More advice for the 2 adopted hermanns pls ?

Question

ok after my last post i added the vet recommended a viv for the time being as uv and temp control was a must for these poor neglected creatures, however can anyone advise as to the humidty level suitable for them and how best to adjust inside viv ? i currently have a 40w reflector bulb as their basking light which is giving them a hot end of 86 and cool end of 60 which i understand is fine but humidity stays at 60 and i been told needs be lower , is this true if so how can i lower ? also i was told they like to eat cuttlefish can they have this along with nutrabol that vet said to use daily in feed or is that like an overload if i put cuttlefish in tank as well , the larger one mentioned in my last posting i now know has pitting in his plastron due to lack of calcium / uv lighting from his last owner which we are tryin to help repair, vet said give max 12 hours uv for now until looks better then can lower a bit ? for those of you who have been helping in my postings before u be happy to hear small one is very active now and waking up by herself and feeding herself (she loves the dandelions and toms), so any more advice you guys can post to me much appreciated wether about my above topics or anything else i should know about,

cheers gb57

Answer 1

I'm sorry to tell you but you have being misinformed by your vet. Vivs are completely unsuitable for tortoises. A tortoise table is much more suitable as it allows adequet airflow and suitable microclimate. Vets often give out bad old fasioned advice when it comes to tortoises.

The humidity does need to be much lower than 60% and this would be achieved by changing from a viv to a tortoise table setup.

Its perfectly alright to include cuttlefish in their setup as they will excrete excess calcium.

Give your torts 12 hours of uv everyday and continue to do so forever. But also try to get them outside in the sun. Just a few hours is highly beneficial even if the weather is slightly over cast.

I think you should also increase the range of weeds you feed your torts and cut out the tomato as much as possible as it contains high levels of oxalates which inhibit calcium absorption.

Please join this forum as it really helps me when i have questions regarding my tort. You can also look at pics of other peoples setups and tortoises. You will always get top notch info on here!

http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/forum/

Join and ask as many questions as you wish. Its a must for all tort keepers!  

Answer 2

To create a good substrate.. you can use coconut coir (or bed a beast) mixed with play sand. If you mist it twice a day you will have the correct humidity. You can try planting some edible plants in there, it could be a good indicator on how good your soil is. If plants are growing and thriving, its good enough for the tortoise :) It could also be a nice snack for the little guys/girls! The plastron may never fully heal, and it can't heal that quickly. 12 hrs of UV is good to start with. vitamin d3 is a great recommendation too. However I need to know more about their diets and lighting. Its important to have the correct UVA and UVB bulbs, or they can't properly digest and absorb the nutrients in their food. I hope to help you further!

Reply..

I know there has been a lot of talk about using Viv's. I'm sorry but I really have to agree. Viv's don't keep in heat. And right now 60 is way too cool. It should be a lot higher. Viv's also have a problem maintaining proper humidity. I know your vet may be "top notch" but the info that he has given you is very outdated. Vivs are in no way suitable for Tortoises..ever. Especially if your torts were sick recently. It would just be a bad idea. Hope this helps some.

Answer 3

i am sorry but your vet if he knew his stuff about tortoises would know a viv is not the best place for a tortoise as   it gets too moist and can cause shell rot here is an article from the tortoise trust as to why you should house them on a tortoise table rather than a tank http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/ho... an exotic animal speciality does not always cover tortoises so although the qualifications are good it does not mean he has a speciality in chelonia care,  a tortoise needs a good heat but a low humidity as a humidity that is too high can cause respiratory conditions you can lower humidity but allowing more air flow into the enclosure a closed in tank or viv will keep humidity levels high so open the viv up to allow more air flow, you can feed a cuttle bone as well as a calcium supplement and you can't over dose them with calcium you can put a whole cuttle bone in with your tortoise to chew on as well as a supplement this way if the tortoise needs more calcium then it will eat the cuttle bone, a tortoise needs 12 hrs of UV exposure a day, it can be reduced in the winter months to 10 hrs but if your tortoise is being over wintered then it is best to keep it at 12 until your tortoise is in better health the shell damage might not get any better but you can stop it getting any worse with the correct treatment, here are some sites that may be of some use to you  http://www.tortoisetrust.org/  this is a really good one it has lots of articles on correct tortoise care and housing and is useful to use as a reference here are some other ones i use for research which might help you if you follow the care for mediteranean tortoises you can't go far wrong       http://www.slowcoach.org.uk/      http://whttp://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/ ww.tlady.clara.net/id16.htm   http://www.britishchelonia.org/     i am glad your little tortoise is on its way to recovery honey and i hope he carries on makeing good progress but do some research and you will be able to do your best for your tortoises best of luck honey  

Answer 4

I am guessing your vet isn't a herp vet and if he/ she is they have not been keeping up to dae with thier research.  All of the latest research points to vivs being wholey unsuitable for tortoises and as a result they can and do cause illness regularly.  Check some of this research at the Tortoise Trust Website.

I rehomed two torts that had been in a viv.  They were a disgusting orange, singed colour and they both had low grade chest infections.  There were marked improvements in the breathing of both of them with in 72 hours of moving into a table top enclosure.  They now live out side with a cold frame for cold days and they haven't had any breathing problems since.  Obviously when temps get too cold they will come in, to their table until hibernation.

Cuttlefish and Nutrobal is fine.  They will ownly scrape at the cuttlefish if they need it.  It might sit there for months until they take, then others love it.

The temps under your basking lamp should be about 32degrees C and no lower than 20 dgrees C at the cooler end.  This allows for the tortoises to be able to thermoregulate, which is a natural process.

Good Luck

Answer 5

Hermanns need a temperature of a minimum 82f in the cold end and between 95-100f in the hot end, any cooler than that and they will get a cold. They like a wide range of veg, the darker the greens the better. i.e. greens, cabbage, flat leaf parcley, turnips, parsnips and the like. Make sure the uv lighting is placed on the floor. Uv has to be with in 6" of the tortoise for them to benefit from it otherwise it is useless, despite what it may say on the box.