Heating help!

Turtleyconfused

New Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
5
Hi guys, just got two leopards today and we are really nervous about our set up. We have two heat sources, a mat and a lamp, but have a a microclimate thermostat plugged into the lamp. The probe is sat in the substrate above the mat. Is this ok for the little guys? Would love some advice thank you.

image.jpg image.jpg
 

Cowboy_Ken

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
17,560
Location (City and/or State)
Suburban-life in Salem, Oregon
For a good start, go to the African tortoise section and click the link to Sulcatas. At the top of that page are “stickies" one of which is titled, “How to raise a healthy sulcata or leopard tortoise". Check it out. Many of your questions will be answered as well as answers to questions you don't have yet.
For starters, pellets are a poor choice for tortoises as a substrate. They mold, and do not hold moisture.
Pairs typically do not do well together. One ends up bringing the boss and gets all the good food and the best heat spot to name a few.
Welcome to the forum! We are glad you found us. This is the first step of raising lifelong, healthy pets that your grandchildren will enjoy when they are old…
 

tortdad

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
5,567
Location (City and/or State)
NW Houston TX
Great, thankyou we are going off the advice of where we got them with the pellets. I have found so many conflicting views on how to keep them!
Pellets are evil. That advice tells me the person offering it do sent know much in proper tortoise care so I would forget anything they told you. Welcome!!!!


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

Turtleyconfused

New Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
5
We assumed with the pic of a tort on the front of the pack that it would be suitable :( . In regards to heat where would the best place be for the probe using the mat and bulb?
 

Cowboy_Ken

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
17,560
Location (City and/or State)
Suburban-life in Salem, Oregon
Start off straight away with soaking those babies. If the breeder felt pellets are a good choice for substrate it is likely he/she felt they need to be raised dry and they could be very dehydrated.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi, and welcome to the Forum! I LOVE your username!!!

Ok, time to forget everything you ever thought you knew about raising tortoises, and forget everything you were told by other people. I know this sounds a little conceited, but, believe me, we know from what we speak. Read the pinned threads up at the top of the Leopard section and up at the to of the Sulcata section (raising baby leopards and baby sulcatas is the same technique).

Tortoises in Africa hatch during the monsoon season, and they don't live in the desert. So in order to grow smoothly and healthily, they need a lot of humidity and moisture in their lives. You'll see what I'm talking about when you read the pinned threads.
 

Alaskamike

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
1,742
Location (City and/or State)
South Florida
Welcome. You have fortunately found the right place for the most correct and updated information on keeping your babies healthy.

Please .... As you will quickly find out , do not rely on pet store employees for correct information. Most are 5-10 years behind on proper care. Even broad internet searches turn up much outdated recommendations as fact.

Substantial gains have been made just in the last few years , even with those with decades of experience. Get your info on this forum. It is leading edge and well vetted.
Good fortune with your new charges
Mike
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
We assumed with the pic of a tort on the front of the pack that it would be suitable :( . In regards to heat where would the best place be for the probe using the mat and bulb?

I don't use this type of equipment, so I can't answer that question, but you need to know the temperature at ground level, where the babies are, if that helps at all.
 

Turtleyconfused

New Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
5
They bathed them before we left the shop a couple of hours ago, we also have redigrass from shelled warriors we bought prior is this a better substrate?
 

tortdad

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
5,567
Location (City and/or State)
NW Houston TX
They bathed them before we left the shop a couple of hours ago, we also have redigrass from shelled warriors we bought prior is this a better substrate?

It's just as bad if not worse. Your substraight need to retain moisture. Put your probe in the coolest part of your box. Also, pets stores are not a good place to buy most of the stuff you need. You can find better and less expensive stuff at home improvement stores. Go to Home Depot or some place similar and get you some orchard bark and coco coir (shredded coconut husk) and use that. Check out toms care sheets they are very very detailed.


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

johnsonnboswell

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
2,238
Wouldn't it be nice if we could trust pet stores, the advice they give and the equipment they sell? If manufacturers supplied only really useful needed good stuff that benefited those they are aimed toward instead of lots of junk?
 

ShadowRancher

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 8, 2011
Messages
969
Location (City and/or State)
Columbia, SC
I'd just work on keeping those babies warm and humid while you do some reading on the sticky threads. But seriously go to Lowes for substrate, cypress bark is like $2 for 2 sq ft...cypress is probably a little big/coarse for babies but their orchard bark and coir are similarly cheaper (I just know the price of cypress bc I just bought 10 sq ft :tort:)
 

chaseswife

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
232
My fun pet store helpful employee story- i was at petsmart checking out substrate, when an employee asked if I needed any help. I said "I have a baby sulcata and i am getting THIS substrate, just need to decide how many bags I need." Employee says "oooh- a baby? Let me show you the rabbit pellet stuff, it works great!" I say "No- we keep the habitat humid so rabbit pellets will just get gross and moldy." Employee smiles and says "oh- you actually know what you are doing! Let me know if you need more bags of that substrate, there is some in the back too." And walked away. She totally knew that there was a better way to raise tortoises but pushes for the "easy" way for the uneducated. It just helped reinforce everything I have read on this forum.
 

