HELP! Need Input on Desert Tortoise Hatchling Enclosure

[novicetortoise]

Hi guys, I am new here. I have done tons of research on this forum but I still have some questions to make sure I’m doing everything correctly. I am going to explain how I plan on setting up its enclosure until it gets big/old enough to have it outside.
The desert tortoise I have is a hatchling, probably no more than a few weeks old. I would like everyone’s opinion on how I should do its enclosure. Here’s my ideas so far:
For substrate, I’m going to use a mix of natural dirt from outside, small rocks, and coco coir. Eventually I am going to purchase some orchid bark as well to mix in.
For lighting, I am using a 75W basking bulb and a 10.0 UVB tube light that will be mounted inside of the enclosure. At night, my house gets to be around 70°, so I don’t think I will need a CHE. The enclosure is going to be a glass terrarium with a mesh lid.
I am going to provide the tortoise with 2 terracotta dishes with water and one smaller dish for its food. I’m going to bury each dish in the substrate so the tortoise doesn’t flop over trying to climb out of them.
For the UVB side, I am going to take a black container and cut one hole big enough for the tortoise to go into to hide and burrow. I will spray the enclosure each day to maintain humidity and especially keep the hiding area humid.
For the basking side, I have open ended log hides that I’m going to bury in the substrate so the tortoise doesn’t flop over off of them and has an easy time getting around.
Is there anything I’m missing, or any recommendations? I’m also ordering a thermometer hygrometer to monitor temps and humidity.
For a hatchling, how much ambient humidity should be inside of the enclosure? That is one thing I’m curious about. I will also be soaking it daily for 20-30minutes to ensure it gets hydrated. Also, how often should I empty/clean out the water dishes since it will crawl through and get substrate in them?
I am feeding it a mixture of different fresh greens, as well as the zoomed grassland tortoise pellets that I hydrate in water until it breaks apart and gets mushy. Should I sprinkle the greens with calcium powder everyday or only a few times a week?
Also, how much should a hatchling be consuming each day food wise? How often does a hatchling pee/poo? Any advice or general rule of thumbs would be super appreciated. Thank you guys!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I notice you have two of the same threads, maybe a mod like @wellington or @Yvonne G can combine them or delete one of them. Also Yvonne can advice you on desert tortoises. What state are you from? There are a lot of tight laws around desert tortoises.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
As far as I can tell, your hatchling will get a good start. Just a few points:
1. I would be very careful with small rocks in the substrate - if any of them fits his mouth, it can be swallowed and cause blockage.
2. With a meshed lid it will be hard to maintain humidity in the enclosure. You may use a portable greenhouse top to cover whole tank or wrap/cover lids with tin foil. You will need ambient humidity of 50-70% across the enclosure and close to 100% inside the cold side hide.
3. Instead of spraying substrate more effective would be to pour a cup or two of water in the corners to keep lower layers damp once a week or two.
4. Basking lamp and UVB lamp should be placed close to each other (heat and UVB work together).
5. Water dishes should be cleaned at least daily or as soon as poop is spotted. Substrate in water and food dishes is a neverending fight, so try to place them out of "high-traffic" areas.
6. Calcium should be added 1-2 times a week, usually not on the days when you feed pellets.
7. Feed your tortoise daily, as much as it wants to eat - leave the food through the day and adjust amount next day so only a few pieces left.
8. They usually poo once a day. And often during soaks.

What size is the glass tank? And what distance between UVB lamp and substrate?

I'm sure you have seen this thread before, but double-check your plans against recommendations there: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/ (and also, temperate species care sheet at the bottom of that thread).

 

[wellington]

I would try to get the humidity 80% all over. No mesh top, a closed chamber needed
Do not use a mercury, halogen or spot bulb for basking. An incandescent FLOOD bulb should be used to reach 95-100.
Putting flat rocks or slate around the water dish will help get the substrate off the tort before it enters the water.

 

[novicetortoise]

I notice you have two of the same threads, maybe a mod like @wellington or @Yvonne G can combine them or delete one of them. Also Yvonne can advice you on desert tortoises. What state are you from? There are a lot of tight laws around desert tortoises.

I am from Nevada. I am calling the wildlife preservation to have a discussion with them but the tortoise was found in someone’s backyard in a high traffic neighborhood, it was removed due to other predators targeting it. I just want to get it set up in something safe and good for its development until I can find it a better home or even take on the responsibility myself, it seems that rehoming in this state is not guaranteed and it’s not recommended to put it back in the wild. If you have good resources, please let me know and that would be helpful. I hear a lot of conflicting info online!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I think @zovick has some resources, but I don't know if they are just Florida related.

