HELPPPP!!! Sulcata hatchling is gasping!!

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Yes I do. $800 each includes shipping and discounts for 3 or more.
Hey, I’m trying to find a heat panel or whatever so i can keep the temperature in my new enclosure at 80 or so degrees all around, do you know where i can find one, or order on online?
 

Tom

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Hey, I’m trying to find a heat panel or whatever so i can keep the temperature in my new enclosure at 80 or so degrees all around, do you know where i can find one, or order on online?
I use and love these: http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels

I have some of the 12x12" ones and some of the 21x12" ones. All work perfectly and reliably. I've had some for about 5 or 6 years now, running in outdoor boxes and underground boxes, and they continue to perform flawlessly.
 

Ray--Opo

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How do i enclose his plastic tub without blocking out his heat lamps and uvb lamp? And I’m so frustrated about tortoise town. They have a 4.7/5 review, I’m not sure how I never saw any negative reviews. I reached out to them yesterday evening about the condition of my tortoise and they haven’t even responded yet.
I am a little late to the thread but this was Opo's first hold
 

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Ray--Opo

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Hey everyone, my hatchling sulcata tortoise, Franklin, whom I ordered from “tortoise town” and arrived Thursday, October 4th, is gasping for air and acting lethargic. His substrate is eco earth coconut fiber substrate, mixed with cedar wood chips I believe. He is in a black storage tub that I got from tractor supply co, Kamp Kenyan showed how he used them in one of his sulcata care videos. I have a red 100 watt nightlight on one side,and a 100 watt daytime lamp on the other side. In the middle of his tub I have a zoomed uvb rectangular light. He has a half log on his hotter side, and a little cave rock that the red light shines on, with moist spaghnum moss inside to keep the humidity inside his cave up. The temperature in his tub ranges from 80 degrees to 104 on his basking spot. He has a shallow water dish, and is fed springmix, st Augustine grass, yellow squash, cucumber, purslane flowers, dandelion flowers and greens, and as an occasional treat, a strawberry. Now that I have covered his setup and diet, ill go over his case.
He is a couple months old, and as previously stated arrived the 4th of October. Recently he has been acting lethargic. He is sleeping most of the day, and gasping on his basking spot. He occasionally pulls his arms and legs inwards, then lets out a squeak, what must either be a sneeze or cough. I cant find any other case of a sulcata hatchling squeaking. I have a vet appointment planned, but I am very worried. Other people seem to consider replacing their tortoise if it gets sick/dies, but I am willing to do everything to keep this hatchling going strong. Any advice is appreciated.
When I first got Opo the first video on YouTube I watched was the one with the black tub on Kamp Kenna. Figured if it was good enough for him I will do the same. I didn't know about maintaining humidity in a enclosure. Being in Florida it wasn't a problem until I brought Opo inside for the winter. Then I noticed everytime I asked Google something about sulcata tortoises. TFO was the first thing that showed up. So I got off YouTube and started studying TFO. it's a wonder Opo survived those 1st 3 months before finding this forum. I am sure this site has saved many a tort.:)
 

Ray--Opo

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I am really late to this thread. Just read you lost the little guy. I am so sorry. Franklin is what my granddaughters named the turtle tattoo I have on my arm. Hope you get another one
 

Pearly

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i will. this time, i refuse to get one until i know my setup is sufficient thanks for the kind words.

I am so sorry you had such bad experience. I had a rough start as well but found TFO early on enough that over very short period of time corrected all of my tort environment mistakes. It is absolutely imperative to cover the top of your enclosure, otherwise there is no way to keep the heat/humidity inside. Then most new keepers use spray bottles and keep on spraying things down while it’s never warm enough for them down there. That plus the wrong diet! People just don’t know how important the correct diet is, because even ourselves we don’t pay attention to what we put in our bodies. Because we get away with all kinds of abuse we put our bodies through, and get away with it, we often tend to just not realize how our lack of attention to those details can harm our tiny little baby pets. Those of us who have had our own (human) babies maybe more sensitive to the fact of how very vulnerable BABIES are, of any species! And those of us who do have that experience tend to be more careful and do more preplanning but there are so many young keepers who have never experienced raising a baby animal (or human) and they have no way of knowing. I wish that agencies and breeders who sell hatchlings would include care sheets detailing all aspects of care (environment, temps/humidity), diet with lists of good foods and foods to absolutely avoid) & include pictures of good set up, temp guns, and references, websites new keeper can go to. And hopefully direct them to TFO, but I think it would benefit all those little baby torts if it all were to start there, at the source. It would also be nice if some food samples ((little baggie of Mazuri) and little cuttle bone came with the baby tort. Myself I woyld be willing to pay little more to cover the extra cost of the samples, print & paper of the handouts. @SushiAndReptiles, I hope your first bad experience didn’t discourage you from this wonderful hobby of tort keeping and this wonderful community. Just stick around and now armed in all that you have learned, try again! Good luck to you! [emoji256]
 

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