Just got my first African Spurred!

[juliaasbury]

Hello! Ive always wanted a tortoise but couldn’t bare the price offered at petco/PetSmart. Someone made a FB post that they were selling 5 months old baby African spurs for $150 and my dad jumped on the offer and brought one for me! We stay in the eastern-central region of Texas.

I have read the How to care for Sulcata’s,…. Care sheet posted on here by Tom (I’m pretty sure!) and from what I’ve read, my baby sure hasn’t had a great start as the breeder was definitely raising it as a dry tortoise just from the information that he has given me to care for s/he and the only right thing I was told was to be soaking s/he.

My dad and I went and brought the tank and other needed stuff, but my research was based on the “internets version of caring for Sulcata’s” and I was going based off of that info before I was able to find this forum and the care sheet.

We brought a 20 gallon ZooMed glass reptile enclose ‘kit’ with the lights and domes, and a screen top. I was told to use hay as the substrate which I did, along with a reptile water dish, rock home, 2 different thermometer/hygometers, and calcium power. I’ve had s/he in this enclosure for about a week now and I’ve noticed that a. Keeping the humidity in the tank is very hard and b. The water I offered in the reptile dish ramp is always clean as in it doesn’t get used. After reading the care sheet, I went and picked up some Repti Bark and coconut fiber along with some Terra cotta dishes for food & water. The humidity is a little bit better, but I’m definitely thinking of picking up a better mister instead of a spray bottle

So I was wondering, is there any advice as to what my next step should be to keep getting the enclosure where I need it for my tortoise? I feel like my head is going to explode from all the information to be honest, especially the lighting part, which I am concerned about as I’m not sure if they’re the right bulbs because I didn’t get to look at it before my mom threw the trash away.. I took pictures of the new enclose I have set up and attached them here!

I take Morla (s/he’s name) outside everyday to get sunshine for 30 minutes and then bring s/he inside for a 30 minute soak. He has been eating romaine and lettuce leaves and I just picked up some flower blend for tortoises.

Thank you in advance! I look forward to be part of this forum!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and welcome to the forum! So glad you’ve made your way here! I know first hand how overwhelming research can be online, rest assured this is the best place, too many sources elsewhere are giving incorrect outdated care information😣

I’m going to include some information below on a good starter set up that will tackle your humidity problem and the correct equipment to use🙂

Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.

You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.

Then CHE/CHE’s, always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night. Set the thermostat for a night temperature place the probe in their cooler end, plug the che into it and the thermostat into the mains, it’ll be plugged in 24/7 but will only turn on when the temperature drops.

Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon. I’ve attached examples of the two brands to go for.

With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.

For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss.

You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting a little too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then, which also helps boosting humidity or give the top a spray. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed. I don’t recommend misters or foggers, they get the air too wet and cause respiratory problems.

To maintain humidity you need a closed chamber set up, this can be provided with a greenhouse topper, If you can’t find an exact fit for your base then place it over like the one with the white base in the photo, I’d put lining down under the base and cover though to stop condensate getting on your floor.
When making your base, just make sure the material is safe some use flower beds or just make their own, for these options I’d line with cheap pond liner, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough.

Some people even hang their lighting from the greenhouse frame! Simply wrap the wire round so it’s at the height you need(check with temp gun/put thermostat in, 18-21 for uv) and secure with cable ties. I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy.

If sticking with the tank temporarily, perhaps you could fashion some sort of lid like I’ve attached in one of the photos, doesn’t have to be that roof shape. Bare in mind this tank size won’t last long and you may find it tricker getting a good temperature gradient.

For a water dish the shallow terracotta saucer you’re using is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.

Ignore whatever else is in these enclosures in the photos, they’re just to give you an idea👍

I’d also always recommend getting your hands on a temp gun, they’re SO handy when setting up a new environment or for checking your monitors are correct🙂

I’m including a link below you might find helpful looking at for the diet side of things😊

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello and welcome!
Some quick suggestions:
1. 30 minutes of sunlight daily, around 10AM (as of July) is really good, because your UVB lamp unlikely gives enough. Turn it off for now and plan to get T5 long tube before the next cold season. Make sure Morla has access to shade when outside. Optimal time to get outside vary with season, check the weather forecast in what hours the UV Index is between 3-5.

