What to get for a tortoise set-up?

[nemoinky]

Hi, We're thinking of getting a tortoise, we haven't really decided what kind yet (any recommendations would be great!).

What kind of enclosure should we use for indoors, vivarium etc? What equipment do we need for the little one?

Any help/advice would be greatly appretiated. We've never had a tortoise before.

Thanks loads

[SWsarah]

If you need any seeds, calcium, water bowls etc let me know. See signature for shop

[Andy b 1]

dont put it in a viv or feed it pellets

[Andy n Claire]

you have pm

[Tina]

Hi and to RFUK. It's a little difficult to give any advice on housing or feeding unless you know which species of tort you would like to keep. Good starter torts are hermanns, horsfielsd, spur thighs and marginated or if you'd prefer a tortoise that you don't need to hibernate then redfoots are a good choice (though they do grow bigger).

This link will give you a lot of information about med tortoises:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/newbi...ful-links.html

Good luck choosing your species!

[nemoinky]

Hi, Thanks for all your help guys. We're thinking probably a Hermanns tortoise or a Red Foot. What kind of materials are best for building a tortoise table? Are there any to specifically avoid? Also, just out of interest, how come you can't keep them in vivs?

Thanks again everyone

[aerofine]

Theres quite a few tort tables on ebay at the mo and they will do custom made tort tables for you at whatever size - it saves you the hassle of making one!

I have just bought one from Cosy Tortoises on ebay

[tortoisechap]

Originally Posted by nemoinky

Hi, Thanks for all your help guys. We're thinking probably a Hermanns tortoise or a Red Foot. What kind of materials are best for building a tortoise table? Are there any to specifically avoid? Also, just out of interest, how come you can't keep them in vivs?

Thanks again everyone

Vivs are generally seen as bad due to the beleif they can over heat easily and have a poor circulation of air as well as retaining humidy. None of the things a hermans really wants. Tortoises having shells makes it quite a feat to breath so having an open topped table allows easier breathing than a stuffy viv. Though if you live in a cold house a viv might be appropriate as tort tables can take alot to heat. Tort tables can me modified from alot of furnture or simply built out of wood. Or you can buy a cheap rabbit hutch like me.

[totor boy]

we had a unit in our living room we were debating whther to get rid of and so we took the doors off it turned it on its side and theres our table basically! cheap and easy. any wood should be ok really. if you go to b&q u can buy mdf n they will cut it to size for u

[fantapants]

as the others have said, a tortoise table can be as simple or as complex, as cheap and as expensive as you like! my best tortoise table was two plastic underbed boxes as they fitted together on top of a unit perfectly. at £7 each they were a bargain too. on the other hand, my husband has just spent £50 on a huge deep gravel try , plywood, mdf and some beautiful ornamental wooden edging to make a tortoise table for my mum. my step dad is a moaner so for my mum to have a tortoise table it has to be a pretty one that matches the furniture!

in deciding whta type you want you need to consider some different things. can you have a seperate indoor and outdoor tortoise enclosure? if not the one you buy/make needs to be portable. do you have small children or cats and dogs? if yes, you will need to make sure an indoor and outdorr enclosure is fully secure, with mesh or a cage over the top. if you live in a house where all of your furniture must be fully co-ordinated and matching, then a bookcase from the same range, on its back with shelves removed may be best.

well done on researching your tortoises needs before actually buying it!