King & homemade habitat

[AreniteAfusia]

Hi,
I just bought my little Sulcata named King. I built this habitat for him & am using organic soil for the floor. I have an infrared heater and UVB light, but the humidity is only around 60-70 at the highest. The box hide is temporary until I find something better. Any advice for me & my little guy
?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome.
Closing off most of that area that has screen with glass or some plexiglass would help with keeping in humidity

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings.

Take a thorough read of @Tom ’s Sully care sheet. Everything you need to know regarding substrate, humidity, heat, soaking, lighting, food, etc.

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0

It's been three years since the original care sheet, http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-63788.html , and I think its time for a review and an update. A lot of new info has come to light over the last three years and new insight has been gained through numerous experiences. What follows is my...

www.tortoiseforum.org

I would quickly work to thoroughly cover the top. Read up on substrates....looks like your soil might have perlite or vermiculite or some other additive that torts love to pick up & eat (not good).

Box is good for a day or two, but go to Walmart, get a similar size dark rubber-made tote, take the lid off, cut an entrance. The plastic tote now dark hide will help keep moisture high in the hide.

Temp gauge? Not sure where or how you are measuring, but get good gauges (AccuRite @ HomeDepot). They have a probe that will measure the temp where your tort is hanging out.

Be careful with brand new store bought plants like your petunia. Lots of fertilizers & pesticides on new store-bought plants. Again - can be dangerous or fatal to a baby Sully.

Good luck...

 

[AreniteAfusia]

Greetings.

Take a thorough read of @Tom ’s Sully care sheet. Everything you need to know regarding substrate, humidity, heat, soaking, lighting, food, etc.

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0

It's been three years since the original care sheet, http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-63788.html , and I think its time for a review and an update. A lot of new info has come to light over the last three years and new insight has been gained through numerous experiences. What follows is my...

www.tortoiseforum.org

I would quickly work to thoroughly cover the top. Read up on substrates....looks like your soil might have perlite or vermiculite or some other additive that torts love to pick up & eat (not good).

Box is good for a day or two, but go to Walmart, get a similar size dark rubber-made tote, take the lid off, cut an entrance. The plastic tote now dark hide will help keep moisture high in the hide.

Temp gauge? Not sure where or how you are measuring, but get good gauges (AccuRite @ HomeDepot). They have a probe that will measure the temp where your tort is hanging out.

Be careful with brand new store bought plants like your petunia. Lots of fertilizers & pesticides on new store-bought plants. Again - can be dangerous or fatal to a baby Sully.

Good luck...

I have read that the soil was fine, but that was before I found Tom’s threads. I even went to a reptile store & asked if it would be okay and he said yes (my mistake). I will be changing that by today. I have taken the flowers out because they weren’t going to grow anyways. I just bought a tote for his hide and a temperature gun. I have an Exo-Terra gauge for his humidity. Also, my cover is half chicken wire & half canvas so should I replace the canvas side with plexi or 3/4? I just want to make sure he is also getting enough air flow. Thank you for the help!! I really want to try to give him the best care possible without reading/hearing controversial sulcata care.

 

[Yvonne G]

you've got all your heat at one end of the enclosure, then the cooler air from the house is covering the rest of the enclosure. You're going to need to actually cover the whole thing in order to keep the warm air that provided by the lights inside, and the cooler air from your house out. Plexi would be fine, but bear in mind that the beneficial UVB rays can't pass through plexi or glass.

 

[Maro2Bear]

I have read that the soil was fine, but that was before I found Tom’s threads. I even went to a reptile store & asked if it would be okay and he said yes (my mistake). I will be changing that by today. I have taken the flowers out because they weren’t going to grow anyways. I just bought a tote for his hide and a temperature gun. I have an Exo-Terra gauge for his humidity. Also, my cover is half chicken wire & half canvas so should I replace the canvas side with plexi or 3/4? I just want to make sure he is also getting enough air flow. Thank you for the help!! I really want to try to give him the best care possible without reading/hearing controversial sulcata care.

I see Yvonne provided a lot of additional accurate info below as well. It’s really best not to ask or take advice from “pet stores.” Most don’t have a clue, and just want to sell you over priced items you don’t need or can get much cheaper at Lowes/HomeDepot/WalMart, etc. Don’t worry about air flow, you will never make it air tight, & besides, you are opening 2x daily to feed, water, soak, tidy up. = air flow.