New baby

Tabbyk

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Indianapolis
I have a 4week old sulcata. It eats well and normal stools.it recently started burying itself under its reptibark on the hot side of his tank why is that.
 

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,514
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Welcome to the forum!

What are your temps? Basking, cool side, warm side, and night?

What is your humidity?

Could we see a picture of the enclosure?
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,367
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
Welcome to the forum.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread. Torts do not like change. Therefore please give your tort time to adapt to a new place, ambient and so on.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
95,399
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
That's what they do. Baby tortoises bury to: be safe from predators, to keep in contact with moist earth
 

Tabbyk

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Indianapolis
This a picture of the tank. I uncovered him and out him by the food and he ate a tiny bit and retreated back to the hole he dug on them he warm side. If you see where my gauge is, is it in correct spot. It says 80 for temp and 60 percent humidity
 

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,514
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
This a picture of the tank. I uncovered him and out him by the food and he ate a tiny bit and retreated back to the hole he dug on them he warm side. If you see where my gauge is, is it in correct spot. It says 80 for temp and 60 percent humidity

You are currently measuring the temperature at the top of the enclosure. You want to know the temperature at Tortoise level.

The thermometer you’re using is extremely in accurate. You need to be using a digital thermometer with a probe or a temp gun, and a digital hygrometer.

You need to know the basking spot temp, the temp in the coolest part of the enclosure, and the night temp.

Do you have any night heating?
 

Minority2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
1,052
Location (City and/or State)
Tortoise Hell
So put a digital thermometer at both ends, where would the hydrometer go

Buy one decent thermometer hygrometer reader. Move the probe device around the enclosure to check your temperatures and humidity levels when needed. Leave the probe either on the cool side or inside the hide box when you're not using it because those two temperatures and humidity zones are more crucial.

Ambient Weather and Accurite are two affordable and fairly accurate brands.

Personally I prefer Ambient Weather remote sensors over Accurite outdoor sensors because of their overall build quality and durability.
 

Tabbyk

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
Indianapolis
What kind of soil should I mix with his bark. I'm finding conflicting temp and humidity levels, where should they be. The breeder I got him from just said to soak him daily. I do have a terracotta water dish in tank. Also what should night temp be. Everywhere I look its different
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,902
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Greetings..

At a minimum 80 F all over..

From Toms Sulcata caresheet - the bible for raising Sullys - https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

Heating and Lighting:
I use a 65 watt incandescent flood bulb on a 12 hour timer and adjust the height of the fixture to get a hot spot of around 100 directly under the bulb. Then I use a ceramic heating element set to 80 degrees on a reptile thermostat to maintain my ambient temperature in the enclosure. Sometimes the basking lamp raises the day time ambient into the low 90s. "Ambient should be no lower than 80, but drifting up to 90 during the heat of the day is good…" This is fine and the thermostat will keep your CHE off during these times, but ready to click on after the basking lamp clicks off and the ambient temperature starts to drop at night. I use long florescent tubes when I want to brighten up the whole enclosure and I run these on the same timer as the basking bulb. The above are just what works for me and are suggestions for what might work for you. Every enclosure and home is different, and some customization will usually be necessary to get things "just right".

Good luck
 

New Posts

Top