[markhill]

My gf's, sisters husband has just got a tortoise,I'm sorry I dont know what type, its either a Horsefield or Hermanns Tortoise,He has a heat mat but no lighting and says it doesnt need any uv lighting
I always thought torts needed heat lights and uv, I may be wrong!
Its about 4-5 inches in length from neck hole to tail hole, dony know its age, any help would be appreciated and passed on.

 

[spit]

Hi you not wrong all tortoises need uv lighting better if you can give them the real thing by putting them outside for a while but a strip light is must. You should check out the tortoise trust website,they got loads of good advice.
Hope the tort will be ok.

 

[kerrypudge]

Hi, can i just ask where they got the tortoise from?was it a petshop?did they get a viv for it aswell?
Please tell them to remove the heat mat,they are not needed and can burn tortoises.they definatly need to get a uv strip light or bulb min 8% and a standard 60watt bulb is fine for a basking lamp.
Horsefield torts love to dig so if thats what it is,it needs a deep substrate either hemp or sand/soil mix.
if the tort is in a viv please tell them to get it out as they are shortening its life to about 5 to 8 years,it will need an open topped enclosure.
If the tort is a Hermanns it should have come with an Article 10 certificate which will state country of origin,if its not uk,it is prob wild caught and full of parasites/worms.also what are they feeding it?
try:
www.tortoisetrust.org
www.shelledwarriors.co.uk
www.yahoo.co.uk/group/tortsmad
hth

 

[markhill]

Thanks for the help, not sure it will do any good they are not good when it comes to other peoples advice,I will pass on what you have said, I'm sorry I dont know where it came from(I know it was a pet shop) there keeping it in a 2 1/2 foot by 15 inch aquarium that I gave them(It was filled with fish and had a full set up).
I think they got the tort because they saw my beardy and decided they wanted one, so knowing what they are like I tried to put them off by over exaggerating how difficult they are to keep,then I unfortunatley found out they got the tort instead thinking that a heat mat and some lettuce was all they needed.
If they dont look after it and follow my advice I may be asking a lot more questions because I might have to "rescue" it.

 

[tomswel1]

Thanks for the help, not sure it will do any good they are not good when it comes to other peoples advice,I will pass on what you have said, I'm sorry I dont know where it came from(I know it was a pet shop) there keeping it in a 2 1/2 foot by 15 inch aquarium that I gave them(It was filled with fish and had a full set up).
I think they got the tort because they saw my beardy and decided they wanted one, so knowing what they are like I tried to put them off by over exaggerating how difficult they are to keep,then I unfortunatley found out they got the tort instead thinking that a heat mat and some lettuce was all they needed.
If they dont look after it and follow my advice I may be asking a lot more questions because I might have to "rescue" it.

well try to get them to either look after them properly or give them to someone who will, ignorance and being stubborn is stupid why get them in the first place?

 

[kerrypudge]

Please get them to see sense, a tortoise should live for 100 years and by keeping it in an aquarium it will not even live 10.if they wont listen,i seriously hope you can rescue it,it needs outdoor space to roam in summer. are they going to hibernate it this year?i bet the petshop said it doesnt need to hibernate for the first few years,which is total rubbish!
hope you can convince them to change their ways,they dont deserve to keep pets if they cant adapt it their needs
hth

 

[beestingbutterfly]

Everything every one has said here is spot on!! you've got some sound advice, but maybe it would be worth introducing your grfd relatives to this site it might open their eyes up. and make sure they get a decent UV light please!!! Zoomed gives off the best % of UVB that reptiles need lets hope its not too late! the pet shop seems to have neglected to give out some essential info that is needed here... Why dont they care!?

 

[markhill]

just want to thank everyone again for thier help,I told them today everything you all said,I will see wether they take any notice of what I've said,also, if it cant be kept in an aquarium what would be the best thing to put it in?c Can you decsribe some setups?,thanks.

 

[spit]

UV lights

Either a tortoise table or one of the perfecto vivs as these have mesh tops so plenty of ventilation.Check out the websites again cos these show you how to keep them.Good luck!

 

[kerrypudge]

dont get anything that the tort can see through,this will stress them out and they will just pace around trying to get out.
there are plenty of things you could get them to use,for example take an old bookcase and remove the shelves-a perfect tort enclosure or something similar,if the tort is a baby you could get a large plastic underbed storage box,i got one from homebase for £4. are they hibernating the tort in winter?i really hope they listen to you,its great that you wnt them to learn and change their ways

 

[markhill]

I told them to use a wooden walled box so that its enclosed around the sides, I know my snakes dont like to feel exposed so thought the same might apply to the tort.
They did thank me for finding out beacuse they said they dont want it to die,I think they were just misinformed by the shop,I just hope they listen to what I've told them and actually fork out a few quid for the stuff they need.