Luci’s progress

[catprincx]

Hi! What size you are able to fit in? Do you have space outdoors for him?

Two-stories enclosures are more complex to build and maintain but can work for sulcatas too. L-shaped and one-level with long gallery are also fine.

Hello! I can probably fit a 8 foot enclosure i just got to move things around, i have a lot of stuff in my room. I was just wondering if it was a possibility. I have outdoor space for him too when he gets big enough but I also hope to move somewhere with more outdoor space.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello! I can probably fit a 8 foot enclosure i just got to move things around, i have a lot of stuff in my room. I was just wondering if it was a possibility. I have outdoor space for him too when he gets big enough but I also hope to move somewhere with more outdoor space.

Two-level enclosures will work. Ramp takes a lot of space (but space underneath can be reused as a hide).

Width of the enclosure is also important: for a 5-6" tortoise it's getting difficult to navigate around 2' wide enclosure (because of appropriately sized hides, food and water dishes, for example).

 

[Maggie3fan]

Am I understand good, you have a 10 pound tortoise wich is living in a 6x2.5 enclosure?

As I wrote above mine is already living outside in a ~750 sqrfeet fanced area, furthermore only the weather can influence humidity.

Nowhere did I say I have a 10 pound tortoise...but don't start with me...you are hostile and giving bad advice. Maybe in your world " only weather can influence humidity" but in MY world, I influence humidity...just like I told you in your first post...Do not be giving out your bad advice on humidity...this is not your thread...drop it
catprincx...
This is a tort table with a greenhouse set on top of it...It's not the 8' that Tom recommends...it's a 6 ft x 2.5 ft wooden, not pine, not cedar box with a plastic shower curtain liner stapled it in. It hold the necessary high 85 to 90% humidity with 85 degrees...it had held a Redfoot and a juvenile Sulcata, at seperated times...both needing the same thing tho...I am an old lady without much money...but this works really well and doesn't cost a fortune...shop Amazon for the green house...keep asking questions and I love your photos...I was looking for a photo of that small Sulcata when I came across a happy Mary Knobbins playing in the sprinkler
she's a pretty good example of what happens if their care is not what they need...and humidity is necessary...Mary is about 5 years old in the picture and about 25 pounds

 

[catprincx]

Nowhere did I say I have a 10 pound tortoise...but don't start with me...you are hostile and giving bad advice. Maybe in your world " only weather can influence humidity" but in MY world, I influence humidity...just like I told you in your first post...Do not be giving out your bad advice on humidity...this is not your thread...drop itView attachment 393300
catprincx...
This is a tort table with a greenhouse set on top of it...It's not the 8' that Tom recommends...it's a 6 ft x 2.5 ft wooden, not pine, not cedar box with a plastic shower curtain liner stapled it in. It hold the necessary high 85 to 90% humidity with 85 degrees...it had held a Redfoot and a juvenile Sulcata, at seperated times...both needing the same thing tho...I am an old lady without much money...but this works really well and doesn't cost a fortune...shop Amazon for the green house...keep asking questions and I love your photos...I was looking for a photo of that small Sulcata when I came across a happy Mary Knobbins playing in the sprinklerView attachment 393301
she's a pretty good example of what happens if their care is not what they need...and humidity is necessary...Mary is about 5 years old in the picture and about 25 pounds

Love the pic! I cant wait for Luci to get big but I know I will then miss his size now. 6 ft x 2.5 ft sounds more doable and I will def look into the greenhouses on amazon.

 

[catprincx]

More pics!



First thing in the morning when his lights turn on he loves to come out and stretch on this piece of terracotta and warm himself up. It’s so cute!



The only way I can get him to eat Mazuri is on cucumber. Can he eat too much cucumber? I give him mazuri twice a week.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

More pics!

View attachment 393320

First thing in the morning when his lights turn on he loves to come out and stretch on this piece of terracotta and warm himself up. It’s so cute!

View attachment 393321

The only way I can get him to eat Mazuri is on cucumber. Can he eat too much cucumber? I give him mazuri twice a week.

Mazuri and cucumber is a good combination Cucumber is good for hydration but low in nutrients so Mazuri compliment it nicely. Yet it worth trying to offer Mazuri mixed with other foods.

 

[catprincx]

Mazuri and cucumber is a good combination Cucumber is good for hydration but low in nutrients so Mazuri compliment it nicely. Yet it worth trying to offer Mazuri mixed with other foods.

I try to mix it in his other food, like finely chopped grass and his greens but he finds a way to pick it out. The cucumber is the only way I see him eat it. I even soak the mazuri in hibiscus tea.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I try to mix it in his other food, like finely chopped grass and his greens but he finds a way to pick it out. The cucumber is the only way I see him eat it. I even soak the mazuri in hibiscus tea.

Yes, I know, they are incredibly precise when picking out foods they don't like.

Perhaps, it's to early to offer him grass (only fresh tender sprouts and clippings). Hibiscus tea is not the same plant as "tortoise-grade" hibiscus (Roselle is in the same genus but more sour) yet if it works then why not?

 

[catprincx]

Yes, I know, they are incredibly precise when picking out foods they don't like.

Perhaps, it's to early to offer him grass (only fresh tender sprouts and clippings). Hibiscus tea is not the same plant as "tortoise-grade" hibiscus (Roselle is in the same genus but more sour) yet if it works then why not?

