Newbie

[Kernowguy]

Hi everyone,
I have a young Hermann’s ,which came with a “table top “ enclosure plus a starter kit and his certificate.
Its on hemp ground cover at present along with rehydrate type food pellets ,plus a calcium powder additive .
The lamp is uva/uvb 80w Mercury bulb ,it also has a side glass heater in its bed area.
I have read varying instructions etc about what’s right and wrong that it becomes confusing ,so could you please inform me as to what set up and food types I need ,it seems to prefer the above food to any fresh greens I’ve given .
I have now purchased “Tortoise life” Mediterranean substrate ,as most info states a soil and sand substrate is probably best .
I wish for it to have a healthy diet along with good husbandry on my part .
So any help you can offer would be appreciated, I am based in the south west of the UK.

 

[zolasmum]

Hi everyone,
I have a young Hermann’s ,which came with a “table top “ enclosure plus a starter kit and his certificate.
Its on hemp ground cover at present along with rehydrate type food pellets ,plus a calcium powder additive .
The lamp is uva/uvb 80w Mercury bulb ,it also has a side glass heater in its bed area.
I have read varying instructions etc about what’s right and wrong that it becomes confusing ,so could you please inform me as to what set up and food types I need ,it seems to prefer the above food to any fresh greens I’ve given .
I have now purchased “Tortoise life” Mediterranean substrate ,as most info states a soil and sand substrate is probably best .
I wish for it to have a healthy diet along with good husbandry on my part .
So any help you can offer would be appreciated, I am based in the south west of the UK.

 

[method89]

Congrats on the new baby!!

Now the bad news. everything you have is wrong

your substrate is bad
mercury bulb is bad
having any open top enclosure will make it impossible to keep heat and humidity where it needs to be.


Please read the caresheets below:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED

Josh and I corresponded last week about making an updated version of the Hermann's tortoise care sheet since the old one we have posted here is a bit outdated and a little too brief in my opinion. So, here is the new one equipped with photos. Look out for the April 2015 issue of Reptiles...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[zolasmum]

Hello - I have only just noticed that you are in Cornwall - We also have a Hermanns tortoise, named Zola, and live in Devon, just over the border from Cornwall. Zola is nearly 21 now, and we have had him since he was a baby. I would love to hear about your tortoise.
Angie