Hi everyone I think I have sulcata and I got him as a gift, he is about an inch and half long. I'm just wondering if I'm raising him right. He is in a twenty gallon tank, feed him in the morning and at night. No water bowl, soak him 3 times a week. Diet consists of spinach, red letuce, carrots, broccoli and squash. Three lamps (sun, uv, and night lamp.) Anything else I should know? Thanks guys Dakota
hi I'm new
- Thread starter TRAJAN
- Start date
- Status
Follow this thread. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies, and add a water bowl, get a bigger container and add humidity. Post pictures so we can let you know if you have a sulcata or not, or was that a typo that you think you have one? Also let us know the temps and we can help tweak them if needed. However most everything you should need to know and follow will be in the above thread.
Oh...my...gawsh!!! Where shall we begin?
First of all:
Hi Dakota:
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
When we know approximately where you are, it helps us design our answers to better fit your problem.
Please take what I'm about to tell you in the best possible way. I have nothing against you, and only the tortoise's best interest at heart.
It is very important to know what kind of tortoise you have. The different species of tortoise require different care.
I can give you general information, but you need to post a picture so we're sure we're talking about a sulcata hatchling and not, for instance, a redfoot.
Nothing on your food list is good to be giving your little baby as a main staple in his diet. Baby sulcatas should be getting dark, leafy greens. A few different kinds would be endive, escarole, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens. But none of these should be the only thing you give him. Sulcatas eat grass and weeds, but its hard to find grass and weeds this time of year. Spinach, when fed in large quantities to little babies, cause the calcium he eats to bind with the food and just gets pee'd out, not giving the tortoise any benefit. Carrots are ok as an occasional treat. Broccoli, and any of the veggies in the brassica family may cause gout if fed in excess.
What kind of UV light are you using? The spiral bulbs are dangerous to baby tortoise; the tube-type flourescents are not very good. I prefer to use an MVB (Mercury vapor bulb), as it provides good UVB and heat all in the same bulb.
First of all:
Hi Dakota:
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
When we know approximately where you are, it helps us design our answers to better fit your problem.
Please take what I'm about to tell you in the best possible way. I have nothing against you, and only the tortoise's best interest at heart.
It is very important to know what kind of tortoise you have. The different species of tortoise require different care.
I can give you general information, but you need to post a picture so we're sure we're talking about a sulcata hatchling and not, for instance, a redfoot.
Nothing on your food list is good to be giving your little baby as a main staple in his diet. Baby sulcatas should be getting dark, leafy greens. A few different kinds would be endive, escarole, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens. But none of these should be the only thing you give him. Sulcatas eat grass and weeds, but its hard to find grass and weeds this time of year. Spinach, when fed in large quantities to little babies, cause the calcium he eats to bind with the food and just gets pee'd out, not giving the tortoise any benefit. Carrots are ok as an occasional treat. Broccoli, and any of the veggies in the brassica family may cause gout if fed in excess.
What kind of UV light are you using? The spiral bulbs are dangerous to baby tortoise; the tube-type flourescents are not very good. I prefer to use an MVB (Mercury vapor bulb), as it provides good UVB and heat all in the same bulb.
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2011
- Messages
- 958
Hello and Welcome !!!!!
Congrats on your new tortoise!
Here a bunch of links that you should read over and they will tell you a lot about how to raise your new sullie as best as you can.
this is about the best enclosures for sulcata tortoises
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Closed-Chambers#axzz1hkZxITMK
These are care sheets , one is for leopard tortoises but it works really well for sulcatas . Tom's how to raise hathcling sulcatas is the most important though
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
This one is about hatchling failure syndrome and how to prevent itÂ
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hatchling-Failure-Syndrome#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
These threads are about pyramiding
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding-II-The-Leopards#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
If you have any questions about any of the links come back and ask away!!!
Here is a picure of what a baby Sulcata should look like
I'm sure you probably already looked at tons of pictures lol, but just incase
Congrats on your new tortoise!
Here a bunch of links that you should read over and they will tell you a lot about how to raise your new sullie as best as you can.
this is about the best enclosures for sulcata tortoises
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Closed-Chambers#axzz1hkZxITMK
These are care sheets , one is for leopard tortoises but it works really well for sulcatas . Tom's how to raise hathcling sulcatas is the most important though
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Leopard-Tortoise-Care-Sheet#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
This one is about hatchling failure syndrome and how to prevent itÂ
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Hatchling-Failure-Syndrome#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
These threads are about pyramiding
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding-II-The-Leopards#axzz1i4Ds8pC6
If you have any questions about any of the links come back and ask away!!!
Here is a picure of what a baby Sulcata should look like
I'm sure you probably already looked at tons of pictures lol, but just incaseThanks everyone that is huge help. Sorry about the spelling I'm doing all of this from my phone. I will post some pictures when I get to my computer. I didn't put water in there because I heard it gives them breathing problems. He does love grass and weeds cause I take him to a park across the street and he runs free. As far as location I live in chandler az with dry climate and mid 70s outside right now. I will switch his diet starting next feeding. The tank I got was a bearded dragon starter set from pet smart with the lamps (2 heat day/night and curly uv) and alfalfa bedding. First I have flat rocks to absorb heat and he loves sleeping in a sabertooth skull on the hot side of the tank. Second I have a cool side with a hallowed half tree bark and eating area. Also what is pyrmiding(sp)?
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2011
- Messages
- 1,125
Welcome
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2010
- Messages
- 2,410
welcome
Welcome to the Forum. I like your enclosure. It is a good starting point. After you read some of the threads on how to raise a hatchling you will want to begin changing a few things. Having a humid enclosure with controlled temperatures is something you are going to want to achieve very soon. And since you live in Chandler you will want to have a safe place outside that you can use as a play pen for your baby. There is just no substitute for fresh air and sunshine, but there are dangers for baby tortoises outside so you will want to supervise his/her outdoor time.
I started with a set up much like yours. The tortoise gets too big to use that half log very quickly and I switched to plastic boxes and kept cutting bigger and bigger holes in them. I also changed the substrate to coconut coir to help hold in the humidity. Other substrates work well also. And then I found it necessary to get a thermostat to control the heat lamps, especially the ceramic heating elements that I used for night time heating and ambient temperature.
That was just the beginning of my learning experience. As the tortoise grows I keep coming back to this forum to draw on the experience of the members here so that i can continue to accommodate his needs.
I started with a set up much like yours. The tortoise gets too big to use that half log very quickly and I switched to plastic boxes and kept cutting bigger and bigger holes in them. I also changed the substrate to coconut coir to help hold in the humidity. Other substrates work well also. And then I found it necessary to get a thermostat to control the heat lamps, especially the ceramic heating elements that I used for night time heating and ambient temperature.
That was just the beginning of my learning experience. As the tortoise grows I keep coming back to this forum to draw on the experience of the members here so that i can continue to accommodate his needs.
Well thanks you guys this helps a lot. I thought the tank was a decent size.... For now so my plan for today is to change the bedding, get a mercury bulb, add a water dish, change to darker greens, and mist him a couple times
You asked what pyramiding is. When you keep a baby tortoise in totally dry conditions, his shell tends to grow little peaks or mountains all over instead of growing nice and smooth. The moisture helps him to grow a smooth shell.
- Status
