Last minute pointers ?
- Thread starter Eric 0223
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Get the spring mix to start with.
What I like to do is take a small pile of spring mix, then mix something else into it, like a little mustard greens or kale. Anything you mentioned would work
Also, you can get some stuff from outside, its actually better for them! Like some dandelions or clovers, it is very important though to be absolutely sure that no one has sprayed pesticides or weed killers on them, if you're not sure don't use them. If your tortoise eats weeds that have been sprayed with chemicals, they are also eating the chemicals and that can make them sick.
When your new tortoise arrives, its a good idea to give him/her a nice warm soak. Just fill a container a bit with some lukewarm water, you'll want the water to come up to where its carapace meets the plastron. I like to soak mine for about 20 minutes. Your tortoise may poop and pee in the water, thats good!
Don't be worried if your little guy doesn't eat right away. He/she will probably be scared. Try to not hover over him too much for the first couple of days, he just had a very long trip afterall! Let him get used to his new surroundings.
This is a very exciting time for you! Make sure to post some pics of your new baby when you can, I'd love to see him! Good luck
Also, you can get some stuff from outside, its actually better for them! Like some dandelions or clovers, it is very important though to be absolutely sure that no one has sprayed pesticides or weed killers on them, if you're not sure don't use them. If your tortoise eats weeds that have been sprayed with chemicals, they are also eating the chemicals and that can make them sick. When your new tortoise arrives, its a good idea to give him/her a nice warm soak. Just fill a container a bit with some lukewarm water, you'll want the water to come up to where its carapace meets the plastron. I like to soak mine for about 20 minutes. Your tortoise may poop and pee in the water, thats good!
Don't be worried if your little guy doesn't eat right away. He/she will probably be scared. Try to not hover over him too much for the first couple of days, he just had a very long trip afterall! Let him get used to his new surroundings.
This is a very exciting time for you! Make sure to post some pics of your new baby when you can, I'd love to see him! Good luck
Eric 0223 said:
I'd suggest Spring MIx and a little soaked hay or just grab up a small amount of grass and mix the two together...feed Nacho this every other day or so...alternate days, a dark green, like the kale, collard, mustard, turnip greens. Feed a little more than you think he/she can possibly eat, twice a day...you probably won't find many left-overs in Nacho's food dish!
Also, offer him a little bit of chopped prickly pear cactus pad at least 2-3X a week, perhaps for his evening meal...cactus has a lot of calcium, which leads to a nice strong set of bones and a hard shell.
BTW, you'll soon be amazed at how much he/she'll eat in a given day...followed by how much he/she can poop!
And, as Nacho grows, this will continue to be a source of wonder...sulcatas are Eating/Pooping Machines!Also, you cannot over-soak a young tortoise, so once a day, put him/her in luke-warm water about 1/2 as deep a Nacho's shell is high. Also, dampening the bedding inside his hide-area is a good idea, as it's thought to reduce/eliminate "pyrammiding".
Tom will be able to answer more detailed questions, as he's VERY knowledgable about Sullies.
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I agree on spring mix with everyone else.
It's better to have diversity in the diet, and a good spring mix usually has quite a few plants in it.
Spring mix dices up really nicely, and its very easy to mix it with finely cut grass (just make sure its not fertilized/pesticide/herbicide treated)
It's better to have diversity in the diet, and a good spring mix usually has quite a few plants in it.
Spring mix dices up really nicely, and its very easy to mix it with finely cut grass (just make sure its not fertilized/pesticide/herbicide treated)
Ok thanks everybody, sadly I won't be the one unboxing him(though I suggested my parents I don't go to school) but my uncle and grandma will be here waiting and when he arrives they will feed him since that is the only thing they know how to do because my father hasn't built the enclosure yet so as soon as he gets home he will build it and I will put in the substrate and everything else so sadly he will be in a wide box until my dad gets home
So, Eric...how's it feel to be a tort-daddy at your young age? 
It gets better every day!
It gets better every day!
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