michaelamaelae

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Centerville, IN
Hello, I recently purchased a sulcata tortoise in stage one and still has a beak tooth. I have an overall uvb light to go over the whole tank and 50w mini halogen and uvb combo heat lamp over the basking rock. It has a hideaway and explores the tank every day. I have only had it for 4 days and in those 4 days it has only opened both eyes once. Most of the time it only has one eye open. When it does open its eye, the predominantly closed one, it does not look infected or injured. Does anyone now what it going on?
 

Tortoiseguy804

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Hello, I recently purchased a sulcata tortoise in stage one and still has a beak tooth. I have an overall uvb light to go over the whole tank and 50w mini halogen and uvb combo heat lamp over the basking rock. It has a hideaway and explores the tank every day. I have only had it for 4 days and in those 4 days it has only opened both eyes once. Most of the time it only has one eye open. When it does open its eye, the predominantly closed one, it does not look infected or injured. Does anyone now what it going on?
Have you been soaking it? My tortoise did that so I soaked him and he put his head under and it fixed it
 

michaelamaelae

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Centerville, IN
Have you been soaking it? My tortoise did that so I soaked him and he put his head under and it fixed it
I soak Squirt twice a day and after one of the soaks was when it opened both eyes but has not done it since.
Hello!
Could you please post pictures of the enclosure, your equipment and the baby tortoise?

Here is a care sheet for our babies.
Sulcata baby care
I currently do not have the water dish located inside the tank because the lip is too big and squirt flipped over trying to get out one time. I do have a new water dish coming which is much safer for Squirt. I soak Squirt in twice a day. In the morning and at night.
 

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Tortoiseguy804

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I soak Squirt twice a day and after one of the soaks was when it opened both eyes but has not done it since.

I currently do not have the water dish located inside the tank because the lip is too big and squirt flipped over trying to get out one time. I do have a new water dish coming which is much safer for Squirt. I soak Squirt in twice a day. In the morning and at night.
That substrate is toxic for the tortoise, those little white balls are dangerous if he eats them

Tortoise dont understand the concept of glass so they will try to get through it and get whatever is on the outside and when they can't it can stress them out

Please read these wonderful care sheets created by Tom, they explain everything you need to know in depth


 

michaelamaelae

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Centerville, IN
That substrate is toxic for the tortoise, those little white balls are dangerous if he eats them

Tortoise dont understand the concept of glass so they will try to get through it and get whatever is on the outside and when they can't it can stress them out

Please read these wonderful care sheets created by Tom, they explain everything you need to know in depth


Thank you so much for your input and I will start changing Squirt’s enclosure to make sure it’s safe for him
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings

The glass tank isnt really too much of an issue, other than too small. I believe the seeing through the glass is more an old wive’s tale. Regardless. Screen on top is letting out all the moisture/humidity & heat. I’m guessing the enclosure is too cold, lights on the screen keep out all the good UVA/U B. Substrate is not the best as well. So, there are lots of not quite right things here in your enclosure.

The best water dish is a terracotta plant saucer dug down level with the surface so your tort can crawl over and diwn into. Not, up & over.

Make sure you just read & follow @Tom ’s Sully care guide.

Best of luck
 

Markw84

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Your tortoise may have too much UVB exposure. You don't need 2 sources of UVB. I don't like the Halogen lights for tortoises - Too much Near IR and have not tested the UVB output, but your fluorescent should be plenty.

The substrate needs to be changed. Get that perlite (white particles) out of there as it is an impaction risk as your tortoise may think it is calcium and eat it. It is made from volcanic glass.

If you read the care sheet linked it will help you immensely. Your tortoise needs much more humidity.

Get some plants in there for security and a natural cover. That is where sulcatas live - in plant cover when young, and in burrows under plant cover when older.

Most people have the wrong idea of where tortoise live. They think they are desert animals because they come from the southern fringes of the Sahara Desert. SO we think they come from here:

Sahara desert 1.jpg

Or maybe here:

sahara desert 2.jpg

When in fact this is the habitats sulcatas can be found in:

Sulcata Habitats.jpg

YOu will be amazed at how much better you tortoise will do with a more natural plant filled habitat!
 

