New Sulcata Tortoise owner!

Proxxshot

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
oregon
Hey everyone my names Josh, I recently picked up a young Sulcata Tortoise at the Portland,Oregon Reptile Expo about two weeks ago. I just wanted to introduce myself to the community because i have been using the forums alot to find all the answers ive been looking for. If anyone is curious i also have 4 cats, an Australian Shepard and a pig that i share my space with. I recently became very interested in Tortoises after finding Kamp Kenan on Youtube.

I named my little guy/girl Mochi and have been hard at work building Mochi and inside enclosure. I had him in a Large black concrete mixing tub until Yesterday when i finished his table so lmk what you think.


Mochi has two 60 watt incandescent bulbs for heat
1 13 watt UVB bulb
1 15 watt UVB bulb that lights his entire encloser its the 18 inch one on top
1 100 watt Ceramic heat bulb for night
I sealed the enclosure so its water proof, and the flooring is forest floor beding from zoomed
Also the table is 3 foot tall, 3 foot wide, 4 foot long, and 1 foot deep.

If im doing anything wrong please lmk. If you have ANY advice pease LMK!
20180113_121808.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20180113_121816.jpg
    20180113_121816.jpg
    3 MB · Views: 45
  • 20180113_121827.jpg
    20180113_121827.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 42
  • 20180122_101343.jpg
    20180122_101343.jpg
    3.3 MB · Views: 55
  • 20180122_101406.jpg
    20180122_101406.jpg
    3.5 MB · Views: 51
  • 20180122_101411.jpg
    20180122_101411.jpg
    3.3 MB · Views: 55
  • 20180122_101427.jpg
    20180122_101427.jpg
    19.9 KB · Views: 42
  • 20180114_181817.jpg
    2.5 MB · Views: 35

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Welcome! Please take a look at these links-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes
https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/
Your tortoise is already slightly pyramided, which happens when your tortoise has had a lack of humidity. Sadly, it is very hard to retain humidity in an open topped enclosure, and you will need to cover it some how. Some people use plexi glass and other things, but I personally prefer constructing a frame over the lights and covering everything with a shower curtain.
Please read those links and come back with questions.
I’m sure you’ll love it here at the TFO! I was hooked immediately :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas
Also, you are going to want to replace that walk in water bowl with a terra cotta saucer that your tort can fit into. Those walk in water bowls are great for lizards and snakes, but a huge flipping hazard for tortoises. Those terra cotta saucers are rough, and supply foot holds, while grinding down their nails.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom

Michael Malone

Active Member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
157
Location (City and/or State)
Dallas, Tx
Hello and welcome to the TFO!!

A few things that I can see that need to be addressed is the enclosure ooks very dry. You want to keep ur humidity up in the 90% so your tort will grow smoothly and prevent pyramiding.

To raise it you are going to need to find a way to cover the chicken wire u have on the top and shower curtain or piece of plexiglass would work well.

Another thing I would do is get rid of the grey water dish with the ramp it could cause ur little guy to flip over easily. You already have the teracata water dish in there and those are perfect.

Those are just a couple things I can see off the top of my head.

You defiantly cane to the right place. I to have a sulcata and he is almost a year old and if I wouldn't of found this forum he prolly wouldn't be doing so good right now.
But again welcome and I'm sure some of our more experienced members will be stopping by soon to give you some more info that I am sure I missed lol
 

Proxxshot

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
oregon
There are 3 terra cotta dishes filled with water in there and yes the large grey thing is way to big for him there is maybe 1/2" of water in there for humidity. I do have a large shower curtain i got from work that i cover it with to keep the humidity high.
 

sulcatasister

New Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
New Hampshire
I am in the same boat! I'm new to owning a Sulcata and I'm just trying to learn. I'm also trying to figure out how to maintain proper humidity.
 

Michael Malone

Active Member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
157
Location (City and/or State)
Dallas, Tx
I am in the same boat! I'm new to owning a Sulcata and I'm just trying to learn. I'm also trying to figure out how to maintain proper humidity.

There are a couple ways the first is you can cover the enclosure lights and all with plastic shower curtain or something else here are a few pics for an example.

IMG_0256.jpgIMG_0254.jpgIMG_0255.jpg

And the next best way would to be making a closed chamber this can be very easy and affordable if you is a really big plastic tot. It is very easy to keep humidity up here is a pic of of our members for a reference

IMG_0257.jpg
IMG_0258.jpg
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hello and welcome!