2. There should be marks or label on the basking bulb. If there are, can you post a photo here? If you can't find any labels, then just two photos of the lamp removed from the dome (side and front).

3. A quick and "band-aid" solution for humidity - cover or wrap the mesh with a tin foil precisely cut around lamp domes. !!! Watch tank temperatures for 3-4 hours after that.

4. Get cheap digital (with a display) thermometers/hygrometers from a hardware store. With will be far more accurate than gauges you have now.

5. You will need a ceramic heat emitter, and a simple on/off thermostat to maintain ambient temperature 80F night and day in the tank. Baby sulcatas should be kept warm all the time. For the start, you can install ceramic heater in the double dome, instead of your UVB bulb.

 

[Tom]

Hello! Ive always wanted a tortoise but couldn’t bare the price offered at petco/PetSmart. Someone made a FB post that they were selling 5 months old baby African spurs for $150 and my dad jumped on the offer and brought one for me! We stay in the eastern-central region of Texas.

I have read the How to care for Sulcata’s,…. Care sheet posted on here by Tom (I’m pretty sure!) and from what I’ve read, my baby sure hasn’t had a great start as the breeder was definitely raising it as a dry tortoise just from the information that he has given me to care for s/he and the only right thing I was told was to be soaking s/he.

My dad and I went and brought the tank and other needed stuff, but my research was based on the “internets version of caring for Sulcata’s” and I was going based off of that info before I was able to find this forum and the care sheet.

We brought a 20 gallon ZooMed glass reptile enclose ‘kit’ with the lights and domes, and a screen top. I was told to use hay as the substrate which I did, along with a reptile water dish, rock home, 2 different thermometer/hygometers, and calcium power. I’ve had s/he in this enclosure for about a week now and I’ve noticed that a. Keeping the humidity in the tank is very hard and b. The water I offered in the reptile dish ramp is always clean as in it doesn’t get used. After reading the care sheet, I went and picked up some Repti Bark and coconut fiber along with some Terra cotta dishes for food & water. The humidity is a little bit better, but I’m definitely thinking of picking up a better mister instead of a spray bottle

So I was wondering, is there any advice as to what my next step should be to keep getting the enclosure where I need it for my tortoise? I feel like my head is going to explode from all the information to be honest, especially the lighting part, which I am concerned about as I’m not sure if they’re the right bulbs because I didn’t get to look at it before my mom threw the trash away.. I took pictures of the new enclose I have set up and attached them here!

I take Morla (s/he’s name) outside everyday to get sunshine for 30 minutes and then bring s/he inside for a 30 minute soak. He has been eating romaine and lettuce leaves and I just picked up some flower blend for tortoises.

Thank you in advance! I look forward to be part of this forum!

More info here. This one explains the lighting and heating too:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[juliaasbury]

Hello and welcome to the forum! So glad you’ve made your way here! I know first hand how overwhelming research can be online, rest assured this is the best place, too many sources elsewhere are giving incorrect outdated care information😣

I’m going to include some information below on a good starter set up that will tackle your humidity problem and the correct equipment to use🙂

Basking light should be an incandescent floodlight(example attached) on a 12 hour timer.

You may also wish to add ambient lighting on the same timer, providing shady areas with hides and safe plants.

Then CHE/CHE’s, always on a thermostat, for night heat if your house drops below 60’s at night. Set the thermostat for a night temperature place the probe in their cooler end, plug the che into it and the thermostat into the mains, it’ll be plugged in 24/7 but will only turn on when the temperature drops.

Uv should be a t5 fluorescent tube, avoid the compact and coil uv bulbs, they don’t give out enough uv and can hurt the tortoises eyes. The uv can be on a 4 hour timer from noon. I’ve attached examples of the two brands to go for.

With lighting always avoid anything labelled halogen or mercury vapour.

For substrates, either coco coir, dampened and packed down by hand as a base, with a layer of orchid(fir not pine) bark or forest floor on top, or just the orchid bark/forest floor. Never use anything with sand mixed in, no top soils and no kinds of moss.

You want to aim to have the bottom layer of substrate damp, to do this pour lukewarm water into the corners, not loads but enough to dampen the entire bottom layer. To stop that top layer getting a little too dry/dusty, mix the substrate now n then, which also helps boosting humidity or give the top a spray. Check your monitors and substrate to do the pours as and when needed. I don’t recommend misters or foggers, they get the air too wet and cause respiratory problems.

