newbie with new hermans

[hocky]

Hello
new owner with concerns.
I answered a ad for a hermans with full set up.
I was told it was a uk bred hermans, i collected him last night complete with table uv light basking lamp and a tub of nutrobol.
uv light is on a timer 7am-9pm and the red basking lamp is on a controlled thermostat device.
I have had a good look at the paperwork and it was captive bred in slovania in 2007 is this a problem? also he was bought from a petshop originally and the petshops name is still on the paperwork not the owner i bought it from, is this a problem? do i need to get the paperwork updated?

I have spoken to the previous owner about feeding and it seems he has been fed on mainly lettuce and cherry tomatoes (petshop advice i presume).
the table floor has been covered with playsand, i have read some where on here this is not good so please any advice on all aspects would be a great help please. feeding,substrate,calcium,nutrobol, bathing. I will try and post a picture of him, i hope he is OK,i know i let my heart rule my head but i did not want to leave him,i am confident i can look after him better with some good advice from this great site.
thanks in advance Hocky

[Bindi]

Hi there

Congratulations on your new tort!
A Slovenian tort is generally speaking no problem, however it may be advisable to get him tested at your vet for wroms and protoza as some of the Slovenian torts are reported to carry a high worm load. There is some hearsay about the possibility of them also having other illnesses but there are also many many keepers of Slovenians which are perfectly and healthy


As the Article 10 you got from the original owner was not in their name, it is strictly speaking an illegal sale. If you were to sell your tort on you need to get the cert put in your name. However, this is only necessary IF you wish to sell your tort. When a tortoise reaches a plastron length of over10cm Defra state that the tort must be microchipped and the paperwork updated. Again this is only necessary if you wish to sell or at a later date to breed from your tortoise.
Most keepers consider 10cm to be too small to do this and will wait until the tort is much bigger.


Lettuce and tomatoes are not good foods for torts, lettuce contains virtually nothing in the way of nutrition but can be good for hydration. Tomatoes shouldn't be fed as they can interfere with gut flora.
A good variety of weeds is a healthy diet to feed your tortoise and of course they're free! If you have a look in the Edible Weeds section you will get lots of ideas there. A member has also put together an excellent printable booklet which you should also find in that section.

I use a mixture of topsoil and playsand (70% topsoil 30% sand) in my enclosure.

My torts have cuttlefish in their enclosure, Nutrobal on thier food 4 or 5 times a week and a dish of limestone flour is a good idea.

I bathe my young torts every other day

I'm sure others will soon be here to add their thoughts

[hocky]

Originally Posted by Bindi

Hi there

Congratulations on your new tort!
A Slovenian tort is generally speaking no problem, however it may be advisable to get him tested at your vet for wroms and protoza as some of the Slovenian torts are reported to carry a high worm load. There is some hearsay about the possibility of them also having other illnesses but there are also many many keepers of Slovenians which are perfectly and healthy


As the Article 10 you got from the original owner was not in their name, it is strictly speaking an illegal sale. If you were to sell your tort on you need to get the cert put in your name. However, this is only necessary IF you wish to sell your tort. When a tortoise reaches a plastron length of over10cm Defra state that the tort must be microchipped and the paperwork updated. Again this is only necessary if you wish to sell or at a later date to breed from your tortoise.
Most keepers consider 10cm to be too small to do this and will wait until the tort is much bigger.


Lettuce and tomatoes are not good foods for torts, lettuce contains virtually nothing in the way of nutrition but can be good for hydration. Tomatoes shouldn't be fed as they can interfere with gut flora.
A good variety of weeds is a healthy diet to feed your tortoise and of course they're free! If you have a look in the Edible Weeds section you will get lots of ideas there. A member has also put together an excellent printable booklet which you should also find in that section.

I use a mixture of topsoil and playsand (70% topsoil 30% sand) in my enclosure.

My torts have cuttlefish in their enclosure, Nutrobal on thier food 4 or 5 times a week and a dish of limestone flour is a good idea.

I bathe my young torts every other day

I'm sure others will soon be here to add their thoughts

THANKS FOR THE INFO, I will not be selling him so no problem with the article 10 then.
I know this sounds abit thick but when you say top soil, do you mean dirt? (sorry never been a keen gardener)
with reference to bathing do i use luke warm water in a shallow bowl? and will i need to dry him afterwards?
thanks

[linda]

Originally Posted by hocky

THANKS FOR THE INFO, I will not be selling him so no problem with the article 10 then.
I know this sounds abit thick but when you say top soil, do you mean dirt? (sorry never been a keen gardener)
with reference to bathing do i use luke warm water in a shallow bowl? and will i need to dry him afterwards?
thanks

top soil
you can use ordinary garden soil as long as it hasnt been treated with chemical
most of use use bought steralised top soil from B&Q homebase etc
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.js...soil&x=30&y=12

yes luke warm water
any bowl deep enough to contain the tort
i use a washing up bowl
some people dry the tort after
others dont
its up to you

[16 shells]

Hi Hocky all advice above is good from Bindi and Linda, just add the depth of the water is just lipping the bottom shell, and under the neck, congrats on taking the tort and altering the diet

[hocky]

Originally Posted by 16 shells

Hi Hocky all advice above is good from Bindi and Linda, just add the depth of the water is just lipping the bottom shell, and under the neck, congrats on taking the tort and altering the diet

all advice taken on board,thanks.
a few more answers please.
do i switch off basking lamp at night? and how do i post pictures? i think ther is a bit of extra shell growth on the top of him.
thanks Again

[Bindi]

Yes lights go off at night, torts need a day/night cycle. Lights should be on for 12 hours a day, some people find it beneficial to keep them on a bit longer through the winter if they are not hibernating their torts

Here is a link to explain how to post pictures: http://shelledwarriors.co.uk/forum/s...ad.php?t=18212

[shellonia]

Hi Hocky,glad you've taken on this tortoise.You can ask anything you like on here so great to meet you.There's a great deal of info and experience and you'll learn loads.Hope you really enjoy him-they're great creatures

[michelle g]

hi hocky
Is the tort alfie that was advertised on preloved? As i queried a tort with similar diet, kept on sand and fed the same diet. He also showed some pyramiding on the photos.
If so glad you have taken him on x

[hocky]

Originally Posted by michelle g

hi hocky
Is the tort alfie that was advertised on preloved? As i queried a tort with similar diet, kept on sand and fed the same diet. He also showed some pyramiding on the photos.
If so glad you have taken him on x

Hello
not sure about what he was called but it was on preloved where i saw him.