Brand new sulcata owner in south carolina

[Jnorma1276]

Alright everyone. I'm Blake. ive got experience with alllll kinds of critters. from pythons to horses and lizards and rabbits and all the little creepy crawlies! but never a tortoise. my mother in law has a couple (redfoots) but this is my first. I found a guy who has a couple babies for sale hatched out august 11 I believe. and I'm going to get one from him most likely Tuesday of next week. I have a large mixing tub set up for right now(will attach pictures in comment) and I just wanted everyones opinions and tips for things I can do better. I have a knack for carpentry and generally building things(anyone wanna new coffee table, by the way?) so I have another large enclosure I built for a tegu and ended up not getting it so I just have it lying around and ill most likely move it into that once I do some more tweaking. but anyway. thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear from you soon.

 

[Jnorma1276]

 

[Jnorma1276]

Alright. See its not very large. And I don't want to put so much in it that the little guy can't move around. But I have the water dish, a smaller food dish, and a hide filled with moss for humidity. The substrate is also good for humidity as well. I've got a light for heat and a light for UV. Probably going to get another thermostat as well. So here's what I got! Thanks again

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi and welcome!

It's a redfoot, right? and a baby? So that tub will be ok for a while, because he's small. It will help to hold in the humidity if you place some plants around inside, and you might consider some sort of framework to be able to hang the lights from, and to drape a sheet of plastic over. The plastic keeps the cool house air out and the warm, moist air from the lights inside. You'll also need a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) for night time. For babies I try to keep the temperature at around 80-85F all the time, day and night.

 

[Yvonne G]

***Yvonne face slaps her forehead*** SULCATA!!! Sorry about that. The tub won't last long for sulcata. They grow pretty fast. And for sure you need some sort of closed enclosure for him. We've learned that due to the fact sulctas hatch during the monsoon season, it helps them to grow smoothly when kept in warm, humid conditions.

 

[Jnorma1276]

No no no I worded that wrong. Its a sulcata. But the thing is tiny. Almost two months old so its still so tiny. But thank you for the reply. I'm going to make a top for it tomorrow.

 

[Jnorma1276]

After work tomorrow I'll post pictures of the bigger enclosure I plan on using. I just have a few things to redo on it before I put a tortoise in it to take it from "giant lizard cage" to "tiny tortoise cage

 

[Yvonne G]

Actually, bigger might be better. Once you get two hiding places, a feeder, waterer and several plants in there most plastic tubs aren't big enough. I'm looking forward to seeing your re-purposed lizard cage.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Blake, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Have you read https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[Jnorma1276]

 

[Jnorma1276]

So this is the repurposed tegu enclosure. Four foot by two foot by two. I've got a UV light bar mounted on the inside. I have the heat lamp. And I'm getting a new thermostat and Che as well. For substrate I have a cypress mulch (fun fact. I bought THREE BAGS thinking I'd need a lot. Needless to say. I have two and a half bags just hanging out now.) I have a stone thing that kinda looks like a rock wall, but not really. Two hides, one is just a log hide I've had forever, the other is a plastic pot thats turned on its side on the cool side of the tank. The log hide has moss in it for more humidity. Water dish(looks tiny now) and a tiny food dish. I want to put a few plants in there. But I have no idea how I'd go about it. I have a picture in my head, but my green thumb is not a real thing. Feel free to ask any questions or give any tips!

 

[Jnorma1276]

Actually, bigger might be better. Once you get two hiding places, a feeder, waterer and several plants in there most plastic tubs aren't big enough. I'm looking forward to seeing your re-purposed lizard cage.

I'm not sure how to just "tag" you in this so I'll just reply. How's this look for the little guy? Anything you'd change about it? Or add to it?

 

[Jnorma1276]

Hello, Blake, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Have you read https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Yes I had read those a day or two ago. Thanks for the welcome

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm not sure how to just "tag" you in this so I'll just reply. How's this look for the little guy? Anything you'd change about it? Or add to it?

no picture posted???

 

[Yvonne G]

no picture posted???

oh, I see. it refers to the picture above. Thst looks ok to me. How high can you get the lights? You don't want to burn his shell.

 

[Jnorma1276]

oh, I see. it refers to the picture above. Thst looks ok to me. How high can you get the lights? You don't want to burn his shell.

on the top of it I have a screened in portion that is about two feet above. then the other light is mounted on the inside about six inches from the top. so no worries with burns for the little guy.