Baby Sulcata won't eat much food

[JoshGoldberg]

I got my Sulcata tortoise 2 days ago and she isn't eating much food, In the mornings I wait for her to wake up, I let her soak for a little bit then I go outside with her, I put her on the grass lawn and she walks around trying to find certain weeds, mostly dandelions, she eats about 1 leaf and then walks some more for about 30 minutes then falls asleep! She doesn't eat a lot and she is about 3 inches across and 2 1/2 inches wide, she is less than 1 year old from what I have been told. Is this normal?! She also sleeps a lot.

 

[dmmj]

Souinds like a temperature problem to me,what are they? It could also be a re-adjustment issue.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Souinds like a temperature problem to me,what are they? It could also be a re-adjustment issue.

around 100-105 degrees under basking spot and about 80 in the hide.
She stays in the hide a lot and doesn't eat anything unless it is green

 

[Tom]

We need more info. Where are you? What are the temps like? How are you housing the tortoise inside? UV bulbs? Coil types? Substrate? Humidity? Four temperatures: Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low?

How about a pic of the enclosure and totoise?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

We need more info. Where are you? What are the temps like? How are you housing the tortoise inside? UV bulbs? Coil types? Substrate? Humidity? Four temperatures: Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low?

How about a pic of the enclosure and totoise?

I am in Salt Lake City Utah, A uvb bulb and a heat lamp, I dont know what you mean by coil types, the substrate is 50/50 of eco earth and sand, humidity around 30 percent near basking and about 50-60 percent in hide, it is around 100 degrees under the basking spot, overnight low is about 70-80 all around, I dont turn off the heat lamp at night because it goes to about 60 degrees in the house

 

[JoshGoldberg]

this is Lil'zilla
this is part of her container

 

[JoshGoldberg]

that second picture is the "warm" part

 

[DawnH]

I am in Salt Lake City Utah, A uvb bulb and a heat lamp, I dont know what you mean by coil types, the substrate is 50/50 of eco earth and sand, humidity around 30 percent near basking and about 50-60 percent in hide, it is around 100 degrees under the basking spot, overnight low is about 70-80 all around, I dont turn off the heat lamp at night because it goes to about 60 degrees in the house

Skip the sand in the substrate. Your humidity is too low, gotta cover that top (even aluminum foil will work) and read all she needs here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Once you change it up per the care sheet, you should see her perk up some. (Also note that it takes a while for torts to adjust to new settings.)

 

[JoshGoldberg]

I took out the water bowl, it was above 100 percent humidity around almost the entire table and I thought it was too much

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Skip the sand in the substrate. Your humidity is too low, gotta cover that top (even aluminum foil will work) and read all she needs here:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Once you change it up per the care sheet, you should see her perk up some. (Also note that it takes a while for torts to adjust to new settings.)

Just another question, (sorry to waste your time) why no sand? She doesnt eat it

 

[DawnH]

I took out the water bowl, it was above 100 percent humidity around almost the entire table and I thought it was too much

She needs that water bowl. 100% humidity is fine (it will go down by tomorrow) as long as your temps are correct. If you temps are NOT correct and it is too cool (please read the link above) she will get sick. Regardless, make sure your temps are spot on.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Thank you Dawn, I'll put in her bowl right now

 

[DawnH]

Just another question, (sorry to waste your time) why no sand? She doesnt eat it

No worries! (I am gonna mother you and holler till you read that link!!) I personaly would not use it due to the risk of impaction. Baby torts are babies. They could ingest some and for me that is a gamble I would not take. Your substrate looks very dry in your photo. Below is my guys first enclosure to give you an idea (I am very visual and like photos to help me along) of what can work. READ THE LINK JOSH! (And a very warm welcome to the forum!)

 

[DawnH]

Thank you Dawn, I'll put in her bowl right now

*whew* Good man. Now I am heading to bed.

 

[Tom]

That baby has been kept way too dry and its way to dry in your enclosure.

30% is way too low. You need to be simulating the African rainy season, not a desert.

There is no way humidity was 100% in an open topped enclosure unless the whole room was near 100%. If you are using the stick-on round dial type hygrometers, they are unreliable and inaccurate.

70 is too cold at night.

Sand can cause impactions, as well as skin and eye irritation.

Read all of these to see how to do it and why:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/

 

[JoshGoldberg]

That baby has been kept way too dry and its way to dry in your enclosure.

30% is way too low. You need to be simulating the African rainy season, not a desert.

There is no way humidity was 100% in an open topped enclosure unless the whole room was near 100%. If you are using the stick-on round dial type hygrometers, they are unreliable and inaccurate.

70 is too cold at night.

Sand can cause impactions, as well as skin and eye irritation.

Read all of these to see how to do it and why:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/

Then what hygrometer do you recomend? And where do I purchase it?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

is her shell Pyramiding?

 

[Tom]

is her shell Pyramiding?

Yes, but its early. Correct the conditions now and you will minimize the damage. You need to do all the things in those threads. Closed chamber, high humidity, sleep in a humid hide, soak daily, spray the shell several times a day, spray the food with water, etc...

 

[JoshGoldberg]

No worries! (I am gonna mother you and holler till you read that link!!) I personaly would not use it due to the risk of impaction. Baby torts are babies. They could ingest some and for me that is a gamble I would not take. Your substrate looks very dry in your photo. Below is my guys first enclosure to give you an idea (I am very visual and like photos to help me along) of what can work. READ THE LINK JOSH! (And a very warm welcome to the forum!)

View attachment 135403

Brand new surroundings! 100 percent eco earth substrate with 90 percent humidity all around and 100 percent humidity in the hide, grass seads planted randomly with a cuttlefish bone, soaking dish and a hard eating surface to wear down her beak, do I need anything else? 

 

[Tom]

Where do you live Josh? Unless the inside of your house is 90% humidity, there is no way your enclosure humidity is that high in an open topped enclosure.

Those tortoise houses are too small and they can't stand up to moisture.

I hate to be discouraging and its really cool that you put in this effort, but that enclosure is not going to work well and your pyramiding will continue to get worse. I'm sorry to give such bad news when you are trying so hard, but believe me, I did it wrong for a lot of years. I've tried it so many ways and open tops just are not going to work very well. They can't hold in humidity and heat. Having the lights outside and on top creates a chimney effect that draws your heat and humidity up and out of the enclosure to be replaced by cooler drier room air.

You may feel frustrated right now, but that is nothing compared to how bad you will feel years from now looking at a lumpy tortoise and knowing that you could have stopped it. I speak from experience here. It sucks.

Also remember that stopping pyramiding in progress is a lot harder than preventing pyramiding in the first place.