Hello there - in need of information

Sethinator

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Mar 26, 2023
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Palm Springs
Hello Tortoise Forum!
My name is Seth and I am going to get a sulcata tortoise. I have a Horsfield tortoise right now who is five years old. I have been in love with the sulcata tortoise species since I was four years old. I have read the care sheet for Sulcatas here and I find it excellent and I want to have a super smooth shelled Sulcata called Bowser. I have began construction on my own outdoor enclosure in my garden (24x18 garden size). I just wanted some help on the gadgets for a sulcata. Is reptibark a good substrate? Where can I get a similar plastic vivarium (similar to the ones on the care sheet for Sulcatas and leopards)? Distance from UVB light (T5 HO tube) to tortoise. Substrate depth? What to feed the baby Sulcata? For how long can I house my Sulcata in the Plastic Vivarium? What weight should they be and when (is there a kind of average weight I should be aiming for)? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to know any extra useful tips for sulcata tortoise care. Help is always appreciated!
 

Sarah2020

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Hello Seth, it is good that you have gained experience with a horsefield and now want to have a Sulcata. Note: They can not be housed together. I will add @Tom in for his advise and answers to your questions.
I recommend you get your new hatchling from a breeder so you know its history adopt an older one.... search tortoise rescue or similar locally.
 

Sethinator

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Palm Springs
Hello Seth, it is good that you have gained experience with a horsefield and now want to have a Sulcata. Note: They can not be housed together. I will add @Tom in for his advise and answers to your questions.
I recommend you get your new hatchling from a breeder so you know its history adopt an older one.... search tortoise rescue or similar locally.
Thanks for your response. Yes I am aware that they cannot be mixed due to bacteria’s they have. Have a wonderful day!
 

Tom

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Hello Tortoise Forum!
My name is Seth and I am going to get a sulcata tortoise. I have a Horsfield tortoise right now who is five years old. I have been in love with the sulcata tortoise species since I was four years old. I have read the care sheet for Sulcatas here and I find it excellent and I want to have a super smooth shelled Sulcata called Bowser. I have began construction on my own outdoor enclosure in my garden (24x18 garden size). I just wanted some help on the gadgets for a sulcata. Is reptibark a good substrate? Where can I get a similar plastic vivarium (similar to the ones on the care sheet for Sulcatas and leopards)? Distance from UVB light (T5 HO tube) to tortoise. Substrate depth? What to feed the baby Sulcata? For how long can I house my Sulcata in the Plastic Vivarium? What weight should they be and when (is there a kind of average weight I should be aiming for)? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to know any extra useful tips for sulcata tortoise care. Help is always appreciated!
1. If you are getting a hatchling, you won't need an outdoor enclosure for about a year. As an adult, 18x24 will be far too small.
2. Repti-bark is ideal, but that is the pet store brand and its very expensive to go that route. Here in SoCal, we can find fir bark in bulk at local nurseries most of the time. Much cheaper that way.
3. The best enclosure are made by @Markw84 here on the forum. He makes them with all the heating and lighting already installed and ready to go. Its cheaper than buying the materials and building it yourself. If you don't mind waking 8-9 months, Animal Plastics also makes excellent, high quality enclosures.
4. You can't be told the necessary distance from the UV tube. Only a Solarmeter 6.5 in your enclosure with your bulb can answer that. It also depends on which one you get. It is usually around 18-20 inches for an Arcadia 12% HO tube. These are best purchased as the "ProT5 Kit".
5. Substrate depth should be 3-4 inches.
6. Feed baby sulcatas lots of weeds, freshly sprouted grasses, flowers, leaves, and succulents.
7. You can house your sulcata in a large PVC closed chamber until it outgrows it. No one can tell you when that will be. They all grow at different rates and for a wide variety of reasons. Usually one or two years in a 4x8 foot indoor PVC closed chamber. The longer they can remain inside, the better.
8. Don't concern your self with average weight. Because they grow at drastically different weights, and most of them are not started correctly, any average is meaningless. If you get a properly started baby, and then house and care for it correctly, it will grow exponentially faster than an incorrectly started one from the wrong source.


