Luci’s progress

[catprincx]

Hello everyone!
I wanted to make a progress thread on my little Lucifer’s growth. It’s been about 4 months since he has been with me and it’s been a joy! I’ll be posting his weights and pics to share to make sure he is growing well. If anyone sees anything I should fix or do differently please let me know!

Hatch Day: March 9th 2025
Arrived home: April 16th
April 16: 52g
April 21: 59g
April 28: 65g
May 5: 68g
May 16: 74g
May 27: 89g
June 2: 94g
June 9: 109g
July 7: 131g
July 14: 139g

His diet: mostly grass, varied leafy greens, soaked mazuri, rehydrated hibiscus, cactus pads, cucumber
Enclosure: enclosed, flood bulb, coco coir with orchid bark on top, he is soaked 30 mins everyday and outside in the sun when possible. Humidity is 90-99%

Current question
is he growing well?
His current enclosure Is 3x2, about how big can he be until I need to upgrade?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

@Tom will be best answering your upgrade question and how his weight is looking(steady gains looks good to me though!) but just wanted to say that smooth growth is looking fantastic! Awesome job!

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hello everyone!
I wanted to make a progress thread on my little Lucifer’s growth. It’s been about 4 months since he has been with me and it’s been a joy! I’ll be posting his weights and pics to share to make sure he is growing well. If anyone sees anything I should fix or do differently please let me know!

Hatch Day: March 9th 2025
Arrived home: April 16th
April 16: 52g
April 21: 59g
April 28: 65g
May 5: 68g
May 16: 74g
May 27: 89g
June 2: 94g
June 9: 109g
July 7: 131g
July 14: 139g

His diet: mostly grass, varied leafy greens, soaked mazuri, rehydrated hibiscus, cactus pads, cucumber
Enclosure: enclosed, flood bulb, coco coir with orchid bark on top, he is soaked 30 mins everyday and outside in the sun when possible. Humidity is 90-99%

Current question
is he growing well?
His current enclosure Is 3x2, about how big can he be until I need to upgrade?

View attachment 393084

I would upgrade now before he gets larger. This little guy is going to explode in growth and before you know it, you won’t recognize him anymore!

 

[Tom]

Hello everyone!
I wanted to make a progress thread on my little Lucifer’s growth. It’s been about 4 months since he has been with me and it’s been a joy! I’ll be posting his weights and pics to share to make sure he is growing well. If anyone sees anything I should fix or do differently please let me know!

Hatch Day: March 9th 2025
Arrived home: April 16th
April 16: 52g
April 21: 59g
April 28: 65g
May 5: 68g
May 16: 74g
May 27: 89g
June 2: 94g
June 9: 109g
July 7: 131g
July 14: 139g

His diet: mostly grass, varied leafy greens, soaked mazuri, rehydrated hibiscus, cactus pads, cucumber
Enclosure: enclosed, flood bulb, coco coir with orchid bark on top, he is soaked 30 mins everyday and outside in the sun when possible. Humidity is 90-99%

Current question
is he growing well?
His current enclosure Is 3x2, about how big can he be until I need to upgrade?

View attachment 393084

Time for an upgrade now. 3x2 is on the small side even for a new hatchling. It's too small for 100+ grams. Get something 8 feet long. This will last until its time to move him outside full time.

 

[Pák]

Hi!

Congrats to your beautifull tort

Mine hatched the same day than yours but in 2023

He was pretty similar in july tha yours ~150-ish grams.

I started with 5x2,5, i uprgaded after 7 months in october to 5x4,5. He was back then ~300g.

Then i upgraded again on the next summer to 7x5, but that extension was not an eclosure anymore but an additional fenced space taken from the livigroom. He was 1500 gramm at that time.

The next time i moved him out to the garden this summer, he got an 50x15 fenced area. It was at 4000 gramm, it was a bit late it was obvius that he did outgrow his space already at 3000 gramms.

If you have questions dont hasitate to ask

I hope you got the answer to your question.

