Something wrong with my sully?

Pure Tortoise Power

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For the past 3 days, it seems to have lost a bit of appetite. It used to be able to eat the entire tortoise food, but now it only eats half of the food. I'm afraid that there's some kind of disease. Or is it because I fed it romaine lettuce 4 days ago and it has become a picky eater?
 

TechnoCheese

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We need some more info.

What are your enclosure temps? Basking, coolest part, and night?

Could we see a picture of your enclosure?
 

TechnoCheese

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Your enclosure should be no lower than 27 in the coolest part of the enclosure, and the basking spot should be 35-38. Also remove the coil bulb if you haven’t already.

Try soaking your tortoise for 20-30+ minutes in warm water.
 

Pure Tortoise Power

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Your enclosure should be no lower than 27 in the coolest part of the enclosure, and the basking spot should be 35-38. Also remove the coil bulb if you haven’t already.

Try soaking your tortoise for 20-30+ minutes in warm water.
I do soak it 2 times a day for 30 minutes. But what's the real cause on her slight loss of appetite though?
 

Tom

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I've shown my enclosure's details in my other posts, you can check them out. Thank you for your help
You expect us to go searching for old posts to help you and answer your question? Personally, I don't have the time or inclination to do that.

Appetite loss is usually due to cold temps and or winter lighting and day length.
 

Pure Tortoise Power

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You expect us to go searching for old posts to help you and answer your question? Personally, I don't have the time or inclination to do that.

Appetite loss is usually due to cold temps and or winter lighting and day length.
Alright I'm sorry for that, don't have to be mean about it. Anyway thanks for your help
 

Pure Tortoise Power

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You expect us to go searching for old posts to help you and answer your question? Personally, I don't have the time or inclination to do that.

Appetite loss is usually due to cold temps and or winter lighting and day length.
And may I ask what exactly you mean by winter lighting and day length?
 

Tom

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And may I ask what exactly you mean by winter lighting and day length?
In winter the "quality" of the light lessens, and the days get much shorter. I suspect there are other factors at work that also let warm, indoor tortoises know that its cold and wintery outside. Somehow they know, and sometimes this slows down their activity levels and appetite. There are things we can do to counteract this "winter effect" like warmer temps and brighter, better, or more lighting.

Tell us your four temperatures and what you are using for lighting and heating and we can can give you ideas about what, if anything, needs improvement or changing.
 

Pure Tortoise Power

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In winter the "quality" of the light lessens, and the days get much shorter. I suspect there are other factors at work that also let warm, indoor tortoises know that its cold and wintery outside. Somehow they know, and sometimes this slows down their activity levels and appetite. There are things we can do to counteract this "winter effect" like warmer temps and brighter, better, or more lighting.

Tell us your four temperatures and what you are using for lighting and heating and we can can give you ideas about what, if anything, needs improvement or changing.
At day, the warm side reaches 32°c and 24°c on the cool side. It's about the same at night. Here is a pic of my enclosure. Do you think it has something to do with it being a picky eater?

PS I know I should change the uvb, I'm working on buying a new one

PS I soak it in 35°c water twice a day and it starts taking a few bites and proceeds to enter its cave. I have to move it back to the food bowl for it to only take a few more bites. I have to do this quite a bit just to get it to eat a third of the tortoise food. IMG_20190108_093727.jpegIMG_20190109_092652.jpeg
 

Tom

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All of this is said to be helpful. I have to explain what is wrong, so you know what to fix.

I can't tell what sort of enclosure you are using but the dryness is greatly contributing to pyramiding in your baby. This needs to be corrected IMMEDIATELY. Every day that this continues, irreversible damage is done. Stopping pyramiding in progress is much harder than preventing it. Its already in progress in your baby. Your substrate appears to be dry and that is not good for babies.

24 is too cool. Likewise, 32 is not warm enough for the warm side and basking area. No part of the enclosure should drop below 26-27 day or night, and the basking area needs to be about 37.

You know those cfl lamps are bad, but you are still using it? They can burn tortoise eyes and in rare cases blind them. Eye pain would be enough to make me not want to eat.

That food bowl is fine for lizards and snakes, biut not so good for a tortoise. It will work better if you sink it into the substrate, but I'd replace it with a terra cotta plant saucer.

All of this and more is explained in more detail here. Following the advice in these threads will help get things on the right track. Fix the environment and the appetite will come back.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
 

Pure Tortoise Power

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All of this is said to be helpful. I have to explain what is wrong, so you know what to fix.

I can't tell what sort of enclosure you are using but the dryness is greatly contributing to pyramiding in your baby. This needs to be corrected IMMEDIATELY. Every day that this continues, irreversible damage is done. Stopping pyramiding in progress is much harder than preventing it. Its already in progress in your baby. Your substrate appears to be dry and that is not good for babies.

24 is too cool. Likewise, 32 is not warm enough for the warm side and basking area. No part of the enclosure should drop below 26-27 day or night, and the basking area needs to be about 37.

You know those cfl lamps are bad, but you are still using it? They can burn tortoise eyes and in rare cases blind them. Eye pain would be enough to make me not want to eat.

That food bowl is fine for lizards and snakes, biut not so good for a tortoise. It will work better if you sink it into the substrate, but I'd replace it with a terra cotta plant saucer.

All of this and more is explained in more detail here. Following the advice in these threads will help get things on the right track. Fix the environment and the appetite will come back.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
Thanks for all the advice
 

Pure Tortoise Power

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All of this is said to be helpful. I have to explain what is wrong, so you know what to fix.

I can't tell what sort of enclosure you are using but the dryness is greatly contributing to pyramiding in your baby. This needs to be corrected IMMEDIATELY. Every day that this continues, irreversible damage is done. Stopping pyramiding in progress is much harder than preventing it. Its already in progress in your baby. Your substrate appears to be dry and that is not good for babies.

24 is too cool. Likewise, 32 is not warm enough for the warm side and basking area. No part of the enclosure should drop below 26-27 day or night, and the basking area needs to be about 37.

You know those cfl lamps are bad, but you are still using it? They can burn tortoise eyes and in rare cases blind them. Eye pain would be enough to make me not want to eat.

That food bowl is fine for lizards and snakes, biut not so good for a tortoise. It will work better if you sink it into the substrate, but I'd replace it with a terra cotta plant saucer.

All of this and more is explained in more detail here. Following the advice in these threads will help get things on the right track. Fix the environment and the appetite will come back.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
I have a humidifier that can keep the enclosure at between 65 to 70% humidity.
 

TechnoCheese

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By the way Tom, I'm also concerned that if the substrate gets too wet, there would be a bacterial growth which would harm sully's health

Sulcatas are not at all susceptible to shell fungus, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Your humidity needs to be 80-100 percent, and you need to get your temps up. Your Sulcata likely isn’t eating because temps are too low.
 

Tom

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By the way Tom, I'm also concerned that if the substrate gets too wet, there would be a bacterial growth which would harm sully's health
If you use one of the correct substrates, microorganism growth will be inhibited. You don't want the substrate wet, just damp. Dampness will not harm your sulcata. Dryness could. I have hatch and raised 100's of sulcata babies on damp orchid bark in closed chambers. It helps them. It doesn't harm them. They hatch at the start of the rainy season over there. Warmth, humidity and dampness are very natural for baby sulcatas.
 

Tom

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Pure Tortoise Power

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