please help, very new to this?

[missgemma]

please help, very new to this/

hi i was looking to buy a tortoise, and then on the weekend my brother said i could have his as he was moving into a flat and had no garden.

now my brother got him 3 months ago and hes 2 years old, i will be honnest my brother lost interest and didnt really bother with him any more.

now im in the process of getting him all sorted today.
my question is, i have a sun glow basking light, and heat mat, do i also need a uv strip light, or is what i have already ok?

 

[naomij]

i was told no heat mat, we use a uv strip yes as he does not live outside yet so needs this, although he is put outside for some of the day, its not enough. so that goes on wit his basking lamp.

 

[jlyoncc1]

What type of tort do you have? If you can post a pic of your enclosure, we can give you info. Heat mats are not recommended. Can be harmful.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: please help, very new to this/

Hi Missgemma: We'll need a little more information about the tortoise. What kind is it? How big is it? Is there any chance you can set it up outside? If outside you don't have to worry about lighting, and in my opinion, tortoises belong outside.

Yvonne

 

[bikerchicspain]

RE: please help, very new to this/

Hi missGemma, Yvonne is right they are best kept outside, if that's not possible then the next best thing,A table top or a cage. I have mine in a very large rabbit cage, that way they are out during the day and come in at night..About the heat mat, its not the best thing to use for a tort as its not easy to regulate the temps.
go to http://www.tortoisetrust.org/ Got alot of info on there for most torts..goodluck

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: please help, very new to this/

Missgemma: The reason I said we would need to know what kind of tortoise you have is because there are different ways to take care of them. For instance, Redfoot tortoises eat meat, while Russians don't...Redfoot tortoises may not need a UVB light, while desert tortoises do. So it would be imprudent of us to give you ANY direction until we know what kind of tortoise you are talking about.

Yvonne

 

[Crazy1]

RE: please help, very new to this/

Missgemma:Hi and welcome. As Yvonne has stated knowing about your new tort will help us help you. And if you could post a Pic that would also help us give you the best advice regarding care.

 

[missgemma]

RE: please help, very new to this/

hi my tort is a herman and 2 years old

 

[missgemma]

my tort is a herman and is 2 ive posted pics

 

[Isa]

Really cute little Hermann
What are the temps in the enclosure?
You should change the substrate to Aspen or a mix of soil (70%) and playsand (30%).
Do you have a basking light?

 

[Crazy1]

RE: please help, very new to this/

On here HermanniChris is our residend expert you can find out about care http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-1000.html and the two types of hermann Torts here http://tortoiseforum.org/forum-10.html

I personally am not a fan of the heat pads. I prefer a MVB or a basking light with a florecent UVB and a nightime heat source like a Ceramic Heat Emitter or Infared bulb.
So to answer your question Yes you will need a UVB bulb if your tort does not have access daily to outside.

 

[tortoisenerd]

The "Sun Glow Basking Light" is an Exo Terra UVB bulb. As long as it is less than a year old, it is enough UVB. If you are not sure of the age of the bulb, I would recommend replacing it. The bulbs decay over time, so unless you have a UV meter you should replace them yearly (tube lights should be replaced every 6 months). The Mega Ray, T-Rex Active Heat, and new Powersun bulbs are more highly regarded for UVB output. See http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

The Bercury Vapor Bulbs (MVBs) need to be places in a 10 inch diameter or larger deep hood fixture with a ceramic socket. The bulb face need to be parallel to the substrate, and the fixture should be clamped to a lamp stand to adjust the height to get the correct basking temperature. I would nix the heat mat. What is the temperature gradient in the enclosure? With the MVB and the enclosure you pictured, you may not need additional heat this time of year. In winter, if your house is not at least 65 degrees at night or if your tort desires, you can use night heat with a Ceramic Heat Emitter or black light bulb. Some people use red bulbs but I think those burn out quick and of course emit light while the other two options are just heat.

I use the CHE in addition to the MVB 24/7 in the colder months, and have them staggered in my long enclosure. My tort will also "bask" under the CHE, especially upon awakening in the morning. This can be done if the temperature gradient can still be maintained without the radius of each heat source overlapping. You probably want to aim for a basking high temperature of 95 directly under the MVB, and a gradient in the 70s-90s for the enclosure. The tort will thermoregulate to its desired temperature. Be sure to adjust the bulb as the room temperature changes by raising and lowering it (I see some sort of light shining perpendicular to the surface?).

Also, make sure the water dish is big enough for the tort to get completely inside of to soak, if desired. There are some bowls available with steps or ramps, or you can sink a plant saucer or similar in the substrate.

I agree to get rid of the pellets.

Best wishes getting Trevey situated in his new home! My tort's name is Trevor, very similar. hehe

 

[Meg90]

RE: please help, very new to this/

Are you sure he's a herrmans? He looks Russian to me....It looks like he has some uneven growth (pyramiding). Can you post some clear/focused pictures of him?

 

[Crazy1]

Great catch Meg. I must confess I didn't even look at the pics. Yes he is a Russian.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Correction-It appears that basking bulb is not a UVB bulb (only UVA), but I saw on another post you have a UVB tube, so that is good. For the future, you can buy a regular light bulb for basking if you are also using a UVB strip. Although, a Mercury Vapor Bulb that does both may be a better choice.