To maintain humidity you need a closed chamber set up, this can be provided with a greenhouse topper, If you can’t find an exact fit for your base then place it over like the one with the white base in the photo, I’d put lining down under the base and cover though to stop condensate getting on your floor.
When making your base, just make sure the material is safe some use flower beds or just make their own, for these options I’d line with cheap pond liner, making sure the liner goes up the sides too and make sure those sides are deep enough.

Some people even hang their lighting from the greenhouse frame! Simply wrap the wire round so it’s at the height you need(check with temp gun/put thermostat in, 18-21 for uv) and secure with cable ties. I’ve also included examples of stands people make/buy.

If sticking with the tank temporarily, perhaps you could fashion some sort of lid like I’ve attached in one of the photos, doesn’t have to be that roof shape. Bare in mind this tank size won’t last long and you may find it tricker getting a good temperature gradient.

For a water dish the shallow terracotta saucer you’re using is considered safest, they have grip in the event your tortoise flips themselves, most pet store options are a known hazard.

Ignore whatever else is in these enclosures in the photos, they’re just to give you an idea👍

I’d also always recommend getting your hands on a temp gun, they’re SO handy when setting up a new environment or for checking your monitors are correct🙂

I’m including a link below you might find helpful looking at for the diet side of things😊

The Tortoise Table - Home

The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

Thank you so much for the intro! I am very glad to be here! )

- and I do want to apologize in advance for my very late response, life got a little hectic on me, and I also needed to take a bit to find all the products on complicated Amazon!

Based on everything you provided me, this is the list of stuff I put together for her new enclosure:
• I want to use this ‘storage’ tub container instead of her glass enclosure, I hope this is the right size for her but this is the best one I’ve found for a good price too: https://www.target.com/p/extra-large-latching-clear-storage-box-brightroom-8482/-/A-83279838
• Instead of the plastic top, I want to get some greenhouse ‘topper’ or material like so from the hardware store and try to construct a top. However, I am struggle to think of how to do it to be honest 😂
• The UV light I picked out: https://a.co/d/7gtn7zT
• ceramic heat emitter: https://a.co/d/30nHJxY
• ambient lighting: https://a.co/d/cjeamyl
• basking light: https://a.co/d/8E7ffMP
- are all of these lights okay for Morla? Does the long tube for the uv light come with a ‘hood’? If so, I can not seem to find an individual one that doesn’t come paired with a light. Does she need both the ambient light and the basking light, if I have the basking light selected with “daylight” tone?
• a timer plug strip: https://a.co/d/1morMqz
• this was recommended to me by a family member, with lizard experience, to control the enclosure temperature; not sure if it’s necessary?: https://a.co/d/1morMqz
• new set of hygrometers & thermometers: https://a.co/d/gQntgIt
• laser inferred gun & thermometer set: https://a.co/d/4XpADAj
• I saw this humid hide on Esty and was wondering if it was doable?: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1616524305/
• misting bottle: https://a.co/d/2yZBnzw
• substrate: https://a.co/d/hqRlKXT with the ZooMed Reptibark
• wasn’t sure where to get these, slate rocks for basking: https://www.etsy.com/listing/101423838/
• cuttlebone: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1313908536/
• I found some seeds that I’m wanting to purchase too:
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/292910771/
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/1361285097/
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/1291324029/
• I will pick up some Mazuri tortoise pallets too
• I am going to get some Boston fern and spider plants to also plant and give her hiding spots
• I like the picture reference of how to hang some bulbs out and will try it out! I’m not gonna lie, I’m trying to fathom how I am supposed to fit all this lighting over her enclosure cause it seems like so much 😂
- I was wondering though, her water seems to get cold quite quick and stay cold; is this because her enclosure is not set up correctly or will I need some sort of heater for the water too?