 

[Tom]

Hi guys, I am new here. I have done tons of research on this forum but I still have some questions to make sure I’m doing everything correctly. I am going to explain how I plan on setting up its enclosure until it gets big/old enough to have it outside.
The desert tortoise I have is a hatchling, probably no more than a few weeks old. I would like everyone’s opinion on how I should do its enclosure. Here’s my ideas so far:
For substrate, I’m going to use a mix of natural dirt from outside, small rocks, and coco coir. Eventually I am going to purchase some orchid bark as well to mix in.
For lighting, I am using a 75W basking bulb and a 10.0 UVB tube light that will be mounted inside of the enclosure. At night, my house gets to be around 70°, so I don’t think I will need a CHE. The enclosure is going to be a glass terrarium with a mesh lid.
I am going to provide the tortoise with 2 terracotta dishes with water and one smaller dish for its food. I’m going to bury each dish in the substrate so the tortoise doesn’t flop over trying to climb out of them.
For the UVB side, I am going to take a black container and cut one hole big enough for the tortoise to go into to hide and burrow. I will spray the enclosure each day to maintain humidity and especially keep the hiding area humid.
For the basking side, I have open ended log hides that I’m going to bury in the substrate so the tortoise doesn’t flop over off of them and has an easy time getting around.
Is there anything I’m missing, or any recommendations? I’m also ordering a thermometer hygrometer to monitor temps and humidity.
For a hatchling, how much ambient humidity should be inside of the enclosure? That is one thing I’m curious about. I will also be soaking it daily for 20-30minutes to ensure it gets hydrated. Also, how often should I empty/clean out the water dishes since it will crawl through and get substrate in them?
I am feeding it a mixture of different fresh greens, as well as the zoomed grassland tortoise pellets that I hydrate in water until it breaks apart and gets mushy. Should I sprinkle the greens with calcium powder everyday or only a few times a week?
Also, how much should a hatchling be consuming each day food wise? How often does a hatchling pee/poo? Any advice or general rule of thumbs would be super appreciated. Thank you guys!

Hello and welcome. DTs are an awesome and rewarding species. Lucky find!

I'll answer your questions one at a time:
1. For substrate, just use orchid bark or coco coir. There is no reason to mix substrates. Keep either of those damp. Spraying the surface does very little and mainly serves to cool the enclosure through rapid evaporation. Dump water into the substrate to maintain dampness. How much water to dump and how often varies tremendously. You have to go by feel.
2. Sounds like you are good on heat and UV. I would add some LED for ambient lighting to make it more bright in there during the day. I agree that you don't need night heat at 70 degrees.
3. Hides, bowls and thermometers all sound great.
4. Clean water dishes as needed, but at least daily.
5. Does the baby eat the ZooMed food? I usual have to mix small amounts of that with greens. Look for natural foods like weeds, soft freshly sprouted grasses, mulberry, grape and hibiscus leaves, and spineless opuntia pads.
6. A small amount of calcium twice a week is sufficient.
7. They should be fed as much as they will eat daily.
8. Most will poop and pee in the soak water daily.

Questions are welcome! It looks like you already found the correct care sheet, but there is more info here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[novicetortoise]

Hello and welcome. DTs are an awesome and rewarding species. Lucky find!

I'll answer your questions one at a time:
1. For substrate, just use orchid bark or coco coir. There is no reason to mix substrates. Keep either of those damp. Spraying the surface does very little and mainly serves to cool the enclosure through rapid evaporation. Dump water into the substrate to maintain dampness. How much water to dump and how often varies tremendously. You have to go by feel.
2. Sounds like you are good on heat and UV. I would add some LED for ambient lighting to make it more bright in there during the day. I agree that you don't need night heat at 70 degrees.
3. Hides, bowls and thermometers all sound great.
4. Clean water dishes as needed, but at least daily.
5. Does the baby eat the ZooMed food? I usual have to mix small amounts of that with greens. Look for natural foods like weeds, soft freshly sprouted grasses, mulberry, grape and hibiscus leaves, and spineless opuntia pads.
6. A small amount of calcium twice a week is sufficient.
7. They should be fed as much as they will eat daily.
8. Most will poop and pee in the soak water daily.

Questions are welcome! It looks like you already found the correct care sheet, but there is more info here:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you! You are awesome man. I got a lot of info from your thread that I found someone recommend on Reddit. There is a lot of natural light where the enclosure will be placed so it will be a bright area. The hatchling is quite hungry! It eats the tortoise food and greens. It still has some dried yellow stuff on its belly, I think egg sac maybe?