HELP!!!! Hatchling habitat

[DDrivera]

Hello,

We received two hatchlings yesterday and I need help with their home. This is what the owner gave us and he was not knowledgeable because he found hatchlings in his backyard. Please help me fix this place up so they can grow to be healthy. I've done research but the info varies and I'm confused ; four temps, basking area, CHE for the night, 100 watts for 12-14 hours and the list goes on....Idk what to do with this The bulbs in there are not right.. Is the watering dish too big? They each walk into these little houses which are usually located on the right side of the aquarium but I took them out for the picture. They go outside on warm sunny days for 2-4 hours with water & They are corralled in by a little gate which gives them space to walk and crawl over each other lol​

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Not appropriate at all...

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[DDrivera]

Not appropriate at all...

.tortoiseforum.org/threads/african-spurred-tortoise-sulcata-care-sheet.52524/

Any suggestions. My heart is heavy until I fix it. I see you are. Dry knowledgable and Bob looks awesome. Please help me

 

[Maggie Cummings]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-diet-sheet.64290/

Sorry. If I take longer to correct, I'm shut out and my hands don't work so typing is hard and slow..
Get rid of the pellets right away. They cause 'splay leg', they are hard to walk on...get top sol, orchid bark, coir, cypress mulch.
NOTHING with pine or cedar. Get better hides for them. Caves or half logs are best or a broken clay put on it'd end, not side.They need temperatures over 80 degrees, they need UVB and warming light for night. They need a humid hide, and soak them DAILY. It ain't easy, but once you get them set up correctly, it will be easy...READ THE LINKS!!!
hope this helps

 

[DDrivera]

tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-diet-sheet.64290/
Sorry. If I take longer to correct, I'm shut out and my hands don't work so typing is hard and slow..
Get rid of the pellets right away. They cause 'splay leg', they are hard to walk on...get top sol, orchid bark, coir, cypress mulch.
NOTHING with pine or cedar. Get better hides for them. Caves or half logs are best or a broken clay put on it'd end, not side.They need temperatures over 80 degrees, they need UVB and warming light for night. They need a humid hide, and soak them DAILY. It ain't easy, but once you get them set up correctly, it will be easy...READ THE LINKS!!!
hope this helps

Where should their food go I wouldn't want it to wilt since One end should be UVB warming and the other end over 80 degrees ?

Thank you soon much

 

[pam]

Welcome read all the links there is so much info that will help you

 

[Dizisdalife]

Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on finding two beautiful sulcata. You do want to replace the pellets right away with a substrate that can hold moisture and resist mold. Coconut coir is a good one for this, but there are others. Read Tom's care sheet for suggestions. Here is a link, in case you missed it in the above post. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
I used coconut coir. It was messy at first, but once it got packed down it worked great. A couple of bricks lasted until my sulcata went outside full time. You can find it at you local Walmart. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nature-s-Footprint-Coir-Brick-650g/19664552 or other garden shop. Or at a pet store. http://www.petco.com/product/104906...uRyjmoDATBVWH9kpUmxonW-4mo6IgSteHWBoCR6nw_wcB

While you are shopping for coir you should also pick up a Thermometer/Hygrometer. I liked the ones with a wire probe because they take up almost no space in the habitat. One like this will work for you.http://www.walmart.com/ip/Taylor-TA...meter-Thermometer-Hygrometer-TAP1523/38805953. Maintaining the correct temperature and humidity for your sulcata is a MUST.

I found that the easiest way to maintain the correct temp is to use a thermostat to control the heat source for ambient and night time temps. Iused a CHE, but can't remember if it were 60 watt or 100 watt. The thermostat was one like this.http://www.petco.com/product/108340/Zilla-Temperature-Controllers.aspx
I am still using the one I bought 4 years ago to control the heat in my sulcata's outdoor house. So they are a good investment.

You will need to keep the top of your habitat covered to keep the heat and humidity in. I see that it mostly covered now, but completely covered is best. Once you get a good, moist substrate in and the temperatures set up you will have made vast improvement over what you have now. Please read Tom's thread on caring for baby sulcata. There is much to learn.

