new sulcata owner needs help !!!

[bubbleyu]

hi every tortoise lovers, i m new here n needed help with my new baby sulcata tortoise. i named him/her Bubble. i guess it is a he now...
Bubble is born in 2012, i think is about 7 months old thats what i estimated, weights about 130 grams about 4 inches.
i got some questions about baby sulcatas sleepings behaviors. because i just noticed my bubble breathing heavily n kind of moving the arms n head when he is sleeping because i can see the substance in front of he moving as it breaths. is it normal for any baby sulcatas to do that while sleeps?
here is his encloser info, i put him in a large storage container maybe as 30 to 40 gallon tank with eco earth coco fiber with a hide spot n a little pot tray thing for water n soaks. i use a 150w heat lamp on one side, the hot side is around 80 with 90 - 100 hot spot n the cold side around 70 with a hide box. n also the humidity in the encloser is around 50-60 most of the time. i also has a uv light on about 12 hours a day, after i turn it off i use my night light also with 150w bulb.
i live in san francisco n the weather is a little colder now.
plz let me know how you guys think !!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi bubbleu and welcome to the Forum!

It's normal for baby tortoises' front legs to move as the baby breathes.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome your night time bulb. Is it a CHE bulb or does it give off light, like a regular bulb? If it gives off light, you should switch it out for a ceramic heat emitter (CHE). The CHE does not give off light, so your tort gets to sleep in the dark as they should.
The threads below in my post are Toms, and great for raising a sully. You may want to raise your humidity closer to 80%, but then also raise your night temps to 80. Humid and cold could make your tort sick, humid and hot will make for a smooth tort.

 

[mainey34]

Basking for a little one should be 105* warm 95* cool 85-80* your humidity needs to be 80% and above. Never let your temps drop bellow 80* this could cause problems. Like URI.

 

[bubbleyu]

bubble have a minor RI about 1 month ago because he caught cold at night n i went to the vet about it n the doctor gave me some drops for him to put on the nostrol n on each eyes every 12 hours. after like 10 days of treatment n conversations with the doctor he seems getting a lot more better. the doctor said that he moves its arms that way is because it is having a hard time breathing thats why such a big movement. but now he got all better n very active n always seem to be hungry which he never stops eating. but i just notice him moving his arms when sleeping so that is what scares me. but he breaths fine n i know most sulcatas breath heavily so i m just glad that he is doing ok..... thanks for all the good advices !!!

to Wellington: the night light is those nocturnal bulbs which i think just gives heat n no light is shine.

to Mainey34: i try to keep the humidity up n spray the encloser more often. i sure dont wanna let Bubble get sick again because the vet bill is so expensive ...

 

[Menno]

Like URI.

What is URI?

 

[theelectraco]

Upper respiratory infection

 

[mainey34]

Have you tried a humid hide? Do you have the enclosure closed part or 3/4 of the way? What is your set up like?

 

[bubbleyu]

i do have a humid hide for him but he barely use it, he prefer digging his own hole in the coco fiber next to his hot spot n rest there at night ....

 

[Tom]

70 is too cold at night for a sulcata baby. No part of the enclosure should drop below 80, even at night. That's why he got sick in the first place and that's why he's fighting it now.

Put your daylight bulbs on a timer and put your ceramic heating element on a thermostat set to 80 degrees. Thermostats can be bought online or in most reptile shops for about $30.

 

[bubbleyu]

thanks for the advice, i just made it hotter for him n i thinks he is doing great

 

[Shannon and Jason]

Hi! I see you have already been helped with getting those temps and humidity up (read Tom's threads on rasing hatchlings very educational). So I just wanna say welcome to the forum and also if you don't mind we would all love to see pics of your lil one!