 

[catprincx]

Thank you everyone! I’ll start on a new enclosure for him, I honestly hate the one he is in anyways, it was my blue tongue skinks when he was little and I had no idea that high humidity would warp the sliding doors and make it hard to open. I love diy so time to get creative!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you everyone! I’ll start on a new enclosure for him, I honestly hate the one he is in anyways, it was my blue tongue skinks when he was little and I had no idea that high humidity would warp the sliding doors and make it hard to open. I love diy so time to get creative!

Hopefully some of these might get the creative juices flowingthe bigger the better!

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Pák]

Thank you everyone! I’ll start on a new enclosure for him, I honestly hate the one he is in anyways, it was my blue tongue skinks when he was little and I had no idea that high humidity would warp the sliding doors and make it hard to open. I love diy so time to get creative!

Is it a wooden structure? Mine was from pine wood, i gave up on 80% humidity after some month because it started to destroy the enclosure... specially in the winter time when the room temp was way cooler than in the eclosure.

 

[COmtnLady]

Is it a wooden structure? Mine was from pine wood, i gave up on 80% humidity after some month because it started to destroy the enclosure... specially in the winter time when the room temp was way cooler than in the eclosure.

Pák -​

The tortoise needs the humidity. Its up to you to provide the humidity even when its inconvenient for you. Think about what it would be like for you if someone kept you in a box but only provided 40F/5C heat for you because it messed with the materials they had chosen for the box. Which is more important, the box or your tortoise. (Also, never use pine or cedar around your tortoise, they give off fumes that can harm your tort.)

 

[Pák]

The tortoise needs the humidity. Its up to you to provide the humidity even when its inconvenient for you. Think about what it would be like for you if someone kept you in a box but only provided 40F/5C heat for you because it messed with the materials they had chosen for the box. Which is more important, the box or your tortoise. (Also, never use pine or cedar around your tortoise, they give off fumes that can harm your tort.)

Thank you very much for the precise conclusions. So you also dont use any pine tree furniture in your home because of fumes? Also not talking about xmas trees.

 

[catprincx]

Is it a wooden structure? Mine was from pine wood, i gave up on 80% humidity after some month because it started to destroy the enclosure... specially in the winter time when the room temp was way cooler than in the eclosure.

I think it’s made out of pvc? But it’s the doors that are warping and they are acrylic, I have to occasionally flip the doors around so they can warp back. It’s an old enclosure and I learned to buy them with glass doors only now.

Here is a cute pic of Luci under a fern

 

[Pák]

Yes it is because of the temperature difference. But its sounds managable

 

[Maggie3fan]

Yes it is because of the temperature difference. But its sounds managable

Hi Pak and welcome...I have had a had a few Sulcata, most recently one about the same size as yours, I am an old lady without a buncha money so this is what I did...I took a wooden tortoise table that is hand built...using cedar boards we made a 6'X2.5' tort table...then I took a plastic shower curtain liner and stapled it to the box...then on Anazon I found a greenhouse for plants that was about the size I needed, and adapted it.
using Tom's lighting system and my own humidity wisdom, I raised that baby with a constant 80% humidity and 85 degrees. It did not leak. Yes, it was built by hand, using collected scrap wood. But possibly you can figure out something you can do like that.
Because that baby's health, growth and life totally depends on you. And you have to adapt, learn and grow.
I am going to give you a link for the best information possible anywhere, created buy one of our learned members after years of research...please stay here on TFO and get to know us so we can help you and answer all your questions...
and Luci is quite perfect

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

 

[catprincx]

Hi Pak and welcome...I have had a had a few Sulcata, most recently one about the same size as yours, I am an old lady without a buncha money so this is what I did...I took a wooden tortoise table that is hand built...using cedar boards we made a 6'X2.5' tort table...then I took a plastic shower curtain liner and stapled it to the box...then on Anazon I found a greenhouse for plants that was about the size I needed, and adapted it.
using Tom's lighting system and my own humidity wisdom, I raised that baby with a constant 80% humidity and 85 degrees. It did not leak. Yes, it was built by hand, using collected scrap wood. But possibly you can figure out something you can do like that.
Because that baby's health, growth and life totally depends on you. And you have to adapt, learn and grow.
I am going to give you a link for the best information possible anywhere, created buy one of our learned members after years of research...please stay here on TFO and get to know us so we can help you and answer all your questions...
and Luci is quite perfect

