Baby sulcata

[Chupaflor]

Hello, I just got a little sully and am, so happy with him/her. I just wanted to post a few things with a couple questions. I've researched all over including this thread, but any insight is great!

I have:
a 36x18x18 tank.
A UVB lamp
Organic cedar mulch & sphagnum moss
Hide

My question is, feeding. So many conflicting things about food. In one place kale is good, in another it's bad. He is about 2 months old, should he eat every day? Should I soak him everyday? I live in ohio.

Thank you!

 

[Tyanna]

Soak every day, yes. Kale should be fed on occasion. Not one food should be the staple in his diet. He will need to eat a mix of collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, etc. Spring Mix from the grocery store can be feed on occasion as well. Mazuri is a good food to use when you can't get ahold of greens during winter months. 2 or 3 times a week is ok. You can find that on tortoisesupply.com. @Tom has a big list of things to feed as well.

Here are some awesome threads to read:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

I do know sulcatas grow fast, so eventually you'll need a very big space for him/her that's preferably outside.

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the forum. Please read those links that Tyanna posted for you. That will help a lot.

Your questions:
1. Kale is fine once in a while but not every day. In fact grocery store foods are not the best anyway. Weeds and grasses are best. And free. Its all in the second link above.
2. Feed every day.
3. Soak every day for the first few months at least.

Other tips:
1. Your tank is a bit too small. Be thinking bigger soon. Closed chambers work the best by far.
2. Cedar is toxic. Are you sure its cedar? If yes remove him from there right away and swap it out.
3. What sort of UV lamp? The coil types can damage their eyes.
4. Hides are great. Do you have a humid hide?

All this info and more is explained for you in the above threads.

Happy reading.

 

[lismar79]

Also to add, make sure you also have a shallow water dish that is big enough for him to climb into. A terra cotta plant saucer works fantastic.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_94458-303-672019_0__?productId=3047737

Welcome from a fellow ohioan!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ . You will love it here and there is a lot of info.


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

 

[tortdad]

Welcome


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[Chupaflor]

Welcome to the forum. Please read those links that Tyanna posted for you. That will help a lot.

Your questions:
1. Kale is fine once in a while but not every day. In fact grocery store foods are not the best anyway. Weeds and grasses are best. And free. Its all in the second link above.
2. Feed every day.
3. Soak every day for the first few months at least.

Other tips:
1. Your tank is a bit too small. Be thinking bigger soon. Closed chambers work the best by far.
2. Cedar is toxic. Are you sure its cedar? If yes remove him from there right away and swap it out.
3. What sort of UV lamp? The coil types can damage their eyes.
4. Hides are great. Do you have a humid hide?

All this info and more is explained for you in the above threads.

Happy reading.

Hi Tom, thank you so much for responding! (thanks to everyone)

1. I did get him some orchard grass hay, which he was eating this morning. I also got some turnip greens. I'm guessing for the grasses I will need to order online or go hunting at the local nurseries. I live in an apartment so I don't want to use any outside grass as I do not know if it has chemicals on it. I have clover and weeds growing in my own garden though...As far as the tank, I realize it will be too small soon, and will be building a tortoise table/bigger enclosure. I also have a food dish and shallow water dish.


2. I also made a typo! No it was not cedar it is cypress. Whoops!
3. It is a solar glo UVB lamp.
4. I have one in the corner farthest away from the lamp, so he has a place to go for a cooler spot. I am worried about the humidity level being too low, should I just mist the tank once a day etc?

Thanks for everyones tips, on to my reading.

 

[Tyanna]

I would not feed anything bought from a nursery or garden center, etc. They will be full of pesticides and bad stuff. It's much safer to grow them yourself.

 

[Alaskamike]

I think sometimes folks with a baby tort worry about over feeding. That too much food will make them grow too fast and pyramid or make them fat.

My experience has been that as long as you offer varietyand exersize you cannot over feed. I offer my baby Leopards food twice a day. Plus they have fresh grass, purslane ( weed) and broad leafs in their enclosure they munch on at will. They walk allot.

It has been well established by Tom on the forum here , and many others that lack of water and high humidity causes the problems. Not too much available food. As long as you stick to the staples for your type of tort.

Keep lots of grass and weeds in his diet and he cannot over eat. Avoid fruit.
Good fortune with the little one.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Tom]

Hi Tom, thank you so much for responding! (thanks to everyone)

1. I did get him some orchard grass hay, which he was eating this morning. I also got some turnip greens. I'm guessing for the grasses I will need to order online or go hunting at the local nurseries. I live in an apartment so I don't want to use any outside grass as I do not know if it has chemicals on it. I have clover and weeds growing in my own garden though...As far as the tank, I realize it will be too small soon, and will be building a tortoise table/bigger enclosure. I also have a food dish and shallow water dish.


2. I also made a typo! No it was not cedar it is cypress. Whoops!
3. It is a solar glo UVB lamp.
4. I have one in the corner farthest away from the lamp, so he has a place to go for a cooler spot. I am worried about the humidity level being too low, should I just mist the tank once a day etc?

Thanks for everyones tips, on to my reading.

Hay is not something I recommend for babies. Most of them won't eat it and its physically difficult to eat it. Best to use fresh chopped grass for babies. You can buy organic wheat grass plots at many stores nowadays for a couple of bucks. These will regrow several times if left in a window sill and watered.

What kind of UV lamp is it? Solar Glo makes several types. Is it a coil type? Also known as cfl? I yes, I'd return it immediately. Those can burn their eyes and frequently do.

Come back with lots of questions after you are done reading.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Chupaflor]

No it's not the coil type of light.

And I realized my error with the hay, will wait until he is older!

 

[Tom]

He's beginning to pyramid. Want some tips to stop it?

 

[Sue Harvey]

Hi and welcome - I am a new tort owner also just joined this forum yesterday. What is your sully's name?

 

[Chupaflor]

He is? Yes I would love some tips...and his name is diesel. Lol.

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome.

 

[Tom]

Yes I would love some tips...

Tips for stopping pyramiding:
1. Understand that stopping pyramiding in progress is much harder than preventing pyramiding.
2. You need to simulate the African rainy season. House him in a closed chamber and keep humidity 80%+ all the time.
3. Offer a humid hide that stays near 100% humidity and encourage him to sleep in it.
4. Soak daily for 30-40 minutes in warm shallow water.
5. Spray the shell with plain water at least 3-4 times a day.

I've used the above techniques many times now, and it works. It just takes a lot of time and effort.

 

[Dizisdalife]

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for joining us. Diesel is a great name. Love it.