For years I've built my own enclosures and it is expensive, time consuming and they simply don't last. Recently I order three of the T65 enclosures from animal plastics and I simply could not be happier. So easy to assemble. Made of plastic, so they will never rot from the moisture, and they work perfectly. I HIGHLY recommend them: http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/terrestrial.htm

In additional to what others have said, it looks like you are running a coil bulb in one of those hoods. I would get rid of that as some of them burn reptile eyes. Your other UV tube is safe, but if it is a 10.0 tube, it must be no more than 10-12" from the tortoise for there to be any UV benefit from it. I just spent 4 days on the CA Oregon border, and man, you are going to need an effective UV source in that climate. Look to this guy for advice and effective products: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com The new "HO" type bulbs are fantastic and make very strong UV from 22-24" away. I would add one of these on a timer for 3-4 hours mid day and keep your other tube for light and leave that one on all day.

I love that you are using multiple water dishes. I do that for hatchling too and I really think it is a good idea.
 

Proxxshot

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
oregon
Hello and welcome!

For years I've built my own enclosures and it is expensive, time consuming and they simply don't last. Recently I order three of the T65 enclosures from animal plastics and I simply could not be happier. So easy to assemble. Made of plastic, so they will never rot from the moisture, and they work perfectly. I HIGHLY recommend them: http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/terrestrial.htm

In additional to what others have said, it looks like you are running a coil bulb in one of those hoods. I would get rid of that as some of them burn reptile eyes. Your other UV tube is safe, but if it is a 10.0 tube, it must be no more than 10-12" from the tortoise for there to be any UV benefit from it. I just spent 4 days on the CA Oregon border, and man, you are going to need an effective UV source in that climate. Look to this guy for advice and effective products: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com The new "HO" type bulbs are fantastic and make very strong UV from 22-24" away. I would add one of these on a timer for 3-4 hours mid day and keep your other tube for light and leave that one on all day.

I love that you are using multiple water dishes. I do that for hatchling too and I really think it is a good idea.


Wow, i love those enclosures ill have to look into those for future torts. Also thx for all the advice!
 

Proxxshot

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2018
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
oregon
Thx for all the advice everyone!

I made some upgrades!

Made a glass top for the enclosure, I now have a humidifier with a humidity controller that keeps the enclosure at 85% humidity! I purchased a nicer looking zilla black tube fixture and have 1 more on the way to replace the ugly white fixture. Even though the wood is sealed i removed everything and tarped the inside to better help the enclosure last and i added some plants. Again thx for all the advice is there anything else i can do to help mochi and prevent pyramiding and help him have a good life.

Do you think i could add 2 more baby sulcatas to this enclosure. The dimensions are 3'x4' if i did add two how long before i would have to build an even larger enclosure 6months, 1 year, 2 year? (I own my home and have a large yard for them as they grow, im fully committed.)




20180129_150559.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20180129_150619.jpg
    20180129_150619.jpg
    3.7 MB · Views: 13
  • 20180129_150627.jpg
    20180129_150627.jpg
    3.6 MB · Views: 16
  • 20180129_150655.jpg
    20180129_150655.jpg
    4 MB · Views: 15
  • 20180129_150727.jpg
    20180129_150727.jpg
    3.9 MB · Views: 16
  • 20180129_150316.jpg
    20180129_150316.jpg
    3.4 MB · Views: 15
  • 20180129_150506.jpg
    20180129_150506.jpg
    3.7 MB · Views: 16
  • 20180129_150518.jpg
    20180129_150518.jpg
    4.2 MB · Views: 15
Last edited:

Michael Malone

Active Member
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
157
Location (City and/or State)
Dallas, Tx
Nice I like it! As far as how many more you could add that isn't something I would know will leave that up to some who as kept more than one tort lol.

But one thing I see is it looks like ur uvb tube lights are on top of the glass. I have been told that the rays from the sun that your tort needs can't pass thru glass. So I'm kinda under the same assumption that the uvb tube light rays can pass thru also.
But let's see if any one more experienced can let us know for sure.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Do you think i could add 2 more baby sulcatas to this enclosure. The dimensions are 3'x4' if i did add two how long before i would have to build an even larger enclosure 6months, 1 year, 2 year? (I own my home and have a large yard for them as they grow, im fully committed.)

The question for you shouldn't be how many can you put in this enclosure and for how long. The question for you is: What are you going to do with even one of these giants in just a few years when it is over 50 pounds? A large yard is great for the two months a year when temps are warm in your area, but what about the other 10 months a year? Basements are too small and difficult to heat. Sheds are too small too. Some people let them out to walk around in cold temps or snow, but I think that is a mistake and shouldn't be done.
 

New Posts

Top