Losing toenails and shedding skin

My baby sulcata has started shedding his skin around his head, neck, and legs .He has also lost 2 toenails on his front right leg. He is not interested in eating very much. I soak him every day for at least 30 minutes and keep his tank at 80. I spray his reptibark substrate daily and there is always moisture on the sides of the tank. Am I doing something wrong?

Hey there

Upload a pix of your enclosure and describe lights (UVA/UVB .. sunlight) and heating arrangement.

80F is the minimum ambient temp it should be in the enclosure.

From @Tom ’s care sheet

Heating and Lighting:
I use a 65 watt incandescent flood bulb on a 12 hour timer and adjust the height of the fixture to get a hot spot of around 100 directly under the bulb. Then I use a ceramic heating element set to 80 degrees on a reptile thermostat to maintain my ambient temperature in the enclosure. Sometimes the basking lamp raises the day time ambient into the low 90s. "Ambient should be no lower than 80, but drifting up to 90 during the heat of the day is good…" This is fine and the thermostat will keep your CHE off during these times, but ready to click on after the basking lamp clicks off and the ambient temperature starts to drop at night. I use long florescent tubes when I want to brighten up the whole enclosure and I run these on the same timer as the basking bulb. The above are just what works for me and are suggestions for what might work for you. Every enclosure and home is different, and some customization will usually be necessary to get things "just right".

UV:
Tortoises MUST have regular exposure to the right kind of UV rays. Real sunshine is best, but be careful. Shade should always be available as babies can overheat and die surprisingly quickly. If your tortoise can get some regular sunning time in a safe outdoor enclosure, even just a couple of times a week for most of the year, you don't need any artificial UV. Its okay if you have to skip two or three weeks of sunning time during a cold winter spell. If you live somewhere with long frozen winters, then some artificial UV might be in order for that time of year. I no longer recommend mercury vapor bulbs for several reasons, but florescent UV tubes work very well according to my UV meter. I recommend against any type of coil or cfl UV bulb. I have personally seen these cause eye issues too many times. More research is needed to find out exactly what the problem with the cfl UV bulbs is, but there is no denying that there is a problem at least some of the time.

Sully mom said:

My baby sulcata has started shedding his skin around his head, neck, and legs .He has also lost 2 toenails on his front right leg. He is not interested in eating very much. I soak him every day for at least 30 minutes and keep his tank at 80. I spray his reptibark substrate daily and there is always moisture on the sides of the tank. Am I doing something wrong?

Click to expand...

Maro2Bear said:

Hey there

Upload a pix of your enclosure and describe lights (UVA/UVB .. sunlight) and heating arrangement.

80F is the minimum ambient temp it should be in the enclosure.

Click to expand...

I also have plexiglass covering the underside of the screen and a hole cut out of the plexiglass and screen where the light is sitting. I have a uva/uvb light 50 watt . I also take him outside supervised for about 30 minutes to an hour when the weather allows.

Sully mom said:

View attachment 250675 View attachment 250676 View attachment 250677 View attachment 250678 View attachment 250679
I also have plexiglass covering the underside of the screen and a hole cut out of the plexiglass and screen where the light is sitting. I have a uva/uvb light 50 watt . I also take him outside supervised for about 30 minutes to an hour when the weather allows.

Click to expand...

And what about night time temps, how are you keeping those?

It stays right around 78-80 on it's own. He is in a warm room by the doors.

Sully mom said:

It stays right around 78-80 on it's own. He is in a warm room by the doors.

Click to expand...

I’m just guessing here, but, i think your overnight temps are just too low for your young Sully. Not sure how you are measuring, but without a CHE or Radiant Heat Panel on a thermostat there are just too many opportunities for temps to be too low all night long.

Hope this helps..

Maro2Bear said:

I’m just guessing here, but, i think your overnight temps are just too low for your young Sully. Not sure how you are measuring, but without a CHE or Radiant Heat Panel on a thermostat there are just too many opportunities for temps to be too low all night long.

Hope this helps..

Click to expand...

Is that why he is shedding and losing his toenails?

