Hi everyone!
Two weeks ago, at the recent NARBC here in Arlington, I purchased a sulcata tortoise from a vet who's sulcatas bred without him knowing (Molly, 2 months). Then, I ordered one from Arizona Tortoise Compound (Mr Blonde, 6 months) after I read an article about tortoises being capable of social learning. Now, I saw here that bullying can be a problem (as you can see below), but hopefully I can give them both enough space?
Here's the setup:
2 2-2.5" sulcatas
1 29 gal aquarium (glass covered on 2 sides)
2 hidespots in the warm end
1 hidespot in the cool
1 100 watt red (night) heat lamp - timer 10 AM - 10 PM
1 10.0 UVB Repti-glo lamp - timer 8 AM - 6 PM
95-97 warm end peak
77 cool end peak
67-72 near room temperature night low
Zoo Med Vita-Sand substrate
1/2" high water in water dish in cool end
eating Romaine Lettuce, 'Spring Mix' lettuce, spinach, cilantro, white clover, Henbit
not eating Zoo-Med Grassland Tortoise food
I feed them a tortoise sized pile of salad, grass, clover and moist commercial food once a day. I leave a broken piece of cuttle bone in the food. I get them out in the sunshine for at least an hour 3-4 days a week.
my concerns:
When will they outgrow this enclose and I need to move them into a larger one?
They seem to only be eating the lettuce, cilantro, and clover and completely picking out everything else. How can I get them to eat the commercial food and if not that, something more mineral-rich than lettuce?
For almost the entire 1st week I fed them oxalis before I realized it was oxalis! How bad is this?
What is this - clover or oxalis?
Here's some pics!
and a video!
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn_LIz5mETc[/video]
Help me be a good care taker for these adorable guys! I hope one day I can pass them down to my grandchildren...
Two weeks ago, at the recent NARBC here in Arlington, I purchased a sulcata tortoise from a vet who's sulcatas bred without him knowing (Molly, 2 months). Then, I ordered one from Arizona Tortoise Compound (Mr Blonde, 6 months) after I read an article about tortoises being capable of social learning. Now, I saw here that bullying can be a problem (as you can see below), but hopefully I can give them both enough space?
Here's the setup:
2 2-2.5" sulcatas
1 29 gal aquarium (glass covered on 2 sides)
2 hidespots in the warm end
1 hidespot in the cool
1 100 watt red (night) heat lamp - timer 10 AM - 10 PM
1 10.0 UVB Repti-glo lamp - timer 8 AM - 6 PM
95-97 warm end peak
77 cool end peak
67-72 near room temperature night low
Zoo Med Vita-Sand substrate
1/2" high water in water dish in cool end
eating Romaine Lettuce, 'Spring Mix' lettuce, spinach, cilantro, white clover, Henbit
not eating Zoo-Med Grassland Tortoise food
I feed them a tortoise sized pile of salad, grass, clover and moist commercial food once a day. I leave a broken piece of cuttle bone in the food. I get them out in the sunshine for at least an hour 3-4 days a week.
my concerns:
When will they outgrow this enclose and I need to move them into a larger one?
They seem to only be eating the lettuce, cilantro, and clover and completely picking out everything else. How can I get them to eat the commercial food and if not that, something more mineral-rich than lettuce?
For almost the entire 1st week I fed them oxalis before I realized it was oxalis! How bad is this?
What is this - clover or oxalis?
Here's some pics!
and a video!
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn_LIz5mETc[/video]
Help me be a good care taker for these adorable guys! I hope one day I can pass them down to my grandchildren...
Last edited by a moderator: