Does this look ok (sulcata)

randomdemon

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*Edited to add* He does have another, more enclosed, moist hide, it was just being cleaned when I took these photos, it's situated in the empty space in the back left corner...

It's a 4ft x 2ft and is enclosed.

Substrate is coco coir with orchid bark underneath.

Plants are all checked via the tortoise table and various other sources and deemed safe (there are some more seedings to come yet when they're big enough not to be devoured in 10 minutes).

Left side is currently at 86% humidity and 26⁰c and right side is at 80% humidity and 30⁰c.

Temperature doesn't fluctuate much but humidity can depending on how much I need to open the enclosure. The warmer end can drop to 77% (lowest I've seen it) but in contrast, the 'cooler', humid end never drops below 80% and often reaches the high 90s.

Under the basking light is 37⁰c (basking light is actually an incandescent flood light that I could only find on amazon as they're being phased out here which leads me to a question, what would you advise when these bulbs are no longer available? (I've stocked up but it's going to be inevitable).

Overnight it's heated with a heat panel on a thermostat. In the day it's heated mostly by the basking light.

UV is currently from an Arcadia 12% HO tube but I have that posh reptisun LED thingy coming (sorry can't quite remember it's proper name off the top of my head) and the uv measuring device is in my basket but will have to wait for payday now.

He's having daily soaks which he doesn't particularly love and either tries to escape the entire time or falls asleep but he's a very amiable little guy and quite bold now. He was timid last week but will now try to push my hand out of his way or barge past if I'm doing something in his enclosure and he thinks he needs to get past!

Wees and poops are fine, usually poops after his soak.

So I was told he hatched in February and when he arrived I double checked at he is smaller than I was expecting but I was assured the last few they had were just tiny but, he looks to still have his egg tooth? And his plastron still has very clear marks/scarring from the yolk sac? (I'll get a pic of this later).

These are his stats and some pictures taken yesterday, please let me know what you think and if I can improve on this in any way I'm open to suggestions.

I did think I was well researched before getting this tortoise and have been planning for over a year but unfortunately, I was well researched on the wrong advice, so yes, he was started off dry but he did have hides (although not humid) and 1 soak per week before he came to me and I've been caring for him like this from day 1. I'm moving forward and still learning now so please don't be too harsh, I'm doing my best.



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Tom

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Your temps and humidity all sound fine.

If he's pooping after the soak, you need to let him soak longer.

If this tortoise hatched in February, something is terribly wrong with it. At 7 months old it should be literally 10 times that weight. The egg Toth disappears within 6 weeks, so if you are still seeing one, this is a hatchling. Mine hatch at about 35 grams. They are over 40 grams by the time I move them out of the brooder box and into their first enclosure at about 8-10 days old. They are over 50 grams in their first month.

It is clear you are doing your best. No one here has anything bad to say to you or about you. We are here to talk tortoises and do what we can to help you succeed. This little tortoise is lucky it found its way to you.
 

Alex and the Redfoot

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Aug 21, 2023
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*Edited to add* He does have another, more enclosed, moist hide, it was just being cleaned when I took these photos, it's situated in the empty space in the back left corner...

It's a 4ft x 2ft and is enclosed.

Substrate is coco coir with orchid bark underneath.

Plants are all checked via the tortoise table and various other sources and deemed safe (there are some more seedings to come yet when they're big enough not to be devoured in 10 minutes).

Left side is currently at 86% humidity and 26⁰c and right side is at 80% humidity and 30⁰c.

Temperature doesn't fluctuate much but humidity can depending on how much I need to open the enclosure. The warmer end can drop to 77% (lowest I've seen it) but in contrast, the 'cooler', humid end never drops below 80% and often reaches the high 90s.

Under the basking light is 37⁰c (basking light is actually an incandescent flood light that I could only find on amazon as they're being phased out here which leads me to a question, what would you advise when these bulbs are no longer available? (I've stocked up but it's going to be inevitable).

Overnight it's heated with a heat panel on a thermostat. In the day it's heated mostly by the basking light.

UV is currently from an Arcadia 12% HO tube but I have that posh reptisun LED thingy coming (sorry can't quite remember it's proper name off the top of my head) and the uv measuring device is in my basket but will have to wait for payday now.

He's having daily soaks which he doesn't particularly love and either tries to escape the entire time or falls asleep but he's a very amiable little guy and quite bold now. He was timid last week but will now try to push my hand out of his way or barge past if I'm doing something in his enclosure and he thinks he needs to get past!

Wees and poops are fine, usually poops after his soak.

So I was told he hatched in February and when he arrived I double checked at he is smaller than I was expecting but I was assured the last few they had were just tiny but, he looks to still have his egg tooth? And his plastron still has very clear marks/scarring from the yolk sac? (I'll get a pic of this later).

These are his stats and some pictures taken yesterday, please let me know what you think and if I can improve on this in any way I'm open to suggestions.

I did think I was well researched before getting this tortoise and have been planning for over a year but unfortunately, I was well researched on the wrong advice, so yes, he was started off dry but he did have hides (although not humid) and 1 soak per week before he came to me and I've been caring for him like this from day 1. I'm moving forward and still learning now so please don't be too harsh, I'm doing my best.



View attachment 376833View attachment 376834View attachment 376835
Just one thought on this (everything else sounds fine to me):
> UV is currently from an Arcadia 12% HO tube but I have that posh reptisun LED thingy coming

T5 fluorescent tubes are better than UVB LEDs at this moment of time. LEDs have narrow UVB spectrum and emit wavelengths that trigger producing of vitamin D3, but don't emit wavelengths that control overproducing. With right timings for the lamp you can mitigate this but I would stick to T5 lights for now.

Solarmeter 6.5 is definitely a worthful investment.
 

The_Four_Toed_Edward

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Joined
Apr 6, 2024
Messages
1,153
Location (City and/or State)
Finland
Your temps and humidity all sound fine.

If he's pooping after the soak, you need to let him soak longer.

If this tortoise hatched in February, something is terribly wrong with it. At 7 months old it should be literally 10 times that weight. The egg Toth disappears within 6 weeks, so if you are still seeing one, this is a hatchling. Mine hatch at about 35 grams. They are over 40 grams by the time I move them out of the brooder box and into their first enclosure at about 8-10 days old. They are over 50 grams in their first month.

It is clear you are doing your best. No one here has anything bad to say to you or about you. We are here to talk tortoises and do what we can to help you succeed. This little tortoise is lucky it found its way to you.
So you mean that either the breeder lied about the hatch date or did something terribly wrong. Or both?
 

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