Switching tortoise from vivarium to table setup

Switching from a wooden vivarium to an open tortoise table is one of the best decisions you can make for a tortoise — vivariums trap humidity and restrict airflow in ways that cause respiratory problems and shell deformities over time. Reptile welfare is almost entirely determined by getting the environment right: temperature gradient, UV lighting, humidity, and substrate all need to match the specific species' natural habitat, and getting this wrong causes chronic stress and illness. To point you in the right direction — what species is your tortoise, how old are they, and what part of the new setup are you working on first?

Good instinct to question the coir. It's not wrong exactly, but on its own it holds moisture in a way that doesn't suit a Mediterranean species like a Hermann's — they come from dry, scrubby terrain, and consistently damp substrate leads to shell problems and encourages bacteria. What were you mixing it with, if anything, and how deep was your substrate layer in the vivarium?

That explains a lot — 3 to 4 cm is too shallow, and straight coir stays wet. For a Hermann's on a tortoise table, you want a dry, loose mix that she can dig into and that mimics the sandy-loam soil of southern Europe. My recommendation is Lucky Reptile Tortoise Heaven substrate. It's a pre-blended topsoil and sand mix specifically formulated for Mediterranean tortoises, it drains well, it holds a burrow shape so she can actually dig, and it doesn't compact or go mouldy the way straight coir does. Aim for a depth of at least 8 to 10 cm — she's 4 years old and will want to dig and thermoregulate through depth. You can find it on Amazon UK easily. Are you also revisiting the UV and heat setup now you're moving to the open table?

For an open tortoise table, a T5 HO tube is the right format — it produces a stronger UV output over a wider area, which matters because there's no glass or mesh filtering the light like in a closed vivarium. A 10% UV rating is correct for a Hermann's, so that part is right. The key thing to check is the distance: your UV source needs to be positioned so the basking zone sits within the manufacturer's recommended range — usually around 25 to 40 cm from the lamp for a T5. If your current strip is a T8 or mounted higher than that, the UV reaching her will be insufficient even if the tube says 10%. What brand is the lamp, do you know?

Arcadia T5 is exactly what I'd have recommended, so you're in good shape there. Sort out the substrate first — get the Lucky Reptile Tortoise Heaven in and at proper depth, check your lamp height, and you'll have a genuinely good setup for her. Hermann's are hardy when the environment is right, and she'll be far better off in the open table.