Help my sulcata

[Rebecca Hoog]

She is sleeping all day when UV and basking bulbs are on, and wants to be up all night when red heat bulb is on. She got a new enclosure 3 weeks ago and seems it is related as it started night one. Same bulbs and fixtures, same areas for basking, sleeping, etc. Same substrate. Not seeming like the same torti. She is 4 yrs old, and 9+ lbs. Is she just pouting? She is a Sulcata. New to forum. Am I asking for help in the right way? IM me at Rebecca Hoog on Facebook please as my email is down

 

[Yvonne G]

At that size, the sulcata is big enough to be living outside.

I would turn off the light at night. The tortoise is big enough to live overnight in room temperature.

 

[Big Charlie]

Have you checked the temperatures day and night? Just because they are the same bulbs doesn't mean the temperatures are the same. She could be sleeping during the day because it is either too hot or too cold.

 

[Tom]

She is sleeping all day when UV and basking bulbs are on, and wants to be up all night when red heat bulb is on. She got a new enclosure 3 weeks ago and seems it is related as it started night one. Same bulbs and fixtures, same areas for basking, sleeping, etc. Same substrate. Not seeming like the same torti. She is 4 yrs old, and 9+ lbs. Is she just pouting? She is a Sulcata. New to forum. Am I asking for help in the right way? IM me at Rebecca Hoog on Facebook please as my email is down

Hello and welcome.

I always say: No red bulbs. This is one reason why.

Also, what type of UV bulb are you using? The coil types sometimes burn their eyes, so they hide from them all day.

Check these out:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[BrianWI]

She likely sees very well under the red bulb. I'd get a CHE.

My tortoise is most active mornings and evenings, just after sun up and right before sun down. Likely a behavior from the wild to escape midday heat. You are providing those conditions with the red bulb.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Don't worry: torts take long, VERY long to get adapted to a new place, new enclosure, new climate, new environment, even a new OWNER. This obviously requires a lot of patience.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

She's big enough to live outside if you have a safe place for day, and a safer place at night to sleep. She is also big enough she does not need night heat. In the winter use a black light bulb, not red.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi Rebecca , he should be outside but if not switch to the CHE looks like this ;

 

[Maggie Cummings]

This is just my opinion and experience.......In the last 4 months I have had 3 turtles somehow get stuck under a CHE and end up crisp as hell, one was a favorite adult Russian. I was taught 30 yrs or so ago to use black light bulbs and not one turtle has died under the black light. I HATE CHE's but again, just my opinion and experience. And, yes, I realize not one person will agree with me. Well, maybe one.
But I don't care, I am talking about MY experience with them, not someone else's.

 

[Kasia]

This is just my opinion and experience.......In the last 4 months I have had 3 turtles somehow get stuck under a CHE and end up crisp as hell, one was a favorite adult Russian. I was taught 30 yrs or so ago to use black light bulbs and not one turtle has died under the black light. I HATE CHE's but again, just my opinion and experience. And, yes, I realize not one person will agree with me. Well, maybe one.
But I don't care, I am talking about MY experience with them, not someone else's.

How did they get stuck under??

 

[Speedy-1]

Sorry to hear you have had such bad experience with the CHE,s Maggie !

 

[Maggie Cummings]

One on his back, a baby buried under the light too long, and I had a Russian who had neurological damage, her head was in the mating position, touching her carapace. So she gets stuck in the corner and can't get out. It was heartbreaking.

 

[BrianWI]

Maggie, do you use a thermostat with your CHE's?

 

[Kasia]

One on his back, a baby buried under the light too long, and I had a Russian who had neurological damage, her head was in the mating position, touching her carapace. So she gets stuck in the corner and can't get out. It was heartbreaking.

That is terrible and I admit even under 75 Watt CHE it can get HOT. Even after turning it off it stays warm for a long time. I don't use it through day only at night when I know the torts are tuck in their hides.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Maggie, do you use a thermostat with your CHE's?

Yes I do. How ya doing?

 

[BrianWI]

Yes I do. How ya doing?

Still overheated them? That is terrible. It must be an on/off type thermostat (reaches temperature, then turns off the heat, cools off, turns back on). They do make proportional ones that work with CHE's. The heater doesn't go fully off and on, it is just partially on all the time, enough to hold temperature. This would likely have a lesser tendency to overheat a turtle.

 

[Kaliman1962]

I use my CHE at night, I have it raised over his hide so temp does not go over 85, just raise the light