Can use advice on anything for my Sulcata!

Mateya.sarne

New Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2020
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11
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Laramie
Hey there!
I have been using tortoise forum for research since I got my African Sulcata tortoise about 6 months ago! (Has been very helpful). Timmy, I believe, is no more than 8 months old & about 2” wide, he is in much better health than when I got him. I am looking for advice on anything I need to continue or change about my daily care for him.
Enclosure: I keep him in an average sized aquarium tank (obviously no water) with the ZooMed 100% natural cypress mulch as bedding. He has a water dish, food dish, small ramp and a cave with moss in it that I change out often. I keep a temperature/humidity gage in the tank. I use a uvb heat bulb for his enclosure along with a heat pad on the bottom which keeps the temperature at an average of 80–85 degrees F. I am not sure what exactly his humidity gage should be at during such a young age but I often spray the tank twice a day & that leaves the humidity in a 40-60 tropical zone.
Feed & other care: I keep constant supply of water for him in his tank (I use only purified water). It’s difficult to find a variety of greens where I live. I mainly buy his greens at a natural grocers. His diet consists of a rotation of: Turnip greens, green leaf lettuce, romaine, collard greens, yellow squash, Timothy hay (which he doesn’t like to eat), dry dandelion flowers, & carrots. I sprinkle Repti calcium on every feeding. I soak Timmy for 20-30 minutes every week & allow him to explore a safe area on the floor often.

If there is anything anyone wants to comment on or help me improve my care for him I would completely appreciate it!!

QUESTIONS:
I am wanting to build a tortoise table so I can provide him a bigger space with more to do. I have heard numerous things about the toxicity in certain woods. What wood is best for a Sulcata tortoise table both for the bottom & the sides? Will the table need to be sealed?
Where can I find a better supply of food for my Sulcata? Specifically mulberry leaves, endive & cactus!
I worry if he is bored or lonely. What is the best thing to do to entertain your tortoise and keep him active? What kind of “toys” can be useful?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
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Jan 9, 2010
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Southern California
Hello and welcome to the forum! You making the decision to post will greatly improve your tortoise's life. There is some room for improvement. The following suggestions are intended to help your tortoise, NOT make you feel bad. I'm not the best diplomat, so I want you to know upfront my intentions are pure, and I only have your tortoise well being in mind.

I'll comment sentence by sentence:
  • Tanks are fine for starting babies, but you need something larger now. Tables don't work. You need a large closed chamber to hold in the necessary heat and humidity.
  • Cypress mulch is okay, but I prefer orchid bark. Don't change it if you are happy with it.
  • Get rid of the moss. It doesn't do anything and they all eventually try to eat it. It is an impaction hazard. Just dampen the substrate under the hide to do the same thing.
  • The stick on guages are not accurate or reliable. They are also in the wrong place when stuck on half way up the side. Get a digital one from the hardware store. Stay out of the pet store. Bad advice and bad products for tortoise care in general.
  • What type of UV bulb? MVB or cfl?
  • No heat mats for tortoises. These are dangerous and should not be used. Use a ceramic heating element or radiant heat panel controlled by a thermostat to control your ambient temps. This is MUCH easier in a closed chamber without an open top.
  • Humidity needs to be 80%+. Sparaying the surface of the substrate does nothing. You need a four inch layer of damp substrate and a covered top to hold in the needed humidity.
  • Grocery store food is not good, and requires amendments to make it suitable. Get your food out in the world for free. I'll link a thread explaining this further. Skip the hay. Babies won't eat it. When the time comes for hay at about 12 inches, use orchard grass hay or Bermuda grass hay. Timothy is too stemmy.
  • You should only be using a tiny pinch of calcium once or twice a week. Too much is not good.
  • Your tortoise should NEVER be roaming loose on the floor. Its too cold down there, and no matter how careful you are, they will find a way to hurt themselves. You enclosure needs to be big enough to meet your tortoises exercise needs. Same thing outdoors. Make a large enclosure to use during fair weather.
  • Babies need to be soaked every day. Once a week is no where near enough. That is one reason why he is still so small at 8 months old. They need hydration and warm humid conditions. In the wild they hatch in the hot wet rainy humid monsoon season. Dry is not good for them.
On to your questions:
  1. Best to not use wood. It will rot with all the needed moisture. Buy or build an enclosure from expanded PVC plastic. There are many available now. Go big and make it a closed chamber.
  2. Endive should be found at your local markets. Cactus and many other foods can be ordered on line if you can't find it near you. Take some time and learn your local weeds. We will help and you can probably find someone to help ID weed samples at your local nursery.
  3. Tortoise don't get lonely and boredom is a human thing too. If your enclosure was larger, you could add an assortment of logs, big rocks, or caves to explore. In a small tank there isn't much room for that stuff.
Read these and come back with all your questions:
 

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