More useful tips here. There is a heating and lighting breakdown, and the sulcata care sheet at the bottom:
 

Sethinator

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Palm Springs
Thanks a lot
1. If you are getting a hatchling, you won't need an outdoor enclosure for about a year. As an adult, 18x24 will be far too small.
2. Repti-bark is ideal, but that is the pet store brand and its very expensive to go that route. Here in SoCal, we can find fir bark in bulk at local nurseries most of the time. Much cheaper that way.
3. The best enclosure are made by @Markw84 here on the forum. He makes them with all the heating and lighting already installed and ready to go. Its cheaper than buying the materials and building it yourself. If you don't mind waking 8-9 months, Animal Plastics also makes excellent, high quality enclosures.
4. You can't be told the necessary distance from the UV tube. Only a Solarmeter 6.5 in your enclosure with your bulb can answer that. It also depends on which one you get. It is usually around 18-20 inches for an Arcadia 12% HO tube. These are best purchased as the "ProT5 Kit".
5. Substrate depth should be 3-4 inches.
6. Feed baby sulcatas lots of weeds, freshly sprouted grasses, flowers, leaves, and succulents.
7. You can house your sulcata in a large PVC closed chamber until it outgrows it. No one can tell you when that will be. They all grow at different rates and for a wide variety of reasons. Usually one or two years in a 4x8 foot indoor PVC closed chamber. The longer they can remain inside, the better.
8. Don't concern your self with average weight. Because they grow at drastically different weights, and most of them are not started correctly, any average is meaningless. If you get a properly started baby, and then house and care for it correctly, it will grow exponentially faster than an incorrectly started one from the wrong source.


More useful tips here. There is a heating and lighting breakdown, and the sulcata care sheet at the bottom:
Thanks for that. Very helpful. I will see what I can do about garden. I might have to move home but I will do it to make sure that I can appropriately care for a sulcata. Thanks alot!
 

SinLA

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Not to dissuade you from a baby if that's what you really want, but there are a ton of young-ish (a few years old) Sulcatas on Craigslist all over SoCal who could be past that super fragile stage and in need of a great home...
 

Sethinator

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Palm Springs
Not to dissuade you from a baby if that's what you really want, but there are a ton of young-ish (a few years old) Sulcatas on Craigslist all over SoCal who could be past that super fragile stage and in need of a great home...
Ok sure that sounds great. I am going to setup the appropriate enclosure before I look at buying one because I found that preparation was key when I got my Horsfield tortoise a few years back. I want to make sure that I can provide a perfect home for a sulcata tortoise where they can be healthy and happy. I will be sure to check Craigslist thanks for the advice
 

SinLA

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Ok sure that sounds great. I am going to setup the appropriate enclosure before I look at buying one because I found that preparation was key when I got my Horsfield tortoise a few years back. I want to make sure that I can provide a perfect home for a sulcata tortoise where they can be healthy and happy. I will be sure to check Craigslist thanks for the advice

I look at CL torts a *lot* -- more out of self-flagellation than anything else -- so a few things I've gleaned about torts on there:

1) the word "re-homing fee" means nothing. People who make a living breeding and selling reptiles online use in just about every ad, don't even pay attention to it as a legit means of looking for a "rescue" versus just a sale (if you care about that).
2) Occasionally you will get a legit person trying to find a good home for their tortoise and wants to make an effort to make sure the person buying it will keep it well, etc. BUT, mostly its a) people who are side hustle breeders and just produce a lot of inventory or b) people who got one and are now bored or have learned they don't have the time/energy/money to keep it well, but they see other people selling torts for hundreds of dollars, they they ALSO list them for (IMO) overpriced amounts.
3) Look at the shell first and foremost. I see people who are definitely breeders who have sulcatas with MASSIVE MBD yet advertise them as "healthy". (I've attached a photo of one right now on CL). I feel so so so badly for this tort, and the poor shmo who buys her thinking she may be healthy. This tortoise is in such bad shape... but there are lots that are not this bad, just be on the lookout for the shell as the most obvious sign of problems
4) Finally - if you look and don't see any, either expand the CL range to different drivable areas of SoCal/NV or just wait a week or two. There are always more...
 

