Hi from Worcestershire uk

[BoujeeAppa]

Hi I’m new but have been reading through the forum for the past few weeks since we recently got two tortoises…one is a baby sulcata we named Boujee and around 8mnth old horsefield we named Appa. Both are adorable and after reading the info on here we have made some changes and tweaks to the set ups we bought from the shop for them to make it as perfect as possible for them (very happy to find this forum as was starting to stress out at all the conflicting advice online!)
So I just wanted to say hi and just one question about substrate really if I can…we started out with topsoil and soaked coco coir block mixed and the humidity was excellent and held well around the 80% mark all day which I think is good. But we decided to try some orchid bark with the coco coir instead as we thought it would keep them a bit cleaner with some of the bark on top but since we’ve changed it we can’t seem to get the humidity back up…did we do something wrong? Did we need to soak the bark like the coco coir before putting it into the viv? Are we better off going back to the topsoil mix we used before it maybe a mix of the three would work..coco coir, topsoil & the bark? I’m just really stressing as I desperately want to get the humidity stable again as I know it’s so so important! Any advice I would welcome! Thanks in advance…this really is a great forum and I look forward to getting to know everyone! ?

 

[BoujeeAppa]

Here’s some pics of them both… the last one of Appa is my fav of her but please excuse the substrate it’s what she came with and she wasn’t on it long as we were soaking some coco coir….but her face just makes me laugh!

 

[Ink]

Welcome to the forum. Are they on separate enclosure?

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[BoujeeAppa]

Hi ??
Yes they are kept separate…Appa is in a tort table and Boujee in a viv. They never meet I don’t know if it’s ok for them to meet but thought best not to incase they can make each other ill or don’t get along but I’d never house them together.

 

[Maca]

Hi!
I’m in the U.K. too.
Personally, whenever I try something new, I won’t keep the change if it isn’t working. So I’d ditch the bark if I was you.
Are you spraying the enclosure? I have to mist mine if I want to keep the humidity level high.

 

[Sarah2020]

Hello and welcome the sulcata will get big so hope you have space? There are ideas on this forum for warm housing for them in the future. As it grows as they can be to tanks. The horsefield needs deep substrate they like to burrow. I use 100% orchid bark and have a water sprayer which I use daily to maintain humidity. Check heat and light are on for correct duration and temperature. Do not use topsoil and I found Coco coir a pain and it gets trampled over food but some have success so it is what works for you.
Feel free to ask questions to get the best for you and your tortoise.

 

[BoujeeAppa]

Thanks for replies..sorry I’ve taken so long to reply we’ve been both busy and not feeling great as my condition makes it difficult for me to cope with any heat so the weather lately has me wilting!
the torts are great….Appa is definitely less interactive with us and shyer but seems to enjoy baths actually relaxing well and stretching legs out etc….whereas Boujee does not seem to appreciate the baths! She tries to climb out mostly but we do keep her in for 20-30mins regardless changing water several times (we use two bowls and swap her over). Boujee is very different from Appa when it comes to interaction though! She’s great ? she’s very observant and watches what’s happening around her all the time and seems to actually enjoy being held when in the mood! She will sit and relax stretching her legs out just watching around her…this is usually after her bath and I dry her off and hold her for a bit. As soon as she wants down I put her down tho as I never expected her to like being held and I expect this to change at some point so enjoying it while we can! She allows us to give head rubs and is very outgoing and well if this is what most Sully’s are like then well I’m a big big fan..I’m smitten tbh! I love Appa too don’t get me wrong but I’ve wanted a Sully for so long and she’s so friendly I can’t help but be obsessed with her!
Yes don’t worry we fully expect her to be a tank as she gets older and have some ideas how we will house her and we have a large garden so am sure we can accommodate her when we get something built for her. I’m quite excited to get the outdoor built most likely next year we will start. I can’t wait to see how big she will get!
Anyway I’m rambling now, it’s great to be among people who can understand my infatuation ?