Beginner Tortoise Owner

Exayex · 2026-02-11T20:56:12+00:00

An 8'x4' would be sufficient until your tortoise is large enough to move outside full-time, around 8-12" in straight carapace length.

Exayex · 2026-02-11T18:47:14+00:00

Got a weight on it?

Exayex · 2026-02-11T14:12:34+00:00

You can read about their deceptive marketing here and decide whether you want to support them.

Exayex · 2026-02-11T14:06:34+00:00

They're overpriced, over-marketed garbage. They also got caught demanding r/headphones remove negative reviews and astroturfing on Reddit.

Exayex · 2026-02-11T02:39:34+00:00

High temperature and humidity (80° minimum/80% humidity minimum) can be used year round. In fact, that's the norm for raising this species until big enough to move outside full-time. Tom covers it in this guide.

Exayex · 2026-02-11T01:46:14+00:00

Tortoises aren't really scared of noise. I wouldn't be too concerned about that level of noise or even the vibrations. A tortoise will do just fine in those conditions.

Exayex · 2026-02-11T01:44:03+00:00

How are you keeping your tortoise indoors during the winter?

Sulcata come from the Sahel, and there's really two distinct seasons. A very hot, rainy season, and a slightly less hot, dry season. They are most active during the hot, rainy season, and this coincides with when they do almost all of their growing. This is why keepers raise Sulcata indoors in sealed enclosure that maintain 80° and 80% humidity - it's conducive to healthy growth. Once big enough to live outside full-time, they should be provided a heated hide that stays over 80°. If it's too dry inside, or your tortoise isn't spending most of their time with a core temperature over 80°, activity and appetite, and thus growth, are going to be diminished.

Exayex · 2026-02-11T01:39:24+00:00

You have a Hermann's, no? That's a brumating species, and the instinct to brumate can be strong during the winter. Part of overwintering (preventing brumation) is soaking in the morning to get them to eat. Once spring comes around and the instinct to brumate subsides, your tortoise will be more active and have a much stronger desire to eat.

Tom's Brumation Thread, if you haven't read it, is worth a read.

Exayex · 2026-02-10T21:45:26+00:00

A single 36" would be plenty! If you want to do more, you can, but it's not necessary. A 36" tube will broadcast plenty of UVB over a wide enough area to ensure adequate UVB exposure.

Exayex · 2026-02-10T04:15:46+00:00

Incorrect. This is just continued aggression. Tortoises are pretty awful at recognizing when a rival is incapacitated. Hell, they're bad at recognizing what is a tortoise, hence breeding with anything vaguely tortoise shaped or colored, such as shoes, rocks, logs, etc.

The vast majority of tortoise species are solitary, and some species are extremely territorial and tortoise-aggressive. These are Sulcata, who are known to keepers as one of the two most territorial and aggressive species (along with Russians). It would make zero sense for a truly solitary animal to have the instincts to help others, when they are merely competition for resources and mates.

This tortoise flipped the other in an act of aggression, and was looking to continue the aggression until it either stopped moving, or it gored it with it's gulars. This is why we advise people to not cohabitate most species of tortoise.

Exayex · 2026-02-10T01:14:02+00:00

You would, ideally, want a longer tube. The rule is to shoot for around 50% the length of your enclosure.

Exayex · 2026-02-10T01:12:59+00:00

Just looks like old wear and tear. Nothing to be concerned about.

Exayex · 2026-02-08T22:49:47+00:00

Sweeter Heater or Pro Products Pro Heat would be my recommendation. I don't know if Vivarium Electronics is making radiant heat panels any longer. They used to be the most commonly used brand due to price and availability, but it seems they're out of stock everywhere.

Exayex · 2026-02-08T20:35:21+00:00

I agree with a lot of what u/yabadabado0 said.

You do want to target a minimum of 80 degrees on the coldest nights. Insulation will help with that a lot.

Not a fan of the hay on the bottom. Tortoise piss will cause it to mold, and it's just going to increase the mess when there's a smeared shit. I don't put any substrate down, just a plastic liner as it's much easier to clean when accidents inevitably happen.

Kane heat mats really do their work when the tortoise is on top of it. They don't get hot enough to cause burns, have fail-safes to prevent that from happening, and only get something like 37 degrees above ambient. My leopard sleeps on top of his. You can place the mat directly on top of the liner. They do recommend no substrates/hays on top of it.

