Welcome Angel.

If you see the substrate actually sticking to the tortoises eyes and mouth the substrate could be the culprit. If that is not the case than as Ynonne said it could be general dryness and/or dust. Remember that a 150watt light bulb, even in a large enclosure, will dry things out quickly with the heat that it is producing. It is also a good idea to know what the ambient temperature and humidity levels are in other parts of the enclosure away from the light and the room that your tortoise is in since they can both affect the tortoise and the conditions within the enclosure.

Hermann's and other Northern Mediterranean tortoises require a a semi moist soil in at least part of their enclosure and constant or frequent access to water in order to stay well hydrated. This is especially true of young tortoises. I also mist my tortoise's enclosures twice daily because the room that mine are in gets drier than I would like it to.

Thank you for this advice- I do leave a lot of water in the tank for him and I ensure he drinks it daily but I had not thought of misting the tank, that does sound like a useful idea. Thank you for replying to me