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Sethinator

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2023
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Palm Springs
I look at CL torts a *lot* -- more out of self-flagellation than anything else -- so a few things I've gleaned about torts on there:

1) the word "re-homing fee" means nothing. People who make a living breeding and selling reptiles online use in just about every ad, don't even pay attention to it as a legit means of looking for a "rescue" versus just a sale (if you care about that).
2) Occasionally you will get a legit person trying to find a good home for their tortoise and wants to make an effort to make sure the person buying it will keep it well, etc. BUT, mostly its a) people who are side hustle breeders and just produce a lot of inventory or b) people who got one and are now bored or have learned they don't have the time/energy/money to keep it well, but they see other people selling torts for hundreds of dollars, they they ALSO list them for (IMO) overpriced amounts.
3) Look at the shell first and foremost. I see people who are definitely breeders who have sulcatas with MASSIVE MBD yet advertise them as "healthy". (I've attached a photo of one right now on CL). I feel so so so badly for this tort, and the poor shmo who buys her thinking she may be healthy. This tortoise is in such bad shape... but there are lots that are not this bad, just be on the lookout for the shell as the most obvious sign of problems
4) Finally - if you look and don't see any, either expand the CL range to different drivable areas of SoCal/NV or just wait a week or two. There are always more...
Thanks a lot! This is going to help out when I can buy one. You are very helpful
 

SinLA

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Thanks a lot! This is going to help out when I can buy one. You are very helpful
OH I also forgot one other thing, again if you decide to go that route:

California Turtle and Tortoise club does do adoptions (caveat, I've never had any interaction with them, so they could be crap, I don't know), https://tortoise.org/cttc/adoption.html, but point being there are also tortoise rescue groups out there...
 

Sethinator

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Palm Springs
1. If you are getting a hatchling, you won't need an outdoor enclosure for about a year. As an adult, 18x24 will be far too small.
2. Repti-bark is ideal, but that is the pet store brand and its very expensive to go that route. Here in SoCal, we can find fir bark in bulk at local nurseries most of the time. Much cheaper that way.
3. The best enclosure are made by @Markw84 here on the forum. He makes them with all the heating and lighting already installed and ready to go. Its cheaper than buying the materials and building it yourself. If you don't mind waking 8-9 months, Animal Plastics also makes excellent, high quality enclosures.
4. You can't be told the necessary distance from the UV tube. Only a Solarmeter 6.5 in your enclosure with your bulb can answer that. It also depends on which one you get. It is usually around 18-20 inches for an Arcadia 12% HO tube. These are best purchased as the "ProT5 Kit".
5. Substrate depth should be 3-4 inches.
6. Feed baby sulcatas lots of weeds, freshly sprouted grasses, flowers, leaves, and succulents.
7. You can house your sulcata in a large PVC closed chamber until it outgrows it. No one can tell you when that will be. They all grow at different rates and for a wide variety of reasons. Usually one or two years in a 4x8 foot indoor PVC closed chamber. The longer they can remain inside, the better.
8. Don't concern your self with average weight. Because they grow at drastically different weights, and most of them are not started correctly, any average is meaningless. If you get a properly started baby, and then house and care for it correctly, it will grow exponentially faster than an incorrectly started one from the wrong source.


More useful tips here. There is a heating and lighting breakdown, and the sulcata care sheet at the bottom:
Just wondering if 5.8 acres is enough space? I was thinking about making a heated tortoise shed. Something to keep them warm for the winter. Do y ok have any recommendations on how I could keep it insulated? What kind of size should the shed be.
 

