Tom
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  • Help with night box
    jaimi
    jaimi
    Hi Tom. I'm new to the forum, but after reading, I'm surprised my tortoise has survived this long. We've had him for over 16 years. He seems healthy, social... We realized that his (pathetic) night box needed to be trashed, and we have built a new one.
    jaimi
    jaimi
    About 4x3x3. We are also in SoCal. I have a few questions. We insulated with r-tech, Is it necessary to add the extra wood on the inside? If we get a panel heater for the side of the box, what wattage? Where to purchase? Do we need a heat pad also? Lastly, what nesting/sleeping material do you use on the floor of the box?
    Hi Tom. I have a 18"ish sully and just finished building a 4x2 night box off of your design. I've read through all your heating post from the past few years and just needed a little more help picking a heat source for the box. Temps will drop in the 30s outside with him in the box will the mat/heat panel be enough to hold temps in the insulated box? Or should I try the mini oil first. Thanks for any help.
    Tom
    Tom
    I like to have the boxes large enough that the tortoise can get off the heat source if needed. An 18" tortoise is going to outgrow a 24" box within a couple of years, so start planning a 4x4'.

    If your box is sealed and insulated properly, it will hold 80-86 degrees with a Kane heat mat and a RHP with no problem on a night with temps in the mid 20s. I only use the mini oil heater on 4x8' boxes.
    Corey S
    Corey S
    Sorry for bad explanation it's a 4x4x2 tall. Love the design. Ill give the Kane and rbi rhp a try then. Do you see any reason why I shouldn't upgrade to the 32" panel other than electricity. Only $10 more?
    jaimi
    jaimi
    following. What's a good source to purchase an RHP? Does it need a thermostat?
    Hello, at what temperature and humidity do you keep platynota?
    Tom
    Tom
    We are completely on the same page Dan. This species is still new to me so I like to keep in touch with any platynota people I find and learn as much as I can.

    One thing I did that may have been a mistake was start them in too large of an enclosure. I had 27-32 gram babies in a 4x4' enclosure. How big is your baby enclosure?
    Dan
    Dan
    I use a 110 gallon oval poly stock tank. It's about 4'x3'. I check on them regularly (2x day soaks, fed before and after work, weighed several times/week) so I think I'm addressing most pitfalls of a larger baby enclosure. They are growing pretty fast and currently 70-80g. Did you see problems when they were smaller?
    Tom
    Tom
    Mine hardly grew at all for the first few months. I was quite worried about it, especially since I am used to growing sulcatas which practically grow while you watch them. After a few months, growth rate really picked up and all is great now. I don't weight as often now, but some of them have gotten pretty big. A few are around 1000 grams now.
    Hello Tom, i watched your video on youtube 'The end of tortoise pyramiding'
    base on your experience, sulcata never had a shell rot in high humidity inside the close chambered, how about aldabra? any experience with aldabra?
    i can't find orchid bark here, so i use cocopeat instead, spray them regularly just to make them moist.
    Tom
    Tom
    I have almost no Aldabra experience. They don't do well in my climate, so I don't keep them. I have never heard of a case of shell rot in an Aldabra.
    Hey Tom. Do all tortoises need high humidity? Are there any that will do okay in dry climate like Colorado? I live in the midwest now but that's where I am moving to in a few years.

    I ask because I have seem some indoor enclosures that don't have tops or the walls are too low to sustain humidity.
    Tom
    Tom
    This is a tricky question. I do think ALL hatchling tortoises do benefit from at least some moderate humidity. None of them need the low humidity that is common in most indoor open topped enclosures. I have no experience with Egyptian tortoises, so I can't say what they need, for example.
    M
    Melissa.
    Tom
    Tom
    The only way I would use an enclosure like that is inside a reptile room that was temperature controlled all the time and had the ambient humidity that I needed in the enclosure. In a normal house with the typical dry air, I would not recommend that enclosure for any species. Its also too small for anything other than hatchlings. I do like the tray concept.
    What are those soil types you get from Walmart again??
    Tom
    Tom
    I don't use soil. I use orchid bark. I get mine from either Lowes where they call it "Pathway Bark", or from local gardening centers. Make sure its the fine grade, not the big honkin' chunks.
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    Heres a few more photos of my leopard. Let me know what you think. If she's a hybrid, or PB, PP
    Faerieblue
    Faerieblue
    Oh here's a picture of her end side. :)

