Help my African spurred tortoise won't eat!!!!

[Killerrookie]

A tortoise needs a 'sun' that he can sit under and warm up. Just having the ambient temp around him isn't good enough. So, yes, he still needs a heat lamp, and preferably a UVB lamp.

Cool that's this is my first tortoise to live inside instead of outside

 

[JoDee8147]

Please post a picture of your tort.... sulcatas are the 3rd largest tortoise on the planet....

 

[Killerrookie]

You didn't know how to care for a Sulcata and yet you keep a 17 yr old Aldabran? Are you sure?

What are all the animals you own and I got those lights and hay and whole bunch of stuff Ty man

 

[Tom]

It is not normal for a young sulcata to go three weeks without eating. Something is way off and you need to figure it out and correct it right away. Where are you that your garage is 80-90? Is it that warm at night too? What are you doing with hay for a young sulcata? You mentioned making a 50 gallon after you move. What is your tortoise in now? 50 gallons is too small for anything but a tiny hatchling for its first few weeks. They need room to move.

Did you read the care sheet that was linked?

 

[Killerrookie]

I live in west Texas and it's always at 90 to 80 and 70. I get the hay a little wet so it can not be as hard. I got lights that aren't to hot and don't cause as much hear because it's already very hot in the garage.

 

[Killerrookie]

It is not normal for a young sulcata to go three weeks without eating. Something is way off and you need to figure it out and correct it right away. Where are you that your garage is 80-90? Is it that warm at night too? What are you doing with hay for a young sulcata? You mentioned making a 50 gallon after you move. What is your tortoise in now? 50 gallons is too small for anything but a tiny hatchling for its first few weeks. They need room to move.

Did you read the care sheet that was linked?

and it live in. 20 gallon tub

 

[Killerrookie]

I mention building a huge pen in my back yard I already have one built for my Aldabra and building one for him now my house is being built and the pen will have a pond rocks lily pads grass woody areas and more it will be very beautiful for Hendrick my sulcata tortoises name I think it will be great for him

It is not normal for a young sulcata to go three weeks without eating. Something is way off and you need to figure it out and correct it right away. Where are you that your garage is 80-90? Is it that warm at night too? What are you doing with hay for a young sulcata? You mentioned making a 50 gallon after you move. What is your tortoise in now? 50 gallons is too small for anything but a tiny hatchling for its first few weeks. They need room to move.

Did you read the care sheet that was linked?

 

[Tom]

A 20 is much too small. 2x4' should be the minimum foot print for a hatchling enclosure, and 4x4' is better.

Wet hay is a recipe for disaster. Hay is not a good substrate for babies. Much too dry. And wet hay molds and mildews. Please read the care sheet and pick one of those.

West TX is dry most of the time. You will need to somehow contain your humidity. I recommend this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

70 is too cold for nighttime for a baby sulcata. No lower than 80 is best. Especially if it is properly humid. Low temps are one of the main reasons why a baby won't eat. 80 during the day with no basking spot and 70 at night is much too cool for this tropical species.

I say these things to help you and your tortoise. Please do not delay. Your baby does not have time to wait for you to figure this all out on your own.

 

[Yvonne G]

Please take my criticism the way it is intended, as I have only the best interest of your tortoise in mind, and in no way am I trying to be rude to you.

Empty your head of everything you thought you knew about caring for baby tortoises and read the care sheets we've linked for you with an open mind. Everything you are saying about your care is almost a death sentence for the little baby.

Every time we tell you what you should be considering, you say, "Yeah, but..." Your baby sulcata needs a moist substrate and a humid environment (hay can't provide that without toxic mold). Your baby can live in the small tub you have for right now, but its too small and you need to be thinking about changing it out for a bigger one. Tortoises need exercise for healthy growth and peace of mind.