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

Thank you! ive been thinking of using some scrap wood we have lying in my backyard but with all the rain we have been having im concerned that the wood is starting to rot. I've also been thinking about using a book case to use as the base. so far i havent seen any of our thrift stores have bookcases yet which is weird, I used to always see some. Its always when you need something you cant find it and its everywhere when you dont need it.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Thank you! ive been thinking of using some scrap wood we have lying in my backyard but with all the rain we have been having im concerned that the wood is starting to rot. I've also been thinking about using a book case to use as the base. so far i havent seen any of our thrift stores have bookcases yet which is weird, I used to always see some. Its always when you need something you cant find it and its everywhere when you dont need it.

that's the truth...I didn't notice you're in Houston...I have a reptile friend who lives in New Caney and has recently started putting animals on exhibit, he has torts and alligators and venomous snakes. A lot of other stuff...If you get interested I'llfind the address...

 

[Pák]

Hi Pak and welcome...I have had a had a few Sulcata, most recently one about the same size as yours, I am an old lady without a buncha money so this is what I did...I took a wooden tortoise table that is hand built...using cedar boards we made a 6'X2.5' tort table...then I took a plastic shower curtain liner and stapled it to the box...then on Anazon I found a greenhouse for plants that was about the size I needed, and adapted it.
using Tom's lighting system and my own humidity wisdom, I raised that baby with a constant 80% humidity and 85 degrees. It did not leak. Yes, it was built by hand, using collected scrap wood. But possibly you can figure out something you can do like that.
Because that baby's health, growth and life totally depends on you. And you have to adapt, learn and grow.
I am going to give you a link for the best information possible anywhere, created buy one of our learned members after years of research...please stay here on TFO and get to know us so we can help you and answer all your questions...
and Luci is quite perfect

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

Am I understand good, you have a 10 pound tortoise wich is living in a 6x2.5 enclosure?

As I wrote above mine is already living outside in a ~750 sqrfeet fanced area, furthermore only the weather can influence humidity.

 

[catprincx]

that's the truth...I didn't notice you're in Houston...I have a reptile friend who lives in New Caney and has recently started putting animals on exhibit, he has torts and alligators and venomous snakes. A lot of other stuff...If you get interested I'llfind the address...

That sounds cool! I would love the address!

 

[COmtnLady]

Thank you very much for the precise conclusions. So you also dont use any pine tree furniture in your home because of fumes? Also not talking about xmas trees.

I actually don't have any pine furniture, but it has nothing to do with tortoises. I just have antiques that are things like walnut, cherry, or oak. Plus, human furniture is usually sealed with a finish like varnish, urethane, paint, or whatever. Again, has nothing to do with tortoises, plus the furniture isn't near the tort in any case.

Cedar will make your tortoise ill, so stay away from it in tortoise enclosures. Pine is also not good to use in a tortoise's enclosure. Best substrates are coco coir (the stuff that is like dirt, NOT any of the coconut products that have stringy fibers that can cause impaction when swallowed), Fine Orchid/fir bark, or cypress mulch. I personally don't care for the swampy aroma from the cypress, but it works just fine. Just about anything else can cause problems of one sort or another.

 

[catprincx]

More pics of Lucifer
First pic I took on the day he arrived

Vs now in the same cup! Soon he won’t even fit in it!

Also a pic of bath time and one of my cats got curious


Im trying to figure out how to rearrange things in my room to fit a 8 foot long enclosure, curious tho do u think a Sulcata would be ok with a two story one? If I can’t squeeze in 8 ft

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

More pics of Lucifer
First pic I took on the day he arrived
View attachment 393288
Vs now in the same cup! Soon he won’t even fit in it!
View attachment 393289
Also a pic of bath time and one of my cats got curious
View attachment 393290

Im trying to figure out how to rearrange things in my room to fit a 8 foot long enclosure, curious tho do u think a Sulcata would be ok with a two story one? If I can’t squeeze in 8 ft

Hi! What size you are able to fit in? Do you have space outdoors for him?

Two-stories enclosures are more complex to build and maintain but can work for sulcatas too. L-shaped and one-level with long gallery are also fine.