Tortoise Housing

The setup above has worked great for our hatchlinhg to 2 year olds. Its a combination of getting the lighting, humidity and temperature right, While there are many ways to go about this, we've created a mini-ecosystem here that we hope will give you the basics you need to get started. As the tortoise grows larger you can scale this by making a tortoise table or larger space.

Creating a Warm and Humid Area:
To create a warm and humid area, we've designed a plastic box on the left that contains long-fibered sphagnum moss, which we wet once a week. This creates a cozy and moist place for the hatchling to sleep and relax during the day, ensuring a smooth shell development. We use a Ceramic heat emitter attached to a thermostat to maintain a temperature of above 80 degrees, which keeps the humid hide comfortable for the hatchling. (Don't worry about the plastic box melting; there's a two-inch gap between the box and the heat emitter.)

Choosing the Right Substrate:
For the floor, we've used  coco coir, which holds humidity well without developing a bad odor.  We cover that with a inch of cypress mulch.  This helps hold the moisture in the soil below and make sure the bottom of the tortosies shells don't get to wet on the bottom.  You can also use potting soil, but we prefer coco coir for its excellent moisture retention.

Lighting and Heat:
We use a Mercury Vapor bulb that provides UVA, UVB, and heat, and set it on a timer for 12 hours a day. This gives the hatchling a place to bask, and we keep the basking spot temperature below 95 degrees. For a non-heat producing UVB lamp, we use the Zilla Reptile fixture.

Water Bowl:
We keep a saucer of water in the enclosure, but we've noticed that hatchlings don't drink from it often. So, we soak them outside the enclosure in about an inch or two of warm water for 15 minutes, 3-5 times a week. This is also when they usually pee and poop (don't worry; it's supposed to look like white glue).

Feeding:
We use a flat rock as a feeding area because it's easy to clean and helps to file down their beaks as they grow older.

Other Essential Tools:
We use lamp brackets to hold the lamps when needed.
A thermometer gun to monitor the temperature.
A thermostat to automate the heat.
A timer to automate the light.   (You may also want to use a Smart Plug that you already have for this)

While you could skip the thermostat and timer, we recommend using them to automate the setup and ensure consistency.

Some people prefer using a large Rubbermaid crate instead of an aquarium that can also be great. As they get larger others will build a tortoise box, which is essentially a small bookcase on its back. Regardless of the method you choose, make sure you provide a humid area for the tortoises to grow up comfortably and healthily.  That warm humidity will help ensure a smooth shell and a happy tortoise.

Outdoor Setup: If you plan to set up an outdoor enclosure, ensure it is safe and secure because hatchlings can squeeze through smaller gaps than you might expect. Also, ensure they have a humid hide, access to water, and plenty of plant cover to hide under. The outdoor sun is great for their growth and development, but they're vulnerable to backyard animals like dogs and cats. We recommend not letting them out 24/7 until they're 6 months old and it's above 70 degrees every day.