    mw2zpy.jpg
    Tom
    Tom
    Its very unusual looking. It does not show the characteristics of the SA leopards that I've seen, but the colors and patterning are not typical of the regular leopards either. I don't know what you've got there, but its a pretty tortoise.
    Faerieblue
    Faerieblue
    Lol dang it. I was hoping you could ID her for me. :)
    I was stumped too. Maybe when she will get a little more marbling.
    She is quite dark skinned, unlike the photos online of most of the leopards.
    Thank you for looking over the
    hey tom, i was wondering if you know of any other calcium supplement besides the powder and cuttlebone. My sulcata Oliver goes through cuttlebones like crazy and wont touch any of the powders. is there any large calcium block you know of or one i can make?
    Tom
    Tom
    I just use the powders or cuttlebone. None of my tortoises will touch the blocks.
    Just have to say what an amazing person you are, truely. To take your free time out of your day, practically everyday, and help us all with our issues, concerns, and questions.
    Thank you Tom. :)
    • Like
    Reactions: Razan
    Tom
    Tom
    Well thank you, but I can't take such credit. I'm just some guy who really likes tortoises a lot. That's all. Anybody else who has done what I've done knows the same stuff. I suppose I could take credit for liking to talk about tortoises and awful lot...
    Hi Tom
    I want your opinion for calcium. It's for a 3-8 months sulcata babies.
    What's your recommends?
    Tom
    Tom
    I like to supplement a little pinch of calcium twice a week for babies. If you are feeding mostly grocery store foods, then I'd bump it up to 3 times a week.
    lc044
    lc044
    I start to follow your suggestion to diet with Orchard Grass Hay (mix with mazuri)


    which brand of the calcium you recommends?
    Tom
    Tom
    Tom I recently purchased a pair of Leo's that's 6 months old how long should I wait to put them in the same enclosure as my 10 month old ?
    Tom
    Tom
    There are many variables to consider. If you trust the source and all looks good, then 3-4 months should be good. Watch for growth during the quarantine period. Growth is usually a good sign.
    TOM I HOPE I HAVE THE RIGHT TOM. I HAVE A FRIEND ON FACEBOK THAT TOLD ME TO CONTACT YOU. RODNEY PETTWAY. SAID YOU HAVE OR KNOW SOMEONE WITH A LARGE MALE SULCATA, FOR SALE
    PLEASE CONTACT ME
    Tom, I have seen your article and pics from "the tortoises species" I am just wondering where you bought the leoaprds like "Geochelone pardalis pardalis". May I buy some from you? I live in Los Angeles area. Anyways, I am super admire you adn to be proud of knowing you here, Thank you, Tom!
    Also, Mr. Tom, I will have a vision cage for my leopards, do you think that works or not? Also, would you reccoment a brand for uvb tube and how about zoomed spot uva light?
    Hello, Tom, I am sorry to get back to you so late. The breeder looks like so professional, she also studys something from your article, I think that she should know how to keep hatchlings. When I bought them, they were good, but just after one month, all of their shells are soft. How to treat them?
    Hello, Mr. Tom.i bought four leopard babies one month ago. I use everything as your article which you posted.But their shells are still getting soft, sometimes they still eat, get into the water dish. BUT the breeder said they are going to be died sooner or later for sure. I want to know if I will put them to get more sunshine, is there a possibility to survive them? thank you so much!
    lately our sulcata's urine is white and chalky, is this urates? lately she has been grazing grass in the yard,supplemented with endive and some dandalion, is this a bad sign?
    Tom
    Tom
    Not necessarily a bad sign. Where are you? Its been hot and dry here in SoCal lately. More soaks would likely help with this issue. I'd soak a small one every day, and if yours is larger, I'd soak every other day for a couple of weeks or more.
    A
    astock64
    thx tom will do some soaking we are in vegas lawn growing now we water every other day right now
    Hi, Tom. May I get the permission to translate your post "Hatchling Failure Syndrome" into Chinese and post it on my website www.paludarium.net? Thanks.
    Tom
    Tom
    Yes. I hope we can help some Chinese tortoises too.
    Hey Tom I have a question can I put a small humidifier inside my 9 month old Leo tort box to raise the humidity without causing any damage to him. Today I cut a small piece of plexiglass to cover the top , but it's mot 100% covered . The bedding is moss and I spray that down regularly and the humidity level is around 50% give or take . Thanks your your input Randy
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