New sulcata

[Jakeloudy1]

Just needing some general info, I am needing assistance with my new sulcata I have the enclosure set up to the exact specs and received him in the mail two days ago. I have soaked him and all he wants to do is sit in the darkest coolest spot on the enclosure and not eat. He is about 4 months old and weighs 120 grams thank you

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello! If you could try answering the following questions that would be great! It’ll be super helpful advising

What are your temperatures like all over? Ie basking temp(directly under the bulb), overall day temps(middle and cooler side), night temps?
What kind of basking bulb is being used specifically? Packaging photos are good if you have any
What’s his indoor uv type?
How’s humidity reading? Is it a closed chamber?
What kind of monitoring do you have?
What is his substrate?
What kind of things are you offering diet wise?

A photo of the full enclosure would be great! Along with one of your tortoise, Welcome to the forum

 

[COmtnLady]

Welcome to The Forum!

Here has the most up-to-date info to help you have a healthy thriving tortoise.
For your own peace of mind, don't listen to pet shop people, social media, folks at reptile shows, even most veterinarians, as they frequently are still using the old (wrong) info and will tell you to do things that are not good for your tortoise.

Have you had a chance to read through this yet?

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Ask questions, especially before you buy equipment. Hopefully we can help save a lot of time and money.

Could you post a picture of your enclosure, please.

Torts aren't very good with changes in their daily lives. Give your little one a chance to get used to his new enclosure, foods, and everything. Its completely normal for them to mope a bit until they decide that everything is actually ok. Food is a good tool to convince your tortoise that life is good with you around. What are you offering for food right now?

How often, and for how long, are you soaking? Babies need frequent soaks in comfy warm water.
Since it is so young, you might try carrying it on your palm, or in a container so that it doesn't see the room flying past. You move too fast, and they'd never have to deal with that much distance between them and the ground under normal circumstances.

Youngsters need a closed chamber (a sealed enclosure) to hold the temps and humidity up and consistent.

I'm sure some of the Sulcata pros will get back to you soon.

Happy tortoise-ing!


.

 

[Jakeloudy1]

Temp at basking is 103-105 ambient in middle is 82 and low side is 75, night temp is around 70-75 I have Che on thermostat. This is what heat lamp was recommended to me,as well as the uvb bulbs. the substrate is top soil reptibark mix also recommended to me. I have tried feeding with romaine and today a cucumber to help maybe… I soak her every morning for about 20-30 minutes. I also have the turtle grass in there to help with humidity. It is a turtle table that I have closed the warmer side off on top. Seemed to help with humidity as well. My daughter got this as a gift (grandparents) and I’m trying my best to make sure her tortoise has a good life. Please excuse the paper bags I was told that this will help so the tortoise doesn’t run into the glass…

 

[Jakeloudy1]

When you say sealed, does that mean closed completely? Lack of oxygen and airflow isn’t a problem?

 

[COmtnLady]

Exactly. There is adequate exchange when you do the daily cleanings, take them out for soaking, change the water and food dishes. Little ones need high humidity and temps. And the only way to keep both at the levels they need to be kept at is with a closed habitat.

 

[Jakeloudy1]

When you say sealed, does that mean closed completely? Lack of oxygen and airflow isn’t a problem?

I have two of the panels I made to seal the top off completely and it seems to work really good in keeping heat and humidity in, I have the right side off because I was fixing my panel at the time

 

[COmtnLady]

How can you heat your house in the winter with the doors open? Having the top open like that allows all the humidity and heat to escape into the rest of the room.

And the the paper bags over the windows isn't necessary. It doesn't really bother them unless they were wild caught and think they need to escape. I believe they will acclimate and be more social if they can see into the room (at least it has worked that way with my tort who is a Red Foot. She seems to enjoy watching everyone/everything).

The water containers you have in there are dangerous to young tortoises. They are slippery and difficult to get into and out of safely, with lots of possible flipping chances. It is best to use plain terra cotta (unglazed clay, not plastic) saucers, like you'd normally sit under a flower pot to catch excess water. They provide enough traction for the tortoise to get into and out of it easily (sink it down to level with the top of the substrate); there is some wearing down of nails as they walk on/through, and are low-sided enough to not be drowning or flipping hazards. But don't try to reuse one that has been used with plants as some of the chemical fertilizers plants like can be absorbed into the clay then leech back out to make your tortoise sick.

