Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a few questions. I currently have 5
aquatic turtles, and soon I will be getting 2 Hermanns Tortoise
hatchlings. I am in the process of getting their indoor setup ready.
Since they are so tiny, I will be using an empty cartop carrier
which measures 4 ft. x 3 ft. When they get a little bit bigger, I
will be constructing a tortoise table (4 ft x 8 ft.) or possibly
giving them 1/2 of a spare bedroom. Next spring I will be making
them an outside enclosure. I have a few questions that I am hoping
someone can help me with.

1. What substrate should I be using. I have heard a mix of organic
potting soil & playsand, and I have also heard orchid bark (is this
the kind that is used to PLANT orchids?)

2. I know that I need a heat/basking UVB bulb. Should I be using a
ceramic heat emitter for night time? Can I also keep this on for
daytime & also use a Repti-Sun UVB bulb? For my aquatic turtles I
use a T-Rex Active bulb which emits both heat & uvb.

3. I plan on growing my own "weeds" and have seen Herbiseed by Lin
King mentioned several times. It sounds like this is highly
recommended by everyone who uses it. I would like to know if it is
possible to grow this indoors for the winter time (I know nothing
about growing weeds either!)
Any help, suggestions and comments are welcome & will be

Hi, I'm fairly new to Hermann's, but I'd be glad to pass on the info. given to me by an experienced Hermann's keeper:

1. What substrate should I be using. I have heard a mix of organic potting soil & playsand, and I have also heard orchid bark (is this the kind that is used to PLANT orchids?)

I use paper towels and folded dish towels for hides. This is working out very well, especially because it turned out that my hatchling had worms and it makes cleanups very easy. I do have pieces of slate and cork bark in the enclosure to break up the sight lines and give him something to climb on. He does have access to an outdoor pen where he can dig, though, and this winter I will put in a flat of weeds for him to graze.

2. I know that I need a heat/basking UVB bulb. Should I be using a ceramic heat emitter for night time? Can I also keep this on for daytime & also use a Repti-Sun UVB bulb? For my aquatic turtles I use a T-Rex Active bulb which emits both heat & uvb.

If you are using a UVB bulb, I don't think you'll need a CHE, too. I'd get the UVB first and check the temps. If your ambient temps stay at about 75 or above, you shouldn't need a heat source at night. I do use a UTH set at about 78 degrees under his sleeping area, just in case it gets too chilly.

3. I plan on growing my own "weeds" and have seen Herbiseed by Lin King mentioned several times. It sounds like this is highly
recommended by everyone who uses it. I would like to know if it is possible to grow this indoors for the winter time (I know nothing about growing weeds either!)

I've planted the Medi-Mix sold on turtlestuff.com. I'm not sure if I got a dud batch or what, but the variety of weeds coming up is pretty limited--it's supposed to be something like 20 species, and I'm only seeing maybe 6. You should be able to grow weeds indoors if you have a sunny area to grow them in. Also, if you do some research, you'd be surprised how much tort food there is growing out there. My kids are constantly pointing out mulberry trees, opuntia, hibiscus, dandelions, etc. The only hard part is making sure the stuff isn't sprayed.

As I said, I haven't had my Hermann's long, but most of this info. was passed on to me by someone with experience (thanks, Lori!).
-----
Jeannie

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa (Bella)
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake (Bess)
1.1 Rubber Boas (Isaiah & Esther)
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise (Moxie)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (George)
2.0 DSH Cats (Amos & Silas)
1.0 English Springer Spaniel (Jimmy)
and...
2.0 Kids w/ 0.0.1 California King Snake (Rex), 0.1 Leopard Gecko (Geico), 1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa (Lucas)
1.0 Husband (no pets, lol)

Sounds like you have a excellent plan and have done your homework. That alone will ensure your Herman's will do very well. FWIW, tortoises are much easier than aqautics. When I started with Chelonians 30 years ago I had both and tortoises were so much easier than I haven't had a "turtle" since the late '70s.

First, which type of Herman's are you going to purchase? Western or Eastern? My only reason for asking is IMHO the Eastern race is hardier and can take a wider tempurature range.

Substrate: 50/50 topsoil/play sand is the way to go. It's the closest mimic to their natural area. Herman's aren't diggers like Russian's so how friability of the substrate isn't important. Put plenty of plants they can hide under in your enclosure.

UVB lighting: You don't need a heat emitter for Herman's as adults, but with that said, for hatchlings as long as the nightime temp doesn't go below 60-65 they will be fine. Once they hit one they should be able to handle down into the 50's at night. T-Rex uvb/heat bulbs will be perfect for them.

Weeds: You can save yourself the hassle of growing them indoors and not knowing the Ca/Ph ratio by feeding them a good salad mix. When they are outdoors lime the soil first and let it sit for a few months before you plant a "grazing mix". This ensures that the forage will uptake as much calcium (from the lime) as possible. I do this every other fall. When indoors, feed them a mix of 50% dandelions, 20% grape leaves, 20% plantain, 10% chopped opuntia cactus pads. If you can't get grape leaves or plantain (organic dandelions you can find at a Whole Foods or any higher end grocery store) use romaine lettuce/endive and turnip greens or kale. The above mix works out to a 5:1 Calcium to Phosphorus ratio, which is vital for a growing tortoise. Sprinkle a non-phosphorus calcium powder on the mix every other day and you will see smooth shell growth and firm poop, given the correct temps and humidity in their enclosure. I also use HerpNutrition's (www.herpnutrition.com)Grassland Tortoise mix for all our arid species (and their Forest Tort mix for our Redfoot's) and the results have been excellent. I recommend it without reservation for your Herman's.

Keep up with your research and good luck with your Herman's!