New tort developing RI

[Xilonen]

Hey there-

I brought home two young sulcatas on the 24th and one of them has started chirping over the last couple days. So far there's no nasal discharge and he doesn't seem to be struggling at all, but I want to nip this in the bud before he needs a vet visit since there isn't a good herp vet in the area (and the weather is turning nasty today.. I don't have a snow car!)

I don't have a good enclosure set up for them yet. I was hoping they'd be alright for a few days until they move into their semi-permanent home in the first week of Jan. Right now I'm borrowing the black light from my boxy to try and get the temp up. He's still active and curious, I'm soaking him daily now and there's a water tray in the enclosure that he's using. I haven't seen him eat, but since he just moved a couple days ago that's not too surprising. I've got timothy hay available for when he's feeling more settled. Yesterday I was able to change the substrate to peat moss from that recycled paper (left over from rodent supplies) to up the humidity and cut down on dust. He seems marginally better this morning. What else can anyone suggest between now and when I can get him in the full set-up?

Thanks!

 

[coreyc]

What are the temp's? keep them warm how young are they?

 

[Tom]

They need heat and a proper, stable set-up and they need it NOW! Temps need to be minimum of 80 round the clock in the entire enclosure, with a basking spot of 100-110 for at least twelve hours a day. If you live in an area with frozen winters, then you will need to incorporate a Mercury Vapor Bulb into your set up for heat and UV too. Here's a care sheet with current info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

 

[tortoises101]

Tom's caresheet says it all...

As for RI, if they're housed together seperate them IMMEDIATELY. You don't want the RI to spread. Take the temps that Tom gave you and increase them by 5F. Get rid of the black bulb (they emit harmful amounts of UVA) and replace it with a mercury vapor bulb, such as a Megaray or a Solar Glo. Keep everything in balance until you can get intact with a reptile vet.

 

[Xilonen]

What are the temp's? keep them warm how young are they?

Ambient temp of 70, mid 80s under the bulb. I've supplemented heat with a heating pad draped over the enclosure with some other towels to hold heat in. I can get back with updated temps once it levels out.

I don't have an exact age, but they're close to a year given size (just over 3")

@Tom - Thanks, I've read through that. I don't have the option to implement everything I need to right now. Like nearly all the turtles I've had, these guys were craigslist finds, coming from people who didn't really have any knowledge for how to care for them. In this instance I wasn't completely prepared for them before they came home but I was prepared to give them a better environment than they were previously in. Friday morning I can stock up on lighting/heat fixtures.

Update: ambient is up to just over 80, 95 under the bulb.

 

[Candy]

You can't wait to heat babies. They need it now. Keep us updated please.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with using an incandescent black light bulb for night time heat. The UVA that it emits is scarcely measurable....a tenth of a percent. I have been using them for over 20 years and all my tortoises are healthy and happy and see just fine. (the "bad" black lights, the ones that emit the harmful UV rays, are the fluorescent ones, not the incandescent ones)

Hi Laura:

You can keep your little "chirper" in a plastic tote for now. In fact a smaller area will be easier to heat..and you need to raise the temp so he doesn't develop a full blown respiratory infection. Sometimes just changing a tortoise's habitat will cause a runny nose. Its just stress and probably not contagious. But set him up in a small tote, cover part of it, raise the temperature so that he's 80 degrees but hotter under the light. Its ok to use a regular household bulb for day time until you can afford to buy an MVB (mercury vapor bulb= heat plus UVB). So black light at night, and regular bulb during the day for now. If you need to cover the tote to make it warmer, I find using aluminum foil is cheap and easy (not pretty, but functional).

Tortoises don't do well with changes to their environment, so my advice is for you to set up their permanent indoor habitat as soon as you possible can.

 

[Laura]

and... they dont eat Timothy hay.. he may not be eating because you arnt feeding him what he wants or needs..
Warmth #1.. then proper food and lighting..
I would start putting vitamins and liquid calcium in thier daily soaks.. and maybe even the baby food.
If you ahve been reading the other threads6+.. you know what Im talking about.
Good luck.. If you ahve caught it fast enough and do what is being said.. you may save him. I know it sounds like a lot and overwhleming.. but it must be done!

 

[Xilonen]

I added dandelion greens to the mix (they're hard to find under snow!). I have powdered calcium - I dusted the food and water, but I'm not sure if it's soluble. The temp is up to a good range now, and it's pretty humid in there.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Laura:

When you get around to shopping for your light, this is what I'm talking about:

http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CFgQ8wIwAA#

 

[Xilonen]

Hi Laura:

When you get around to shopping for your light, this is what I'm talking about:

http://www.google.com/products/cata...og_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CFgQ8wIwAA#

Thanks! If I can't find one in town I'll have to order online.

