How's my setup?

[PerfectHerps]

This is my new sulcatas setup. I got him this morning from Arizona Tortoise compound. The dirt will have different weeds and grasses growing and the half log is a humid hide. So far he seems to be enjoying it. After he eats or drinks he takes a couple laps around his enclosure and then basks haha. I wanted a bigger UVB light but the store only had that size and I needed it last minute after I didn't like the original UVB setup. I tried to make it cover where he stays the most so hopefully it's good. I'm gonna let him outside as much as possible and when I build an outside pen he'll be outside all or most of the day. Thoughts?

 

[christinaland128]

So adorable! Welcome to the forum! It's a great place to read up and learn from others!

 

[Gillian M]

This is my new sulcatas setup. I got him this morning from Arizona Tortoise compound. The dirt will have different weeds and grasses growing and the half log is a humid hide. So far he seems to be enjoying it. After he eats or drinks he takes a couple laps around his enclosure and then basks haha. I wanted a bigger UVB light but the store only had that size and I needed it last minute after I didn't like the original UVB setup. I tried to make it cover where he stays the most so hopefully it's good. I'm gonna let him outside as much as possible and when I build an outside pen he'll be outside all or most of the day. Thoughts?

A very warm welcome to the forum to you and your cute tort.

The enclosure is way too small. These sweet little animals are used to roam around in the wild wherever they please and however they please. Therefore, an enclosure for a pet tort should be as large as possible.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and the care sheets. Give your tort daily soaks in warm water.

 

[cmacusa3]

A very warm welcome to the forum to you and your cute tort.

The enclosure is way too small. These sweet little animals are used to roam around in the wild wherever they please and however they please. Therefore, an enclosure for a pet tort should be as large as possible.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and the care sheets. Give your tort daily soaks in warm water.

Absolutely disagree about this enclosure size!!!, this is perfect for this little guy right right now. This hatchling isn't used to roaming around in the wild since it has no clue about the wild. Not to mention they stay buried in a borrow for a while after hatching. You Just need to find a way to keep in the heat and humidity.

 

[cmacusa3]

Absolutely disagree about this enclosure size!!!, this is perfect for this little guy right right now. This hatchling isn't used to roaming around in the wild since it has no clue about the wild. Not to mention they stay buried in a borrow for a while after hatching. You Just need to find a way to keep in the heat and humidity.

 

[PerfectHerps]

Absolutely disagree about this enclosure size!!!, this is perfect for this little guy right right now. This hatchling isn't used to roaming around in the wild since it has no clue about the wild. Not to mention they stay buried in a borrow for a while after hatching. You Just need to find a way to keep in the heat and humidity.

Most of the enclosure is about 80 or above except for the food and water and the small area around it. He's only gonna be in there for probably a year or a year or so. I plan to keep him outside as much as I can. I live in southern Louisiana so it's pretty humid all the time, and I have other, more tropical reptiles and a fish tank which makes it more humid. They're in a pretty small room. I thought about adding moss to the substrate but until last I thought it wasn't needed but when I read that hatchlings needs more humidity I got worried. I'm gonna be away for 3 more days and so my grandma is caring for him and my other pets but I don't know if she will mist him enough. I told my brother in law to mist him well and to soak his humid hide before they leave later today and to only keep the UVB and basking light on because the lights above the dirt dry out the enclosure. His substrate shouldn't dry out before I get home. Also should I put his hide more on the warm side or keep it between the cool and hot side.

 

[Janelle Green]

Cute setup! But ya that's way to small my Russians hatchlings table is bigger than that , it's really easy to make a tortoise table than you won't have to switch enclosures so much if you build a big one . I would start with at least a 4x4 or 4x8ft that would be perfect!. He also will get big enough to climb out of that real quick a lot sooner than a year. They grow fast and captive bred babies grow a lot faster than wild caught.

 

[Travis]

I disagree, I think the enclosure is plenty big enough for the time being. Although, the enclosure will become too small quickly enough. OP, make sure your temps and humidity are able to stay constant in there!

 

[Janelle Green]

Yes tortoise will out grow it fast

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think you folks are seeing the same pictures I'm seeing. That kiddie pool is WAY BIG for a baby sulcata tortoise. He's only the size of a silver dollar and that pool is about 4' across. Pretty darned big if you ask me. What I see wrong with it is the screen for the light. Small screen filters out quite a bit of the beneficial UVB rays. It might be better to build some sort of framework for the light. That way you can also drape a plastic film over the framework to keep the warm moist air inside and the cooler air from the house out.

I think you've done a great job setting up that little baby.

 

[PerfectHerps]

The pool is 3 feet which is pretty big but I have an old washer/dryer stand that I'm gonna convert to a cage when I have the time. Its roughly 2'x5' and a foot tall which will last him a while. I plan on using chicken wire to build hinged lids which will help with the UVB Yvonne, thanks for the tip. It's gonna be water proof too using an old kiddie pool but not a hard one like he's in now. This probably won't be until this weekend or the next as I have exams this week and I had a wedding to go to for 4 days and I'm behind on homework XD

 

[Janelle Green]

Oh ya perfect size now! Just saying won't last forever like most enclosures we start out with , kiddie pools work great especially for an easy outdoor setup