Housing for a Baby Sulcata

FelicityExotics

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Hello there! I got a baby sulcata tortoise today and I need some advice/ideas on housing.

He's currently in a 10 gallon tank--I know, too small, but I should have a proper sized setup within a couple of months at most (to give the grass I'm gonna plant time to grow.) And hes a tiny baby, so two months or less in a ten gallon won't hurt him, right?

I know he needs space, and that he can't live outside on his own until he gets bigger. What size could I make (hopefully using a plastic tub) an enclosure that would be big enough to last him until he can go outside? That way its a "one-and-done" rather than making a bunch as he grows.

With the bin/tub enclosures, do they need a lid, or can the UBV and heat lamps be hanging above them without a lid? And I'm assuming you can't use the heating pads with a plastic tub, so besides a basking lamp, what can I use for heat?

I'm currently using zoomed eco-earth, which I think is a coco coir--is this alright on its own? Will grass grow in it, or should I get something else to grow the grass?

Sorry for all the questions: I just love him so much already and want to give him an amazing life with me. His name is Durda.
 

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TechnoCheese

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Welcome to the forum!
I would never keep a hatchling in less than a 40 gallon, and even that will only last a few months with proper care. In any smaller, it’s near impossible to have a proper heat gradient, or they don’t have enough room to roam. Get a 50 gallon plastic tub from Walmart, and cut holes in the lid just big enough for the lamps, and line them with tin foil.

After you get that set up, start building an 8x4 foot closed chamber. That will last him until he’s big enough to go outside.

You need a basking light, a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat to keep ambient sand night temps above 80, and a tube uvb light if you can’t get him outside a few times a week.

Plants will not grow in eco earth, and any plants you try to grow will likely be eaten or trampled. Coco coir is fine to use, but it’s a bit messy, and it’s generally better to use fine grade orchid bark. You can still use coco coir, though. The coco coir in the picture looks very dry. Be sure that it’s always damp and packed down.

Give these a read and come back with questions-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
 

FelicityExotics

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As I'm not handy and have no idea how to make a closed chamber, could I put multiple bins together to get the same size?

If that's doable how do you connect the bins together?
 

TechnoCheese

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Emily Contreras

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Looks kind of dry. I know what bedding you are using, I use that too. Its pretty good. Mine spent a month in a 20 gallon enclosure. It didn't hurt. Byut they are much, much more active in bigger enclosures..

YOU can get a christmas tree tote, cute out holes in the top, then boom new enclosure. and a pretty big enclosure, some christmas tree totes can be like 6 feet in length. so your baby torto will love it. Grass wont grow in it. (trust me ive tried lol)

The humidity has to be 80-100% (its aloott I know, but its pretty easy to contain.) And the heat is 80-95. The basking area should be a little bit hotter. You should use a terra cotta saucer as a food and water bowl.

Again, the christmas tree tote can last until maybe he is 8 inches? Which mind you, will take alot of time..
Yours seems to have some pyramiding. But Im sure thats because almost all breeders are terrible at keeping sullys, (not the ones on this forum, other ones, there is alot of unreliable breeders out there.)
(also if you get a tiny little tote, it may only last until he is like 4 inches, in that case you gotta get a bigger one)
 

FelicityExotics

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I sprayed his tank and bedding before I went to school today to help with the dry bedding and humidity, and I just got some little terracotta pans for his food and water (the ones I have are too deep.)

We have a concrete mixing tub I can use for now, its big but doesn't have a lid. Any advice for maintaining the humidity without a lid?

I drew up some blueprints today for a closed chamber, gonna go over them with my grandpa since he's a builder and discuss what I'll need and how to make it.

As for the pyramidding, since hes so young it shouldn't look/be too bad if I take good care of him from now on, right?
 

Minority2

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I sprayed his tank and bedding before I went to school today to help with the dry bedding and humidity, and I just got some little terracotta pans for his food and water (the ones I have are too deep.)

We have a concrete mixing tub I can use for now, its big but doesn't have a lid. Any advice for maintaining the humidity without a lid?

I drew up some blueprints today for a closed chamber, gonna go over them with my grandpa since he's a builder and discuss what I'll need and how to make it.

As for the pyramidding, since hes so young it shouldn't look/be too bad if I take good care of him from now on, right?

A concrete mixing tub would only last a few months at best for a sulcata hatchling. A 4' x 2' ft Christmas tree tote would be only good for about 6 months to a 1 year. Young sulcatas can grow at unbelievable rates which is why an 8' x 4' ft enclosure is generally recommended as the best starter size for a young Sulcata.

Simply spraying an enclosure is not going to do much. Water will seep directly down to the bottom and stay there. You have to mix the substrate to evenly distribute the water to the untouched substrate. Keep accurate measurements of temperature and humidity levels. Adjust when needed.

Heavy plant saucers are highly recommended as water and food dishes. Submerge the water dish into the substrate and only fill enough water to reach the bottom of their shell.

Pyramiding starts while they're young. Some say the first three years of a tortoise's life is when pyramiding usually occurs. It can be prevented but the damage that has been done cannot be fixed.
 

Tom

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Hello and welcome! Great advice on this thread so far. Nothing to add, but wanted to welcome you. :)
 

FelicityExotics

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Good news! My grandpa is going to help me build a closed chamber, and it'll be done by the end of November! He's doing it as a birthday gift for me, since it's in a week. So his time in the concrete mixing tub will only be a month.

I soaked his eco earth before putting it in so its damp now. I also cut some of our grass from outside to feed him--but he's still picking out the iceberg lettuce because that's what the pet store fed him. How can I wean him off iceberg and get him to eat the grass? He also has clovers, mulberry leaves, and mazuri tortoise diet. All from my yard, no pesticides or anything.

