DrSpurred
Active Member
Why is my baby Sulcata not opening his eyes and or just opening one??
Baby Sulcata Health Concerns
- Thread starter DrSpurred
- Start date
DrSpurred
Active Member
He also seems to be rubbing his left eye every now and then
DrSpurred
Active Member
welcome to the forum!
Your enclosure is in desperate need of a fix. You need to replace the sand mat with a substrate that holds humidity, which is essential for every tortoise. I'm gonna take a wild guess, and infer that you are using a compact uvb/uva build, and that is probably what is irritating his eyes. If you have one, it needs to be turned off immediately, and kept off.
It seems that you were given some false information about the care of tortoises. You've come to the right place. Please give these a read-
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
Your tortoise rubbing his eyes might also a side effect of the lack of humidity, but the compact bulb theory is more plausible.
Also, make sure you're not only feeding kale. Tortoises need a varied diet, and most of that can come strait from your yard. Please have a look under the diet and food section of the forum.
DrSpurred
Active Member
The UVB and UVA are two different lamps, I'm going out right now to get a UVB that doesn't coil and I have been using Spagnum Moss to hold moisture along with Misting
Misting isn't enough without a proper closed enclosure that has substrate that holds humidity. The sand mat needs to be replaced with eco earth, or Orchid bard, or something similar. Please turn the coil/compact bulbs off immediately.
DrSpurred
Active Member
What UVB and UVA bulbs should I use? There are two separate bulbs?
No, only one bulb is needed. Something like this is perfect-
https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-repti...VFQOGCh1wSQWbEAQYASABEgICufD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Bulbs like these are good too but the uvb/uva part of them only works for about 3/6 months, but the heat part of them keeps working.
https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-repti...VFQOGCh1wSQWbEAQYAiABEgKpEfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-repti...VFQOGCh1wSQWbEAQYASABEgICufD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Bulbs like these are good too but the uvb/uva part of them only works for about 3/6 months, but the heat part of them keeps working.
https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-repti...VFQOGCh1wSQWbEAQYAiABEgKpEfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
DrSpurred
Active Member
The one on the left is a UVB and the right is a UVA
DrSpurred
Active Member
That basking bulb is the one I'm currently using. Can I get a UVB Bulb?
Don't use those two anymore. I would suggest getting the long light because it seems to last a lot longer than anything else.
DrSpurred
Active Member
Does he look healthy? (I know not feed him watermelon often just doing it for rehydration for the first time and I know not to feed him steadily on Kale, I was just looking for a decent source of phosphorus)
I could be wrong, but I think he may be pyramiding. You see how each of his scutes are lifted up? It could just be normal growth though. Maybe @Tom could help.
If he is, he's young enough so that if you get it more humid it will disappear for the most part.
DrSpurred
Active Member
I don't believe it's pyramiding, I have taken all the precautions against that. I watch how much protein and how often I feed him. @TechnoCheese
DrSpurred
Active Member
Is there any reason he would be pushing himself into a corner even when there are hideouts and only his basking light is on?
DrSpurred
Active Member
DrSpurred
Active Member
This feed is from my live camera I have on him constantly to make sure he doesn't flip over.
Pyramiding is not at all caused by food. Pyramiding is almost 100 percent caused by lack of humidity. That is some more false information that was passed around online. And by the looks of your enclosure, which can't hold humidity at all without an absorbent substrate, that's what's happening.