P.S.
I just noticed you have food in the nightbox area. That isn't good to do. They need to sleep in the dark box, and eat out where it is warm and "sunny".

 

[Jakeloudy1]

Welcome to The Forum!

Here has the most up-to-date info to help you have a healthy thriving tortoise.
For your own peace of mind, don't listen to pet shop people, social media, folks at reptile shows, even most veterinarians, as they frequently are still using the old (wrong) info and will tell you to do things that are not good for your tortoise.

Have you had a chance to read through this yet?

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Ask questions, especially before you buy equipment. Hopefully we can help save a lot of time and money.

Could you post a picture of your enclosure, please.

Torts aren't very good with changes in their daily lives. Give your little one a chance to get used to his new enclosure, foods, and everything. Its completely normal for them to mope a bit until they decide that everything is actually ok. Food is a good tool to convince your tortoise that life is good with you around. What are you offering for food right now?

How often, and for how long, are you soaking? Babies need frequent soaks in comfy warm water.
Since it is so young, you might try carrying it on your palm, or in a container so that it doesn't see the room flying past. You move too fast, and they'd never have to deal with that much distance between them and the ground under normal circumstances.

Youngsters need a closed chamber (a sealed enclosure) to hold the temps and humidity up and consistent.

I'm sure some of the Sulcata pros will get back to you soon.

Happy tortoise-ing!


.

How can you heat your house in the winter with the doors open? Having the top open like that allows all the humidity and heat to escape into the rest of the room.

And the the paper bags over the windows isn't necessary. It doesn't really bother them unless they were wild caught and think they need to escape. I believe they will acclimate and be more social if they can see into the room (at least it has worked that way with my tort who is a Red Foot. She seems to enjoy watching everyone/everything).

The water containers you have in there are dangerous to young tortoises. They are slippery and difficult to get into and out of safely, with lots of possible flipping chances. It is best to use plain terra cotta (unglazed clay, not plastic) saucers, like you'd normally sit under a flower pot to catch excess water. They provide enough traction for the tortoise to get into and out of it easily (sink it down to level with the top of the substrate); there is some wearing down of nails as they walk on/through, and are low-sided enough to not be drowning or flipping hazards.

Ok, i will make changes to the correct the water bowl and that is a great analogy, i will put my tops back on make sure they stay sealed up. I really appreciate all the advice. I really want to make sure this little guy has a great life.

 

[EppsDynasty]

@Jakeloudy1 .... you are getting great advice and being steered in the right direction. Our family takes in Sulcata Torts that need homes and the most important thing there has been for ALL of them is Temperature, followed by Humidity. If the Temp is not high enough you will notice a change in behavior, usually lack of activity. If the Temp is too high you will notice a tort that seems to have turned Hyper all of the sudden. I would suggest getting a Laser Temp Gun and start taking temp readings of different things like his hide, then take a reading of the substrate in different spots, then a reading of the tort itself ..... this will give you a much better idea of what the 'Actual' Temps are.
To make this new endeavor work you will need to process a ton of new info, just be patient and it eventually will be just common knowledge to you. We all started with a complete lack of knowledge and slowly learn, ;learn, ;learn. Do not EVER hesitate to ask any questions you have, it truly is why so many of us are here everyday.

 

[COmtnLady]

Sometimes we get a little brusk, but the tortoise's best interests are always at the core.

Changing the water dishes is a good move to make sooner rather than later, but wait until some the Sulcata pros comment before you invest in other things.

LittleRedFootBigRedHeart created a nice visual that might be good to look through.

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Each kind of tortoise eats completely differently, needs different kinds of humidity, and so much more... And babies need things done differently than fully grown of the same species. As EppsDynasty said just above this post, it is a LOT to take in, but in no time you'll be an old pro at this. You get massive kudos for trying to give this little being a great life.