Sully mom said:

Is that why he is shedding and losing his toenails?

Click to expand...

The experts here will soon get to the matter of his diet, I think.

TammyJ said:

The experts here will soon get to the matter of his diet, I think.

Click to expand...

Spring mix along with occasional collard greens, cucumber or watermelon and 30 minutes to an hour outside eating grasses and clover

Sully mom said:

Is that why he is shedding and losing his toenails?

Click to expand...

The temps could be some of what is causing the issue and also why it’s not eating much.

Take a read through this thread - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...ing-claws-need-help-asap.164983/#post-1596088

Maro2Bear said:

The temps could be some of what is causing the issue and also why it’s not eating much.

Take a read through this thread - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...ing-claws-need-help-asap.164983/#post-1596088

Click to expand...

I have already ordered an under tank heater with thermostat. Will be here on Friday. Until then should I leave his light on 24/7?

Sully mom said:

I have already ordered an under tank heater with thermostat. Will be here on Friday. Until then should I leave his light on 24/7?

Click to expand...

I would have suggested you go with a CHE and a thermostat. Under tank heaters are not recommended for torts...
Id suggest you put a heater in the room to get temps up. Having lights on all night long isnt good either.

• Also, id stop the cucumber and watermelon feedings - neither are on the “feed” list - especially for a hatchling. Watermelon is high in sugar and Sullys arent meant to eat and digest sugars.

Awesome .Switched the order. Pulled out the space heater and set it to 82 for the night until the che comes. Thank you

Sully mom said:

Awesome .Switched the order. Pulled out the space heater and set it to 82 for the night until the che comes. Thank you

Click to expand...

Good luck... we need your Sully to get growing and strong.

I am starting to get worried. He doesn't want to move a lot and now will not eat anything. I have set up his che but that was only about an hour ago. He is alert but just stays wherever I set him .Any advice?

Hey there... so you received your CHE and thermostat? If you just set it all up, it will take some time for temps to stabilize...
Do you have a lid on the tank to keep humidity level high along with the temps?

• You have a hot spot of 100?
• And CHE set to 80?
• And a good ambient temp 80-90?
• Soaking in nice warm water?

From Toms Sulcata info:

Heating and Lighting:
I use a 65 watt incandescent flood bulb on a 12 hour timer and adjust the height of the fixture to get a hot spot of around 100 directly under the bulb. Then I use a ceramic heating element set to 80 degrees on a reptile thermostat to maintain my ambient temperature in the enclosure. Sometimes the basking lamp raises the day time ambient into the low 90s. "Ambient should be no lower than 80, but drifting up to 90 during the heat of the day is good…" This is fine and the thermostat will keep your CHE off during these times, but ready to click on after the basking lamp clicks off and the ambient temperature starts to drop at night. I use long florescent tubes when I want to brighten up the whole enclosure and I run these on the same timer as the basking bulb. The above are just what works for me and are suggestions for what might work for you. Every enclosure and home is different, and some customization will usually be necessary to get things "just right".

Hot spot at 98 and che set to 82. Overall temp is 85. Was soaks twice a day. He does have plexiglass covering the top. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Sully mom said:

Hot spot at 98 and che set to 82. Overall temp is 85. Was soaks twice a day. He does have plexiglass covering the top. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Click to expand...

Yes....just watch your temps closely since you just added your CHE. What wattage CHE did you end up getting?

Maro2Bear said:

Yes....just watch your temps closely since you just added your CHE. What wattage CHE did you end up getting?

Click to expand...

It's 100 watts and set on a thermostat. I have 3 different thermometers set up. One on each side and one in the middle. All tortoise height.

Sully mom said:

Hot spot at 98 and che set to 82. Overall temp is 85. Was soaks twice a day. He does have plexiglass covering the top. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Click to expand...

Start to add baby carrot food to the soaks of your baby. Soak twice a day for 40 min. The water must stay warm during the soak.
How do you measure your temps and humidity ? Digital ?
Have you fed vitamin supplements ?
Please upload some pics of your tort.