All of this stuff is currently in my carts and I will purchase them as soon as I get paid no exceptions, cause I feel so sorry for her.. I never wanted to do everything wrong and wish I had found all the right information sooner

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I noticed that you have your lights sitting on the screen. Please be aware that screen filters out a good portion of the UV rays, so your tortoise is not getting benefit from the light.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hi!
Sorry, a bit out of order:
1. Basking lamp you've found is a LED lamp, but you need an incandescent like Arcadia Solar Basking Floodlight. 65W on the box is confusing, I know.
2. "timer plug strip: https://a.co/d/1morMqz
• this was recommended to me by a family member, with lizard experience, to control the enclosure temperature; not sure if it’s necessary?" - link leads to powerstrip.
3. Misting bottle is not needed (spraying substrate isn't effective).
4. Humid hide is cool, but isn't really necessary in closed type enclosures.
5. Don't worry about cool water in the enclosure - it's not for long warm soaks, but for drinking and cooling down mostly.
6. You can get coco coir bricks from garden centers for a fraction of EcoEarth price.
7. UVB tube needs a fixture like ZooMed T5 Terrarium Hood (with a weak 5.0 lamp to be replaced with 10.0). Or you can check Chewy and other online pet stores and get Arcadia ProT5 Desert 12% kit (fixture + lamp). It was on sale somewhere for bargain 35 bucks, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and thank you for your response! Don’t worry about the delay😊

I’ll go through your list to hopefully help turn you on the right track for some of it, for the base you’re looking at, I would personally consider something a bit bigger to last you longer and help with making sure everything fits over it😊 is there anyway you could look for a cheap or secondhand shelving unit the shelves are removable on?(defiantly line that with pond lining though)failing that the box may well worth fine for a bit🙂
Greenhouse topper would definitely be my recommendation personally, but if you look at some pvc covering, perhaps you can mate your own frame out of timber and staple gun the material onto it? Depending on your diy skills. When it comes to hanging the bulbs, so they aren’t hanging solely by the wire(depending how you choose to mount them) I’d get yourself some hanging chain, it can be found pretty cheap on rolls👍
UV light is a fine choice and as Alex said if you search up zoo med t5 terrarium hood you should find one. I do always personally recommend the Arcadia because it comes with the reflector fitting ready to mount🙂
CHE and ambient are fine, the floodlight has confusing packaging but it’s a led not for basking, could you try searching the Arcadia one I added? They’re pretty cheap and will do you for the basking bulb.
I’d personally have both ambient and the basking bulb yes, just so the enclosure is well lit😊
I’ve never used a timer strip like that but it could work, though to save money I’d simply go with two plug in wall timers, one for your uv and one for the basking(example attached)
Meters and temp gun look good.
The humid hide is nice but not technically necessary in a closed chamber, I’d save your money there.
I wouldn’t bother with a misting bottle as you’ll be doing pours, however if you did ever want to give a little top up spray, I’d just go with a cheap spray bottle.
Substrate looks good, you may find cheaper like Alex suggested.
Slate is fine for the basking but I’d check with the temp gun they don’t get too hot under the bulb, if they do you can place them elsewhere, they’re nice to have for some different textures👍
Cuttlebone is always a good calcium source to offer.
It won’t let me see the seeds because they aren’t available in my region, but if they are safe plants, just plant them in some organic soil the tort doesn’t get access to😊
Your plant choices sound great! Just be sure if you’re getting them from a supermarket, take them out the soil and rinse the roots and plant them in coir if putting them in the enclosure, I’d wait a few months as the plants may have absorbed fertiliser they were originally in. With spider plants, it a good idea to get one, plant in your own safe soil and use it as your mother plant! That was you’ll have an endless supply of baby spider plants to put in😁
Don’t worry about the water being cooler in the enclosure👍

I never wanted to do everything wrong and wish I had found all the right information sooner

The most important this is you’ve found us now and you’re doing everything in your power to improve things, which makes you a wonderful caring owner! I’m so glad you made your way here and look forward to watching your progress! Any further questions ask away🥰

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Just to add don’t fret if you can’t get the Arcadia uv, the 10.0 reptisun will work fine and I believe is more readily available where you are (@Alex and the Redfoot they need to go for the 10.0 not the 5.0 right?) also sorry I forgot to add an example of the timer!

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Just to add don’t fret if you can’t get the Arcadia uv, the 10.0 reptisun will work fine and I believe is more readily available where you are (@Alex and the Redfoot they need to go for the 10.0 not the 5.0 right?) also sorry I forgot to add an example of the timer!

For a sulcata it should be Reptisun 10.0. Grow lights T5 fixtures can be used with this lamp - like
this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748CH4B9/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20 or Zoomed Reptisun T5 Terrarium Hood (which is clumsy to hang, but can be put on top of the mesh screen if your tank is 18 inches high).