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ,USA . Torts rule ! Have a great tort day !

 

[tortdad]

Welcome. Please read up. All your questions will be answered in those links.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know why Maggie's links never work, but I think I've fixed them now. If you can't get the links to work, then just go to the Sulcata section. The 'pinned' threads at the top of the section will be very helpful to you and your tortoises.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Here are my standard links. After reading these you will have a much better idea of what to do.
This one was already linked, but here it is again: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Feeding:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Pair housing:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/

Sunning:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/simple-sunning-enclosure.104351/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/

What not to do:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Jodie]

Welcome and congrats on your addition to your family. Once you have read the links, and get them set up, be sure to ask any questions you have.

 

[leopard777]

is this size consider a hatchling ? look quite old to me in the pics . 2-3 year old ?

 

[DDrivera]

Update- I made some changes and your input is greatly appreciated. I will be purchasing a water bowl and basking ramp tomorrow but I soaked them today. I read the links provided by Maggie3fan but I have questions regarding placement of hiding log, water dish, basking area, food. Where should the cool side be and how often do u clean the tank? I purchased cypress mulch until I order the coco coir. My UVB IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT AND MY CERAMIC HEATING ELEMENT IS ON THE RIGHT. If possible can u please post pics of your habitats for ideas Also my turtle shells are not smooth and I notice that's a bad thing, can they get better? I have calcium powder. Thank you EVERYONE for your help and support

 

[DDrivera]

Update- I made some changes and your input is greatly appreciated. I will be purchasing a water bowl and basking ramp tomorrow. I read the links provided by Maggie3fan but I have questions regarding placement of hiding log, water dish, basking area, food. Where should the cool side be and how often do u clean the tank of mulch ? I purchased cypress mulch until I order the coco coir. My UVB IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT AND MY CERAMIC HEATING ELEMENT IS ON THE RIGHT. If possible can u please post pics of your habitats for ideas Also my turtle shells are not smooth and I notice that's a bad thing, can they get better? I have calcium powder. Thank you EVERYONE for your help

 

[Jodie]

That UVB bulb is bad. The coiled ones cause eye damage. Please don't use that. Use the tube or MVB.

 

[144 Grandpa Turtle]

Thank you for your saport DDrivera

 

[leopard777]

nice wallpaper , did you get a humidity/temperature monitor ?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yes. Find your receipt and replace that coil bulb with something safer.

 

[tortdad]

Cypress mulch is perfectly fine for them but that uv bulb is not. Compact fluorescent are fine for other reptile but not torts and turtles. You need one of two other types of bulbs. One type is a MVB (Mercury vapor bulb) it is a basking spot bulb and a UV bulb built all in to one. They are a bit expensive but work well. However, with your current set up I would not recommend this bulb to you (just wanted you to know what it is). Your tank is too small so a UVB would heat the entire thing up too much plus you already have a CHE. The other type of UVB bulb is the tube type florescent. These don't put out heat for a basking area, just light and UVB. I would use this for your set up.
The rough areas of your guys shells is called 'pyramiding' and no it's not reversible. It is caused by your little guys (who are not hatchings) being raised in an environment with little to no humidity. If you you raise that humidity now the new growth will come in smooth and over the next several years will help fill in that shell and it will become much less noticeable.

Have you given any thought as to being able to build larger enclosures for them? Even at the size they are now they should each have about 32 square foot (4'x8') area.

Place the hide in the warm side (but not under the basking area) and make the moss in it moist so it's a humid hide. Be sure your night time low temps are where they need to be. Low temps with high humidity will make your little one sick with RI (respiratory infections).

These setups work best if you place your lights and basking lamps on timers to run anywhere from 8-12hrs a day. Put your CHE on a thermostat so it comes on and off as needed. The key to your humidity is making a closed chamber so it stays in your tank, not evaporating and leaving. The humidity needs to be at a constant 80%. Not 80 when you add water then down to 45% 20 mins later. Keep it trapped and keep it high.