Sethinator

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Palm Springs
OH I also forgot one other thing, again if you decide to go that route:

California Turtle and Tortoise club does do adoptions (caveat, I've never had any interaction with them, so they could be crap, I don't know), https://tortoise.org/cttc/adoption.html, but point being there are also tortoise rescue groups out there...
I was also just wondering how I should apply the calcium powder and nutrabol? For my Russian tortoises, I put it on his food 5 days a week but for a Sulcata should I be adding more or less? When I get my sulcata, I am going to be feeding some orchard grass mixed in with some other healthy weeds that I grow in my garden. Should I add calcium dust and nutrabol to the orchard grass?
 

Tom

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Just wondering if 5.8 acres is enough space? I was thinking about making a heated tortoise shed. Something to keep them warm for the winter. Do y ok have any recommendations on how I could keep it insulated? What kind of size should the shed be.
You'll probably lose him on 5.8 acres, but yes, that is enough. 50x50 is the minimum that I am comfortable with. 5,000-10,000 square feet is ideal.

Sheds are inefficient and ineffective. In your climate a night box will work better. Like these:

Best to let the tortoise burrow in summer, but block the burrow in fall and make the tortoise sleep in the heated box over winter.

Are you getting a baby? Hay is for adult sulcatas. Not good for babies.

Calcium twice a week is good for either species in most cases.

Please take the time to read the care sheets at the bottom of the link I left for you in post number four. All of this and so much more is explained there.
 

Sethinator

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Palm Springs
You'll probably lose him on 5.8 acres, but yes, that is enough. 50x50 is the minimum that I am comfortable with. 5,000-10,000 square feet is ideal.

Sheds are inefficient and ineffective. In your climate a night box will work better. Like these:

Best to let the tortoise burrow in summer, but block the burrow in fall and make the tortoise sleep in the heated box over winter.

Are you getting a baby? Hay is for adult sulcatas. Not good for babies.

Calcium twice a week is good for either species in most cases.

Please take the time to read the care sheets at the bottom of the link I left for you in post number four. All of this and so much more is explained there.
Thank you so much you are such a help. I am getting a baby by the way. I will have a look at the night box and aim to get that built this week. I am going to setup a concrete brick perimeter wall 60x60. I also need to plant some grass seed down because most the grass has died away and there is just that sandy type soil left so I will start planting grass seed now, setup a large greenhouse for weed and make a night house. Once I have finished, I will get a hatchling. Thanks for all the help
 

Tom

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Thank you so much you are such a help. I am getting a baby by the way. I will have a look at the night box and aim to get that built this week. I am going to setup a concrete brick perimeter wall 60x60. I also need to plant some grass seed down because most the grass has died away and there is just that sandy type soil left so I will start planting grass seed now, setup a large greenhouse for weed and make a night house. Once I have finished, I will get a hatchling. Thanks for all the help
I'm glad that you found the info helpful!

You won't need an outdoor enclosure or a night box for a baby for at least a year. They do best when kept mostly inside with warm humid stable conditions, until they gain some size. They will stunt and pyramid if you keep them outside too much as a little baby. Certainly good to plan ahead and get a head start with planting and building, but you've got time for all that if you are starting with a hatchling. I don't move them outside full time until they are around 10 inches, which is anywhere from one to three years normally, depending on many factors.

The main point to know about getting a hatching sulcata is that almost NO ONE starts babies correctly. They use the wrong media, skip the brooder stage, don't soak often enough, keep them outside all day or too dry inside, don't introduce that correct foods, don't keep the correct temperatures, etc... The number one most important thing is to buy one from a source that starts them correctly. You will not likely find one at a reptile show or local pet store. ALL of them will tell you they start them correctly and that they've been doing it for such and such amount of years, but they are making fatal mistakes and don't even know it. Here is more on that:

Here is the care info for babies:
 

Yvonne G

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Just wondering if 5.8 acres is enough space? I was thinking about making a heated tortoise shed. Something to keep them warm for the winter. Do y ok have any recommendations on how I could keep it insulated? What kind of size should the shed be.
Look on here for Dudley's rebuild. It shows how I built a shed for my sulcata.
 

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