TortMomma

Active Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
159
I work at a pet store and you can assure I give the best info to my knowledge even if it means I have to send the customer to another pet store or store to obtain the best product at an affordable rate. I think my honesty pays off in the end because customers come back when they have questions.
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
Welcome to the forum! Regret to have to say this but you'll always hear/read conflcting info no matter what the subject is....this is not mathematics where1+1=2 full stop. Please do not misunderstand me..I do not mean to put you down. Good luck.
 

Levi the Leopard

IXOYE
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
7,958
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Oregon
Conflicting ways to raise tortoises? You bet cha!

Here's a quick test you can do to determine whose advice you want to follow and whose advice you should ignore...

Look at the results each method produces and use which one produces your desired results.
For example: Many people use pellet substrates, don't soak and feed store bought lettuce. The results from that method (and similar varieties) produce bumpy shells, stunted growth and have higher mortality rates among hatchlings/babies.
Many of us have used damp substrates, regular soaks and varied diets. The results from that method (and similar varieties) produce smoother shells, great growth rates and greater number of survival rates.

So, which of the 2 would you like to produce?
Google "pyramided leopard" and "smooth leopard" just to give you an idea of the visual difference between the 2.
And for the record, wild leopards are smooth....so that's a hint of which shell shape" is normal.

Hope this helps with the confusion :)
And welcome to the wonderful world of leopard tortoise ownership!
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
Conflicting ways to raise tortoises? You bet cha!

Here's a quick test you can do to determine whose advice you want to follow and whose advice you should ignore...

Look at the results each method produces and use which one produces your desired results.
For example: Many people use pellet substrates, don't soak and feed store bought lettuce. The results from that method (and similar varieties) produce bumpy shells, stunted growth and have higher mortality rates among hatchlings/babies.
Many of us have used damp substrates, regular soaks and varied diets. The results from that method (and similar varieties) produce smoother shells, great growth rates and greater number of survival rates.

So, which of the 2 would you like to produce?
Google "pyramided leopard" and "smooth leopard" just to give you an idea of the visual difference between the 2.
And for the record, wild leopards are smooth....so that's a hint of which shell shape" is normal.

Hope this helps with the confusion :)
And welcome to the wonderful world of leopard tortoise ownership!
Regret to have to say this (and please do not take it personal), but...what if I try one thing someone advices me to do and then try another thing someone else adviced me to do, and....neither work when put into practice? Am asking such a question due to the fat that my tort has REFUSED TO EAT ANYTHING LATELY! The issue is worrying me and I've tried very many ways to feed it, but no way will it eat! Even if I were to take it to a vet, vets (like doctors after all) are not magicians, are they?
 

Zeko

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
302
Regret to have to say this (and please do not take it personal), but...what if I try one thing someone advices me to do and then try another thing someone else adviced me to do, and....neither work when put into practice? Am asking such a question due to the fat that my tort has REFUSED TO EAT ANYTHING LATELY! The issue is worrying me and I've tried very many ways to feed it, but no way will it eat! Even if I were to take it to a vet, vets (like doctors after all) are not magicians, are they?

From the pictures, it's safe to say you don't have a proper setup, heat or conditions. Your tortoise is trying to tell you this by the fact it won't eat.

Take these peoples advice:
1) New substrate. Even using dirt would go a long way.

2) He needs to be much warmer. No lower than 80*F, and a nice warm spot around 100*F.

3) For now, go buy some spring mix from the grocery store, and if possible add some chemical free grass clippings to the top.

Once you've done all this, post some pictures and read the stickies. They go a long way to give advice.

I would recommend doing this all quickly, or you may not have a live tortoise for long.

Good luck,
Brad
 

Levi the Leopard

IXOYE
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
7,958
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Oregon
I once took in an adult California Desert tortoise who only ate Romaine lettuce. Do you know what I did? I did not fed him romaine. I didn't fed him anything... he was properly kept outside on grass and weeds. He did not eat for 2 weeks. I didn't cave in because I knew he wouldn't starve. I was sooo happy the day I saw him finally start eating..and ya know what, he never fasted again! He had a wonderful appetite on a wonderful diet for the rest of the time he was with me :)

So, my advice stands. Even with feeding... look at what others have done, the results it produces and choose to follow the one that you like.
Some people can't do the tough love with feeding even though it's in their torts best interest. So they settle for feeding a junk food diet.

Gillian, I don't know any details about your tortoise but since we don't want to hijack this thread I tried to leave my answer for you in a way the OP can still benefit.
 
Top