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Old 16-10-2012, 10:45 PM   #1
Poon
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Exclamation Im new to all of this and need some help!

Hello there,

Today I adopted a 16 year old herman tortoise (so i'm told!), he has lived in a 4 by 1 foot viv and been fed all the wrong things according to research i have done here. He also currently sleeps under a semi circle of drainpipe with a heat mate stuck to the top. I have heard heat mats are not good either or is that just when they are underneath the floor of the viv?

His beak and claws are also too long currently, so I am planning on taking him to the vet in the next few days.

He wasn't hibernated by previous owner.

I would really appreciate all the help and guidance I can get from you guys with all the experience in keeping happy tortoises. I can provide a much better home than its previous owners and would like advice on how to best care for the tortoise considering his past living conditions.

Thank you in advance

Phil
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Old 16-10-2012, 11:53 PM   #2
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Hello and welcome, sorry I don't keep hibernating torts so can't help much, im not sure heat mats are a good idea as I'd be concerned the tort could get burnt on them. Have you got uvb light and heat bulb? could you use these instead?
This is a great site for getting info and I'm sure someone who can help will be along soon.
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Old 17-10-2012, 12:43 AM   #3
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He sleeps under the half drainpipe-type-thing with the heat mat and seems to enjoy it, should I take it out?

In the viv is a repti-glo 10.0 long bulb. is this appropriate?

I plan on putting him in a new table/viv adaption more suited to suggestions I have collected from members on here.

Thank you for your reply and help
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Old 17-10-2012, 01:15 PM   #4
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Hi Phil, firstly I wouldn't hibernate him this winter, you need to give him this winter and next summer to make sure he is fit and well, with the right diet and supplements , which you say you have already researched. You will need a basking bulb, which can be a 40 to 50w bulb and a uv strip bulb, or a combined uv heat bulb, many people on here use Arcadia but there are other makes , I have found Surrey pet supplies are very good , have everything you need and are about the cheapest . You will need to keep his lights on for 12 to 14 hrs a day over the winter, and night time temps need to be kept up , no Lower than 18 degrees. So a warm room. Most people on here keep their torts on sterilised top soil, no need to mix it with sand. Hope this helps get you started.
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Old 17-10-2012, 06:06 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mediterraneansuze View Post
Hi Phil, firstly I wouldn't hibernate him this winter, you need to give him this winter and next summer to make sure he is fit and well, with the right diet and supplements , which you say you have already researched. You will need a basking bulb, which can be a 40 to 50w bulb and a uv strip bulb, or a combined uv heat bulb, many people on here use Arcadia but there are other makes , I have found Surrey pet supplies are very good , have everything you need and are about the cheapest . You will need to keep his lights on for 12 to 14 hrs a day over the winter, and night time temps need to be kept up , no Lower than 18 degrees. So a warm room. Most people on here keep their torts on sterilised top soil, no need to mix it with sand. Hope this helps get you started.
Thank you very much for your help

So the best option is to ditch the heat mat and current lighting set up and get a combined heat and UV bulb?

His previous owner told me he has never hibernated so I was definitely going to avoid that, especially until I know he is 100% healthy etc.

She also told me she fed him banana, obviously, from researching on here and other useful online resources I know that is not a good diet for him. My question is because he has been eating the wrong diet for so long (16 years) can I completely ditch the junk and start feeding him the right weeds and supplements etc or will I need to filter these things out slowly? He ate some dandelions today.

Also I have noticed that a lot of resources heavily contradict each other on what is bad to feed a tortoise? What sources are the 'best'?

Finally, I got him in a 4x1ft vivarium - looks more suitable for snakes etc in my opinion. I have a plan to convert this into a two storey-open topped type thing. However the sides are still glass (3 of which currently have a pictured background) if i were to make it so he couldn't see outside would this be suitable indoor enclosure or should I just get rid of the viv and build a table?

I do apologize for the amount of questions, I just want to be able to turn this little guys life around for the better!

Thank you
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Old 17-10-2012, 06:23 PM   #6
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personally I'd ween him onto better food gradually, often just the move can upset torts and with all these changes going on he needs time to settle. Whatever he's been fed on for all those years won't do any more harm over a few more weeks, just reduce the bad things and replace them with good, maybe even rub the banana over some of the things he might not like. He will need to be on at least 5 different plants/weeds each day and not always the same things, dandelions although well liked shouldn't be the main leaf as they are a mild diuretic and don't take to hand feeding as they sometimes get so used to it they won't feed by themselves. You may have to chop the good foods up with the bad to begin with so he can't pick out what he likes, you might also consider using Pre Alpine cobs over the winter, they will add vital fiber and a couple fed well soaked mixed in with his greens might be worth thinking about. this is the link to where they can be bought and read about.http://www.tortoiselady.co.uk/page8.htm Whether you get rid of the viv will depend on how warm your room is, it will need to be heated to around 20c through the winter with a table as they can be hard to keep warm in a cold room, I prefer tables but it is easier to over winter in a viv if you don't have your heating on.

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Old 17-10-2012, 08:14 PM   #7
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The Tortoise Table is a good web site for telling you exactly what they can and can't eat, and it tells you all about supplements.I use the Pre Alpin that PG was telling you about. I would recommend it too.
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Old 22-10-2012, 06:37 AM   #8
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All good advice.
Poor guy, you don't want to make too many sudden changes. As long as the heat mat does not get to hot, or he does not sleep on top of it, then perhaps it can stay.
It is likely the Repti-glo is not putting out any UVB at this point, in part because it not as good a brand, and because they just wear out after about 6 months.
So focus on replacing the fluorescent tube light with a new, better quality bulb for UVB and a basking light on one end of your enclosure for heat, a warm side.
The other side of the enclosure should be cooler, around 20-22c.

Getting the UVB and heat right over the winter, along with a better diet, sounds like the first step.

Good for you to take this tortoise on!
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