For his closed chamber, what substrate would be good for growing grass? I'm going to order a tortoise seed mix and try to grow it. Can I have a grow light hanging in the chamber to help the plants, or will it bother him?

Also, and this may be harder to answer, but how old do y'all think he is?
 

Tom

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Good news! My grandpa is going to help me build a closed chamber, and it'll be done by the end of November! He's doing it as a birthday gift for me, since it's in a week. So his time in the concrete mixing tub will only be a month.

I soaked his eco earth before putting it in so its damp now. I also cut some of our grass from outside to feed him--but he's still picking out the iceberg lettuce because that's what the pet store fed him. How can I wean him off iceberg and get him to eat the grass? He also has clovers, mulberry leaves, and mazuri tortoise diet. All from my yard, no pesticides or anything.

For his closed chamber, what substrate would be good for growing grass? I'm going to order a tortoise seed mix and try to grow it. Can I have a grow light hanging in the chamber to help the plants, or will it bother him?

Also, and this may be harder to answer, but how old do y'all think he is?
Don't offer iceberg lettuce any more. He won't starve himself. Offer roaming mixed with other better stuff if you have to, but not iceberg. You need to use tender young grass to introduce it to a small one. The grass from outside is too coarse and tough. Either sprout your own or buy it from the pet store in those little $2 plots.

You don't want soil in your enclosure and you don't want plant growing lights over a tortoise. Buy some shallow trays and grow your seeds and grass in the trays. Then dog out the substrate and sink the tray into the hole so that it sits flush. Let the tortoise graze until the ray is looking pretty used up, and then rotate a new tray in while the first one grows and recovers. You might need several trays to do it this way.
 

kazjimmy

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Here is my winter baby tortoise nursery. Hope you get some idea. Although I have uvbuba and ceramic heat. But I only turn it on during soaking. A water proof heat mat and a humidifier works all winter long.

IMG_0786.jpgIMG_0776.jpg
 

Tom

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Here is my winter baby tortoise nursery. Hope you get some idea. Although I have uvbuba and ceramic heat. But I only turn it on during soaking. A water proof heat mat and a humidifier works all winter long.
Heat mats are not safe to use with tortoises.

The clamps on those clamp lamps always fail eventually and should not be used or trusted. Best to make some sort of frame work and hang the lights from overhead.

Those plastic "bakelite" fixtures are also not safe or reliable. You ought to switch those out for ceramic based fixtures, especially for the high heat of a CHE.

Your CHE should be run through a thermostat and left on all the time for tropical species.

A humidifier shouldn't be needed if the set up is done correctly.
 

kazjimmy

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Heat mats are not safe to use with tortoises.

The clamps on those clamp lamps always fail eventually and should not be used or trusted. Best to make some sort of frame work and hang the lights from overhead.

Those plastic "bakelite" fixtures are also not safe or reliable. You ought to switch those out for ceramic based fixtures, especially for the high heat of a CHE.

Your CHE should be run through a thermostat and left on all the time for tropical species.

A humidifier shouldn't be needed if the set up is done correctly.

Interesting topic to discuss for the winter heating and housing.

This is a heat mat for zeeding, I placed it outside of the plastic bottom not inside. Gives me 80-90F substrate temperature. (3 inch substrate).

From time to time I learn that the UV lamp are tortoise shell destroyer. So I don’t use it. During coolest day here in SoCal. I only turn on the ceramic heat lamp and T5 fixture. Let them receive limited helpful light source. The actually hot spot are under ceramic hear lamp.

For the humidifier. I keep it on for six -ten hours every day too keep both humanity and temperature in between 90-100F surface temperature. Humility 80% all time

Above set up were use from late Nov-Mar. During these days baby tortoise are not getting from this box.

Please advise if I need more improvement.
 

Minority2

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Interesting topic to discuss for the winter heating and housing.

This is a heat mat for zeeding, I placed it outside of the plastic bottom not inside. Gives me 80-90F substrate temperature. (3 inch substrate).

From time to time I learn that the UV lamp are tortoise shell destroyer. So I don’t use it. During coolest day here in SoCal. I only turn on the ceramic heat lamp and T5 fixture. Let them receive limited helpful light source. The actually hot spot are under ceramic hear lamp.

For the humidifier. I keep it on for six -ten hours every day too keep both humanity and temperature in between 90-100F surface temperature. Humility 80% all time

Above set up were use from late Nov-Mar. During these days baby tortoise are not getting from this box.

Please advise if I need more improvement.

1. What type of UV lamp are you specifically referring to? UV(A) or UV(B)? Are you talking about a heat lamp or mercury vapor bulb?

2. What do you mean by shell destroyer? Please elaborate if you will.
 

kazjimmy

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1. What type of UV lamp are you specifically referring to? UV(A) or UV(B)? Are you talking about a heat lamp or mercury vapor bulb?

2. What do you mean by shell destroyer? Please elaborate if you will.

All type of uvauvb lamp bulk are killing the baby tortoise shell because baby tortoise shell were really weak. And In fact these lamp bulk provide very very limited Sun light simulation. I only use T5 fixture for UVB only.

“UVA rays penetrate deep into the dermis, the skin's thickest layer. Unprotected exposure can lead to premature skin aging and wrinkling (photoaging), and suppression of the immune system. UVB rays will usually burn the superficial layers of your skin. It plays a key role in the development of skin cancer.” From google.

We all know Reptile need generate heat in order for them to move and eat. During enclosure, if the only heat source were coming from the heat UV lamp, their instinct force them move to the heat spot, however these bulk were burning their shell during they absorbing the heats they need. In addition these heat bulk also drys out the humidity AF.

That’s why I would recommend ppl use the seeding heat mat cuz it keep the substrate warm enough but hold the humidity.
 
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