All the info you require in order to keep your baby sulcata healthy and growing well is in the links the other members have given you. Don't keep asking the same questions over and over until someone finally tells you your way is ok, because that someone is wrong too.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

What are all the animals you own and I got those lights and hay and whole bunch of stuff Ty man

1. A baby Sulcata will not eat hay, I suggested Spring Mix store bought produce until you move and set him up properly, it's good for babies and cheap.
2. My family has been involved in turtle and tortoise rescue for almost 40 years, and I operated a smaller tortoise rescue when I moved here to Oregon.
3. When I moved here to Oregon I moved 45 turtles and tortoises with me. Unfortunately, I am very sick and have had to cut my animals down to all most nothing so I could concentrate on recovery instead of animals.
4. Currently I have; 2 cats, 4 parakeets, 4 tortoises and 8 box turtles. If you are trying to find out if I am as experienced as I try to sound, yes, I am. However, I am suffering from kidney failure and simply am trying not to die.
I have tried to make my instructions to you as easy for you as possible. Tom and Yvonne have given you the best advice possible. An ambient temp of 80 to 90 degrees is not good enough. That baby needs to warm up his insides to 80 degrees, ambient temp won't do that. He needs 70 to 80% humidity, you need to create that for him, having spent a lot of time in West Texas I know it is too dry there.
For me here's the bottom line, frankly, that little Sulcata is going to die unless you fix the way you are keeping him immediately. I estimate he has 1 maybe 2 weeks left.

 

[Killerrookie]

1. A baby Sulcata will not eat hay, I suggested Spring Mix store bought produce until you move and set him up properly, it's good for babies and cheap.
2. My family has been involved in turtle and tortoise rescue for almost 40 years, and I operated a smaller tortoise rescue when I moved here to Oregon.
3. When I moved here to Oregon I moved 45 turtles and tortoises with me. Unfortunately, I am very sick and have had to cut my animals down to all most nothing so I could concentrate on recovery instead of animals.
4. Currently I have; 2 cats, 4 parakeets, 4 tortoises and 8 box turtles. If you are trying to find out if I am as experienced as I try to sound, yes, I am. However, I am suffering from kidney failure and simply am trying not to die.
I have tried to make my instructions to you as easy for you as possible. Tom and Yvonne have given you the best advice possible. An ambient temp of 80 to 90 degrees is not good enough. That baby needs to warm up his insides to 80 degrees, ambient temp won't do that. He needs 70 to 80% humidity, you need to create that for him, having spent a lot of time in West Texas I know it is too dry there.
For me here's the bottom line, frankly, that little Sulcata is going to die unless you fix the way you are keeping him immediately. I estimate he has 1 maybe 2 weeks left.

Sorry been away and busy guys and thank you I changed everything he will be livin outside with frank the Aldabra tortoise but don't worry he is in a 10 feet cage I built for the sulcata I been working on it since I joined this website thank you guys and he is eating I also looked at your russian tortoise care sheet and my russian I got is doing great thanks guys you rock

 

[Killerrookie]

1. A baby Sulcata will not eat hay, I suggested Spring Mix store bought produce until you move and set him up properly, it's good for babies and cheap.
2. My family has been involved in turtle and tortoise rescue for almost 40 years, and I operated a smaller tortoise rescue when I moved here to Oregon.
3. When I moved here to Oregon I moved 45 turtles and tortoises with me. Unfortunately, I am very sick and have had to cut my animals down to all most nothing so I could concentrate on recovery instead of animals.
4. Currently I have; 2 cats, 4 parakeets, 4 tortoises and 8 box turtles. If you are trying to find out if I am as experienced as I try to sound, yes, I am. However, I am suffering from kidney failure and simply am trying not to die.
I have tried to make my instructions to you as easy for you as possible. Tom and Yvonne have given you the best advice possible. An ambient temp of 80 to 90 degrees is not good enough. That baby needs to warm up his insides to 80 degrees, ambient temp won't do that. He needs 70 to 80% humidity, you need to create that for him, having spent a lot of time in West Texas I know it is too dry there.
For me here's the bottom line, frankly, that little Sulcata is going to die unless you fix the way you are keeping him immediately. I estimate he has 1 maybe 2 weeks left.

It's nice seeing them eat and be very active I'm loving it I watch him eat the dandelions in the cage that grow in there and the mix you talked about. He loves crawling in the little pond I made for I'm don't worry it's really shallow so he can't drown. The cage is I think big enough for him for now don't you think I will take a pic and show you soon. This week my neighbors came over to welcome us to the neighborhood I showed them around and they asked why there is a huge cage in my backyard and I showed them and they saw the tortoise and said I think that's a little to big for him and I should them frank the Aldabra tortoise and said he's going to be as big as him but smaller and they were like wow that's a huge tortoise . I smiled and said yea he is great.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm glad to hear that you are making changes, and I look forward to your pictures.

 

[Killerrookie]

I'm glad to hear that you are making changes, and I look forward to your pictures.

I posted my Instagram go check luie and sadly they gave away my first one but I had two he's 9 weeks old and happy