Horsfields in vivs.

[Nellie and Morla]

Originally Posted by Jess222

Right, i know a lot of people dont like torts being kept in vivs but if me and mum get one its prob gonna have to be a viv. Can horsfields successfully be kept in a viv?

Thanks x

We have 2 that are very happy in their vivs. They are 6ft long, 3ft wide, 18 inches high. They have cushion flooring down with kitchen roll in their favourite toilet spots. It isn't safe to keep soil in a viv for these as it would need to be just damp enough to avoid dust and then you have a humidity problem for Horsfield's. Ours have never shown much interest in digging anyway, they prefer to climb for some reason. Guess ours are weird. Anyway they have rocks and logs and plastic plants. Plus a tortoise bath at the cool end. This size is adequate since they get out twice each day to roam around our tortoise pen in the living room. This is where we provide a digging option but as I say these two rarely bother.

What I gather is regarding vivs, Herman's need similar but you can use soil as they aren't so likely to dig so less issues with dust.

[cherylahutch]

Originally Posted by Nellie and Morla

We have 2 that are very happy in their vivs. They are 6ft long, 3ft wide, 18 inches high. They have cushion flooring down with kitchen roll in their favourite toilet spots. It isn't safe to keep soil in a viv for these as it would need to be just damp enough to avoid dust and then you have a humidity problem for Horsfield's. Ours have never shown much interest in digging anyway, they prefer to climb for some reason. Guess ours are weird. Anyway they have rocks and logs and plastic plants. Plus a tortoise bath at the cool end. This size is adequate since they get out twice each day to roam around our tortoise pen in the living room. This is where we provide a digging option but as I say these two rarely bother.

What I gather is regarding vivs, Herman's need similar but you can use soil as they aren't so likely to dig so less issues with dust.

Mine are in a viv with topsoil and I don't have any problems with dust or humidity. As long as they are well ventilated they won't be too humid. I don't spray there topsoil and they love to dig in it. And climb as well they love there ramp. I think if you put some soil in there yours might just prove you wrong on the digging thing lol.

[EJ]

Sorry... A vivarium is exactly a fish tank use for terrestrial animals. These are ideal for keeping any reptile or amphibian that requires moisture... which all do.

The cabinet type enclosures with the slidding glass doors or doors on the front have only relatively recently been called Vivariums.

Fully enclosed glass enclosures have been called vivariums for over 100 years... since the Victorian era.

Originally Posted by cherylahutch

Fish tanks are not what I would describe as a viv. I'm not so sure I would be happy with mine in a fishtank how does it work for ventilation? Do you have the top open? Not a criticism just interested how it works.

[cherylahutch]

Indeed Ed you are right. I think what I meant was a fish tank as in to keep fish in not a really big glass tank if you see what I mean. I am not overly sure why the wooden cabinets most of us describe as vivariums are lumped into the same category as glass vivariums. Personally I think however tortoises are kept as long as they are well looked after by the owner it does not make much difference. But am sure a lot of people will disagree lol. I suppose it's more a space thing in a fish tank but I would not use one for the simple reason I would not like all that glass with kids and a dog asking for bother really, bad enough with toughened glass doors sometimes.

[EJ]

vi·var·i·um (v-vâr-m)
n. pl. vi·var·i·ums or vi·var·i·a (--) A place, especially an indoor enclosure, for keeping and raising living animals and plants under natural conditions for observation or research.


It's just that before herps became mainstream they were mostly kept in fishtank vivariums because that was the easiest way to provide a true semi natural habitat.

The London zoo kept their juvenile Egyptian tortoises in a 200 gal aquarium... and they grew fantasticly. It was, of course, set up as a terrestrial habitat.

Originally Posted by cherylahutch

Indeed Ed you are right. I think what I meant was a fish tank as in to keep fish in not a really big glass tank if you see what I mean. I am not overly sure why the wooden cabinets most of us describe as vivariums are lumped into the same category as glass vivariums. Personally I think however tortoises are kept as long as they are well looked after by the owner it does not make much difference. But am sure a lot of people will disagree lol. I suppose it's more a space thing in a fish tank but I would not use one for the simple reason I would not like all that glass with kids and a dog asking for bother really, bad enough with toughened glass doors sometimes.

[Merlin M]

Originally Posted by EJ

The London zoo kept their juvenile Egyptian tortoises in a 200 gal aquarium... and they grew fantasticly. It was, of course, set up as a terrestrial habitat.

What you mean it wasn't full of water??


(sorry I just couldn't resist!)

[EJ]

ter·res·tri·al (t-rstr-l)
adj. 1. Of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants.
2. Having a worldly, mundane character or quality.
3. Of, relating to, or composed of land.
4. Biology Living or growing on land; not aquatic: a terrestrial plant or animal.


(sorry... I just couldn't resist as well)

Originally Posted by Merlin M

What you mean it wasn't full of water??


(sorry I just couldn't resist!)

[Catwoman63]

love it!!!!!

[Nellie and Morla]

Originally Posted by cherylahutch

Mine are in a viv with topsoil and I don't have any problems with dust or humidity. As long as they are well ventilated they won't be too humid. I don't spray there topsoil and they love to dig in it. And climb as well they love there ramp. I think if you put some soil in there yours might just prove you wrong on the digging thing lol.

Maybe it was the specific kind we got. And they were on soil for a while. They never dug. We got advised by the vet to remove it from their vivs anyway because they're an absolute pair of plonkers and did nothing but try and eat the stuff. He warned us that if they're going that crazy trying to eat it there was still an impaction risk. So we supervise them with soil. Our 2 seem to prefer digging in newspaper tbh.