 

[Jakeloudy1]

@Jakeloudy1 .... you are getting great advice and being steered in the right direction. Our family takes in Sulcata Torts that need homes and the most important thing there has been for ALL of them is Temperature, followed by Humidity. If the Temp is not high enough you will notice a change in behavior, usually lack of activity. If the Temp is too high you will notice a tort that seems to have turned Hyper all of the sudden. I would suggest getting a Laser Temp Gun and start taking temp readings of different things like his hide, then take a reading of the substrate in different spots, then a reading of the tort itself ..... this will give you a much better idea of what the 'Actual' Temps are.
To make this new endeavor work you will need to process a ton of new info, just be patient and it eventually will be just common knowledge to you. We all started with a complete lack of knowledge and slowly learn, ;learn, ;learn. Do not EVER hesitate to ask any questions you have, it truly is why so many of us are here everyday.

Thank you very much for all the positivity and help. i actually purchased a laser heat gun the other day and that has helped me to make sure temps are where i want them and to maintain a good control over the enclosure. is there any temp changes that i need to make or are these temps looking good for my tortoise?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Temp at basking is 103-105 ambient in middle is 82 and low side is 75, night temp is around 70-75 I have Che on thermostat. This is what heat lamp was recommended to me,as well as the uvb bulbs. the substrate is top soil reptibark mix also recommended to me. I have tried feeding with romaine and today a cucumber to help maybe… I soak her every morning for about 20-30 minutes. I also have the turtle grass in there to help with humidity. It is a turtle table that I have closed the warmer side off on top. Seemed to help with humidity as well. My daughter got this as a gift (grandparents) and I’m trying my best to make sure her tortoise has a good life. Please excuse the paper bags I was told that this will help so the tortoise doesn’t run into the glass…
View attachment 383926View attachment 383927View attachment 383928View attachment 383929

Thank you for your reply, it’s given all the information needed, as mentioned above, there are changes that need making for this baby to thrive.

First up temperatures, directly under the basking bulb you want a reading of 95-100f, 105 is just a smidge too high, no dangerously so though, I can see you’re using a spot bulb, for basking you want an incandescent floodlight, spots are a bit too harsh. The rest of the enclosure should be in the 80-85 range, never dropping below 80 anywhere day or night, to achieve this you’ll need a CHE(ceramic heat emitter) it’s a non light emitting heat bulb, you’ll plug it into a thermostat and let it run 24/7.

For uvb id replace the coil bulb asap, they are notoriously problematic and can cause serious eye burns. You want a t5 tube fluorescent bulb, either the zoo med or Arcadia brand.

For substrate, top soils aren’t recommended, unless composted yourself, there’s no way of knowing exactly what plants have gone into it, could be something toxic, reptisoils tend to have sand mixed in which also poses an impaction risk. I’d get the hay/ straw out of there too.

Unfortunately you’ve been sold the very typical wrong starter set up, it’s very frustrating but all too common amongst stores and breeders, those open top tables aren’t the best choice as they can’t appropriately maintain the humidity baby tortoises need, there are a few ways you can modify this though.

First up I’d suggest giving this thread a read, it covers correct equipment, levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! (but I’ll give you an idea to modify the current on in the meantime)

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes some more closed chamber options, some more efficient than others

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

Here’s a visual on how to adapt the current one


Lastly, probably most important, this one is also really good to familiarise yourself with, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Really hope they help! I know it’ll feel a little overwhelming to go over at first, but happy to answer any further questions once you’ve read them! And happy to help with next steps! I think most importantly right now, I’d get yourself a CHE and thermostat to get night temperature and ambient up, it’s dangerously low at night for a baby sulcata. Then I’d start looking into closing it better, substrate, uv

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you very much for all the positivity and help. i actually purchased a laser heat gun the other day and that has helped me to make sure temps are where i want them and to maintain a good control over the enclosure. is there any temp changes that i need to make or are these temps looking good for my tortoise?

Temperatures do need addressing, they’re most pressing currently, anything below 80 is too cold for a baby sulcata, even an adult will get sick constantly exposed below 80f

 

[Jakeloudy1]

Thank you for your reply, it’s given all the information needed, as mentioned above, there are changes that need making for this baby to thrive.