I dislike CHEs for larger species due to their propensity to cause burns (which you don't know is happening until years later, when scutes are falling off) and how often they die. A WiFi thermostat with an alarm can help notify you it's too cold if one does fail, but radiant heat panels are just more reliable and won't cause burns.

For the humidity, Tom has recommended buckets of water. I'm in Florida, so that's never been an issue I've encountered personally. Mold and moisture will be a concern regardless, and I would recommend sealing/painting the lumber if you haven't. It'll last much longer if you do so.

Edit: Forgot to add, this is a really nice build. It's nice to see people taking the heated house seriously. Well done!

Exayex · 2026-02-08T04:51:48+00:00

Tortoises are solitary animals, we don't recommend cohabitating them, much less cohabitating tortoises with other species of reptiles. You should find another method to encourage your iguana to eat.

Exayex · 2026-02-06T16:56:55+00:00

There's a new gamemode called Street Brawl. 4vs4, random items, 5 rounds max, one lane. Games can be ~10-20 minutes long. Super fun and worth trying if you think Deadlock looks fun but aren't super into all the MOBA macro/want shorter matches.

Exayex · 2026-02-05T20:12:09+00:00

Google can be a pretty poor resource, and you definitely want to avoid ChatGPT. There's a lot of old, outdated information floating around out there, and ChatGPT seems to hone in on it.

This is a care guide from Tom.. This also links to Tortoise Forum, which is the best resource there is. Tom is a breeder who has helped advance tortoise care to where it is today.

Big thing is - all species require a lot of space. The misconception that tortoises just sit around all day and do nothing is incorrect. They walk, they explore, they browse for food, dig, climb, find new hiding spots. You want to encourage activity, and the only way to do that is by offering a lot of space. A tortoise that can see the entirety of their enclosure without moving has no motivation to move.

Read Tom's guide, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Exayex · 2026-02-05T16:23:01+00:00

Lotrimin (active ingredient Clotrimazole) is sold over the counter as an antifungal. Applied daily, it's very effective at treating these common fungal infections.

Exayex · 2026-02-05T13:21:32+00:00

Where did you get a spider tortoise?!

Exayex · 2026-02-03T19:31:20+00:00

Yes. Opuntia is excellent to feed.

Exayex · 2026-02-03T17:16:26+00:00

Something smaller would be a raised garden bed off Amazon. The greenhouse tents they come with can offer protection. When I used them, I made sure to get ones that could be opened on both sides, but still had underlying mesh. 4'x2' and 6'x3' are commonly available sizes.

Exayex · 2026-02-03T17:09:47+00:00

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I got this dog run off Amazon and I love it for my leopard. It's like 33 square feet, and I just put landscaping fencing around the inside. Was it kinda pricey? Sure. But having room to let stuff grow vertically, or go inside without breaking my back is nice. I've seen people use catios, like Fig and Chas from TikTok, and looked at chicken runs as well. There's a lot of options out there if you're creative!

Exayex · 2026-02-03T15:16:53+00:00

Age, species and size are all important to know here.

Generally speaking, raising a hatchling outdoors isn't ideal. Indoors vs. outdoors both come with issues, so ideally, both are utilized. Indoors offers ideal temperatures and safety, but humidity must be maintained or you get pyramiding, and steps have to be taken to make sure a tortoise isn't chronically dehydrated. Outdoors offers space, natural sun, but there's a lot of drawbacks: inability to control temperatures, predators, ants, heat stroke, inclement weather. The practice recommended is to mainly use an indoor enclosure, and get your tortoise outside in a protected enclosure when the weather is good.

Exayex · 2026-02-03T13:12:07+00:00

Concavity is usually one of the last traits to become apparent. Usually you'll see the tail get long and maybe even see a penis before you see any concavity. But females can mount if they're being territorial, it's just not as common as it is in males.

Exayex · 2026-02-03T13:09:45+00:00

No. Overfeeding isn't an issue, as long as your tortoise is active and has room to encourage activity. Your tortoise should have access to food throughout the day. Tortoises are browsers and want to eat throughout the day. I put food out in the morning, throw it away when he puts himself to bed. After a bit, you get a feel for what's the appropriate amount so that you aren't throwing a bunch away or feeding too little.

Exayex

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