Tortoiseguy804

Member
Today is my birthday!
Joined
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Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
South chesterfield Virginia
Greetings

The glass tank isnt really too much of an issue, other than too small. I believe the seeing through the glass is more an old wive’s tale. Regardless. Screen on top is letting out all the moisture/humidity & heat. I’m guessing the enclosure is too cold, lights on the screen keep out all the good UVA/U B. Substrate is not the best as well. So, there are lots of not quite right things here in your enclosure.

The best water dish is a terracotta plant saucer dug down level with the surface so your tort can crawl over and diwn into. Not, up & over.

Make sure you just read & follow @Tom ’s Sully care guide.

Best of luck
My tortoise must be special then because when I had him in a glass enclosure he would try to walk through the glass every time ??
 

michaelamaelae

New Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Centerville, IN
Greetings

The glass tank isnt really too much of an issue, other than too small. I believe the seeing through the glass is more an old wive’s tale. Regardless. Screen on top is letting out all the moisture/humidity & heat. I’m guessing the enclosure is too cold, lights on the screen keep out all the good UVA/U B. Substrate is not the best as well. So, there are lots of not quite right things here in your enclosure.

The best water dish is a terracotta plant saucer dug down level with the surface so your tort can crawl over and diwn into. Not, up & over.

Make sure you just read & follow @Tom ’s Sully care guide.

Best of luck
Thank you, I got a dish that will be shallow enough for him to go down into. I do have a thermometer so I can monitor temperature and have it set so that it will alert me if the temp gets too low. I am working on finding the proper substrate. I took out the dirt so the current substrate is Cyprus which some websites say are okay. I will find a better substrate though.
 

Tortoiseguy804

Member
Today is my birthday!
Joined
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Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
South chesterfield Virginia
Thank you, I got a dish that will be shallow enough for him to go down into. I do have a thermometer so I can monitor temperature and have it set so that it will alert me if the temp gets too low. I am working on finding the proper substrate. I took out the dirt so the current substrate is Cyprus which some websites say are okay. I will find a better substrate though.
Cypress mulch is good, coco coir is really good too
 

michaelamaelae

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Joined
Aug 31, 2020
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Centerville, IN
Your tortoise may have too much UVB exposure. You don't need 2 sources of UVB. I don't like the Halogen lights for tortoises - Too much Near IR and have not tested the UVB output, but your fluorescent should be plenty.

The substrate needs to be changed. Get that perlite (white particles) out of there as it is an impaction risk as your tortoise may think it is calcium and eat it. It is made from volcanic glass.

If you read the care sheet linked it will help you immensely. Your tortoise needs much more humidity.

Get some plants in there for security and a natural cover. That is where sulcatas live - in plant cover when young, and in burrows under plant cover when older.

Most people have the wrong idea of where tortoise live. They think they are desert animals because they come from the southern fringes of the Sahara Desert. SO we think they come from here:

View attachment 306914

Or maybe here:

View attachment 306915

When in fact this is the habitats sulcatas can be found in:

View attachment 306916

YOu will be amazed at how much better you tortoise will do with a more natural plant filled habitat!
Thank you so much for your comment about the plants, I will look into finding the best plants for this enclosure and will remove one the uvb bulb from the dual light source
 

saleena.lewis

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Joined
Apr 20, 2020
Messages
232
Location (City and/or State)
Massachusetts
That substrate is toxic for the tortoise, those little white balls are dangerous if he eats them

Tortoise dont understand the concept of glass so they will try to get through it and get whatever is on the outside and when they can't it can stress them out

Please read these wonderful care sheets created by Tom, they explain everything you need to know in depth


Believe it or not tortoises can understand glass but the reason why they would be glass surfing is because the enclosure is too small!
 

Tortoiseguy804

Member
Today is my birthday!
Joined
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Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
South chesterfield Virginia
Believe it or not tortoises can understand glass but the reason why they would be glass surfing is because the enclosure is too small!
That would make sense, I had a glass enclosure at first and he would just circle it every day then I upgraded to a bigger and better enclosure and he doesn't do it anymore, and i read a lot about them not understanding it but the sources must not have been the best thanks for the information ?
 

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