My family drinks a lot of Rosa de Jamaica tea so we make it in big batches with the dried flowers, I save a bit for soaking and the rehydrated flowers i chop up finely for him, he loves it. It’s like sharing a bit of my culture with him.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have 2 small comments...in my 21 year experience with Sulcata...and yes they ARE my favorite tortoise, even when fresh out of the egg they are hungry...frankly, I have never had a picky Sulcata even as babies they eat anything..if he's being a picky eater, you are making him that way...he can only eat what you feed him, in my person opinion, Mazuri should be used as a supplement, or an addition to...but not every day...cucumber is not something he should eat unless ...he's been sick for a while and you are trying to hydrate him...and second , and most important...in every photo Luci looks too dry...his substrate needs to be damp, and he needs, as in must have 85 to 90% humidity...or he will grow to look like that photo of Mary Knobbins.
look at these Sulcata...cool huh! Luci is gonna be that big...humidity will keep him smooth

 

[catprincx]

I have 2 small comments...in my 21 year experience with Sulcata...and yes they ARE my favorite tortoise, even when fresh out of the egg they are hungry...frankly, I have never had a picky Sulcata even as babies they eat anything..if he's being a picky eater, you are making him that way...he can only eat what you feed him, in my person opinion, Mazuri should be used as a supplement, or an addition to...but not every day...cucumber is not something he should eat unless ...he's been sick for a while and you are trying to hydrate him...and second , and most important...in every photo Luci looks too dry...his substrate needs to be damp, and he needs, as in must have 85 to 90% humidity...or he will grow to look like that photo of Mary Knobbins.
look at these Sulcata...cool huh! Luci is gonna be that big...humidity will keep him smoothView attachment 393369

I feed him Mazuri twice a week, is that too often? I also only feed him cucumber when he gets the mazuri. He isn’t picky with anything else, he always eats his food. I did pour some water on his substrate this morning when I noticed it lowered to 80%. His hot end dries faster than the cooler end of his enclosure but his cool end is always damp.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I feed him Mazuri twice a week, is that too often? I also only feed him cucumber when he gets the mazuri. He isn’t picky with anything else, he always eats his food. I did pour some water on his substrate this morning when I noticed it lowered to 80%. His hot end dries faster than the cooler end of his enclosure but his cool end is always damp.

The thing about Mazuri is my opinion...other keepers may tell you different...

 

[catprincx]

Update on new enclosure setup! So I found a nice sized bookself for free off facebook marketplace which i plan to use as the base of the new enclosure and I already bought a greenhouse to go on top, ill take pics when I have it set up in my room. The question I have now would be to line the bookshelf before adding substrate whats the best thing to use? I was thinking either a shower liner or trash bags but I thought that maybe Lucifer might dig and rip up the liner if I use trash bags?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Update on new enclosure setup! So I found a nice sized bookself for free off facebook marketplace which i plan to use as the base of the new enclosure and I already bought a greenhouse to go on top, ill take pics when I have it set up in my room. The question I have now would be to line the bookshelf before adding substrate whats the best thing to use? I was thinking either a shower liner or trash bags but I thought that maybe Lucifer might dig and rip up the liner if I use trash bags?

Look forward to photos! We personally use pond lining, you can get it pretty reasonably priced on some Amazon listings, we had lots left over too. Mould resistant shower curtains can also work, personally we just think the pond lining is a bit more robust

 

[catprincx]

Look forward to photos! We personally use pond lining, you can get it pretty reasonably priced on some Amazon listings, we had lots left over too. Mould resistant shower curtains can also work, personally we just think the pond lining is a bit more robust

Thank you! I'll look into pond liners!

 

[COmtnLady]

Update on new enclosure setup! So I found a nice sized bookself for free off facebook marketplace which i plan to use as the base of the new enclosure and I already bought a greenhouse to go on top, ill take pics when I have it set up in my room. The question I have now would be to line the bookshelf before adding substrate whats the best thing to use? I was thinking either a shower liner or trash bags but I thought that maybe Lucifer might dig and rip up the liner if I use trash bags?

The problem with "piecing" the liner together with smaller plastic items is the seams. Whatever you do may seem ok at first, but water is insidious and will find a way to get past your seams. It needs to be one piece. At places that sell things to builders for construction projects you can also get a roll of heavy gauge plastic (a lot thicker than what you can get other places) that is about 12 feet/2-3 meters wide.

 

[catprincx]

I didnt even think about the fact that I would have probably needed more than one piece of shower curtains/trash bags. Thank you for pointing that out!

 

[catprincx]

The problem with "piecing" the liner together with smaller plastic items is the seams. Whatever you do may seem ok at first, but water is insidious and will find a way to get past your seams. It needs to be one piece. At places that sell things to builders for construction projects you can also get a roll of heavy gauge plastic (a lot thicker than what you can get other places) that is about 12 feet/2-3 meters wide.

Is this product similar?

 

[COmtnLady]

Is this product similar?

That's it. They usually come in a couple sizes of "mills" (millimeters of thickness), so you can have your choice of pretty sturdy plastic sheeting without much problem. (The only probs I had with it is its freakin huge when you unfold it to use it.) Shop around the various places they sell it - some are cheaper than than the others.

 

[catprincx]

That's it. They usually come in a couple sizes of "mills" (millimeters of thickness), so you can have your choice of pretty sturdy plastic sheeting without much problem. (The only probs I had with it is its freakin huge when you unfold it to use it.) Shop around the various places they sell it - some are cheaper than than the others.

Thank you!