Just in the last hour the chirping has all but stopped. He's pleased with your suggestions. Thanks, everyone!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Laura, You can add Spring Mix to their diet too. They'll like it and it's good for them. Add other leafy greens to the Spring Mix and they'll eat good. You can get a cheap black light bulb from Kmart for your nighttime heat and just use a regular incandescent bulb for daytime for now. I know it's a lot to be thrown at you, but just take your time and listen to one person like Yvonne and then you won't be so confused...welcome

 

[tortoises101]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with using an incandescent black light bulb for night time heat. The UVA that it emits is scarcely measurable....a tenth of a percent. I have been using them for over 20 years and all my tortoises are healthy and happy and see just fine. (the "bad" black lights, the ones that emit the harmful UV rays, are the fluorescent ones, not the incandescent ones)

Hi Laura:

You can keep your little "chirper" in a plastic tote for now. In fact a smaller area will be easier to heat..and you need to raise the temp so he doesn't develop a full blown respiratory infection. Sometimes just changing a tortoise's habitat will cause a runny nose. Its just stress and probably not contagious. But set him up in a small tote, cover part of it, raise the temperature so that he's 80 degrees but hotter under the light. Its ok to use a regular household bulb for day time until you can afford to buy an MVB (mercury vapor bulb= heat plus UVB). So black light at night, and regular bulb during the day for now. If you need to cover the tote to make it warmer, I find using aluminum foil is cheap and easy (not pretty, but functional).

Tortoises don't do well with changes to their environment, so my advice is for you to set up their permanent indoor habitat as soon as you possible can.

To clear something up, my post was made BEFORE you told me about black lights on the other thread. I appreciate your input though.

 

[Xilonen]

Update: His chirping has decreased considerably. The heat seems to be doing wonders. Tomorrow morning I should be able to pick up most everything they need to keep them warm and happy without the crude blanket setup I have going right now.

Thanks for the help!

 

[coreyc]

Update: His chirping has decreased considerably. The heat seems to be doing wonders. Tomorrow morning I should be able to pick up most everything they need to keep them warm and happy without the crude blanket setup I have going right now.

Thanks for the help!

Glad to hear the is doing better keep giving him warm a soak a few times a day keep us updated

 

[Edna]

Ambient temp of 70, mid 80s under the bulb. I've supplemented heat with a heating pad draped over the enclosure with some other towels to hold heat in. I can get back with updated temps once it levels out.

If you are using a plastic tote, you can put it on the heat pad and it will heat your tote nicely. Heat transfer is slowed by the plastic, but I successfully heated an enclosure this way for a couple of months before I installed heat cable. I used mine on low setting during the day, with an MVB too, and on med at night, as the only heat. Just another possibility for heating the little ones.

 

[Xilonen]

TortyQueen - I did originally have the heating pad under, but with the thick substrate it wasn't having much effect at the surface. It's a large heating pad and a small habitat right now, and draping it over was actually more effective at keeping the air warmer. I just wish the pad wouldn't turn off automatically every 2 hours. Even so, it's such a good insulator that the temp still doesn't drop much if I can't get back to it right away to turn it back on.

This morning I'm picking up a bunch of stuff for their new setup including a better heat/light source, so my makeshift heating pad doesn't have to last much longer.

 

[tortoises101]

I don't recommend heat pads, as tortoises burrow to AVOID heat, not to come intact with it. And when tortoises burrow to cool off and find that it's even hotter underneath, it really throws their system off. Overhead heat is all that's needed.

 

[SILVERSTAR]

yeah and you need to keep an eye on the zoomed undertank heaters for wutever reason i almost had a bad mishapp and it almost caught fire,this was a month ago i pulled the heat pad from under the plastic tote and it kinda stuck then it stretched out and started smoking i immediately threw it away immediatly,funny thing is i had to go buy the same exact one bcuz its all they had and i needed heat that nite for my baby star,now i jus check it an move it often and even turn it off at times

---

also i wouldnt put the heat pad directly under the hides put them to the side so that heat is still present but not overbearing and the overhead heat should do the rest.

 

[Xilonen]

Much better setup today -

They now have a moss-filled humid hide, better lights (I need to order a MVB online; I got the very last one they'll be carrying in-store, but it's the 160 watt bulb which would roast the poor little guys in the current small habitat) and little aloe plants. They're cruising around, generally enjoying life, basking, wading in their pool and munching on spring mix.

On a related note, Crash is glad to have her light back. She rarely basks, but still.