First up temperatures, directly under the basking bulb you want a reading of 95-100f, 105 is just a smidge too high, no dangerously so though, I can see you’re using a spot bulb, for basking you want an incandescent floodlight, spots are a bit too harsh. The rest of the enclosure should be in the 80-85 range, never dropping below 80 anywhere day or night, to achieve this you’ll need a CHE(ceramic heat emitter) it’s a non light emitting heat bulb, you’ll plug it into a thermostat and let it run 24/7.

For uvb id replace the coil bulb asap, they are notoriously problematic and can cause serious eye burns. You want a t5 tube fluorescent bulb, either the zoo med or Arcadia brand.

For substrate, top soils aren’t recommended, unless composted yourself, there’s no way of knowing exactly what plants have gone into it, could be something toxic, reptisoils tend to have sand mixed in which also poses an impaction risk. I’d get the hay/ straw out of there too.

Unfortunately you’ve been sold the very typical wrong starter set up, it’s very frustrating but all too common amongst stores and breeders, those open top tables aren’t the best choice as they can’t appropriately maintain the humidity baby tortoises need, there are a few ways you can modify this though.

First up I’d suggest giving this thread a read, it covers correct equipment, levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! (but I’ll give you an idea to modify the current on in the meantime)

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This includes some more closed chamber options, some more efficient than others

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

Here’s a visual on how to adapt the current one
View attachment 383931

Lastly, probably most important, this one is also really good to familiarise yourself with, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Really hope they help! I know it’ll feel a little overwhelming to go over at first, but happy to answer any further questions once you’ve read them! And happy to help with next steps! I think most importantly right now, I’d get yourself a CHE and thermostat to get night temperature and ambient up, it’s dangerously low at night for a baby sulcata. Then I’d start looking into closing it better, substrate, uv

Yes it is a lot to take in but i want to make correct changes in hope to improve this little ones life. thank you for all the advise and will make the necessary improvements.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yes it is a lot to take in but i want to make correct changes in hope to improve this little ones life. thank you for all the advise and will make the necessary improvements.

No problem at all! If you have any queries on getting the right stuff set up or if you’re unsure about a specific product, we’ll be happy to help

 

[Jakeloudy1]

No problem at all! If you have any queries on getting the right stuff set up or if you’re unsure about a specific product, we’ll be happy to help

I am having a problem locating the heat light you have recommended in your information does it need to be the E27 style or will something else work. Or maybe amazon doesn't carry this item

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I am having a problem locating the heat light you have recommended in your information does it need to be the E27 style or will something else work. Or maybe amazon doesn't carry this item

Yes the basking bulb is still a screw in, but a heating floodlight, not a spot, though sometimes admittedly the packaging can get a bit confusing from location to location, if you want you can post the bulbs you find and usually @Alex and the Redfoot can help on if it’s appropriate or not
These are the kind we personally have by us, I know some places in the US carry the Arcadia brand

 

[EppsDynasty]

is there any temp changes that i need to make or are these temps looking good for my tortoise?

So sorry I didn't respond I was absent for a bit. It looks like you are getting great help and advice from @Littleredfootbigredheart .... a great source of info, advice as well as a great member here. You are experiencing what we all do, it is just so darn hard for it all to work, fit, find or install without some issue (That is just plain stupid) fudging up the process. When I get to this bump in the road I pull over take some deep breaths ...(looking into the eyes of 1 of our torts seems to help too) and start the journey again. I commend you for your drive to get it 'Right' If there was just a few more of you this world would have way less suffering.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

So sorry I didn't respond I was absent for a bit. It looks like you are getting great help and advice from @Littleredfootbigredheart .... a great source of info, advice as well as a great member here. You are experiencing what we all do, it is just so darn hard for it all to work, fit, find or install without some issue (That is just plain stupid) fudging up the process. When I get to this bump in the road I pull over take some deep breaths ...(looking into the eyes of 1 of our torts seems to help too) and start the journey again. I commend you for your drive to get it 'Right' If there was just a few more of you this world would have way less suffering.

Aw these are really sweet words that mean a whole lot coming from you!