Newbie here!

[MsDaisyyyy1]

Hello,
I am a newbie to the Tortoise mom life 🐢! After a lot of research and talking to pet shops- I am confident that I have a Sulcata. If you see the picture and know it’s something else please let me know. I have set up my little guys habitat to the best of my ability. I did quite a bit of research however as many may know sometimes the information on the internet can contradict itself. So I have a few questions hopefully I can get better help here than I did at pet smart where the only information they knew came from the employees mother in law.
1. Hay-Primary diet? Alfalfa or Timothy?
2. Weeds- Are Backyard weeds okay? If not where does one go hunting for weeds?
3. Meal worms- How often should these be given?
4. I get paranoid about the temperature in the tortoises habitat, so I was thinking of putting a camera in there to monitor from time to time. Is there a specific camera that would be recommended, that of course would not get in the way and won’t bother my little guy?

I am very receptive to feedback. I included pictures of my tortoises habitat. I want to be able to provide the best of environment I can for my Tortoise.

 

[Alessandro Previero]

Hi and welcome to the forum!
Yes it is a Sulcata, the picture is quite zoomed in, but I could say between 3-6 months old(?).

Overall, you can find all the answers for food on @Tom post here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

And about the best raising conditions here: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/

In general, keep an eye out on the African Tortoise / Sulcata section thread - very useful insights.

To answer some of your questions:
1. The hay you suggested is correct (except alfaalfa which can cause stone in the bladder etc.), but usually given out to them when they are 10-12 inch or more (aka older). When they are younger, backyard weeds and fresh grass is a very good choice, but make sure they are not poisonous.

2. Sulcatas need a high-fiber, low-protein diet so I don't think mealworms are necessary or beneficial to them. They can get excellent nutrition from normal grasses / broad leafs / hay. To this end, fruits should also be avoided.

3. Temperature is important, you can get a thermostat rather than a camera to monitor it. Refer to the posts above for temperature AND humidity details : I use this one, you can plug directly your lamp into it and set it 80F or above. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I15S6OM/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Other comments: What substrate are you using? You should try to close the top and add some humidity to prevent the tortoise from being dehydrated.

Best of luck!

 

[Tom]

Hello,
I am a newbie to the Tortoise mom life 🐢! After a lot of research and talking to pet shops- I am confident that I have a Sulcata. If you see the picture and know it’s something else please let me know. I have set up my little guys habitat to the best of my ability. I did quite a bit of research however as many may know sometimes the information on the internet can contradict itself. So I have a few questions hopefully I can get better help here than I did at pet smart where the only information they knew came from the employees mother in law.
1. Hay-Primary diet? Alfalfa or Timothy?
2. Weeds- Are Backyard weeds okay? If not where does one go hunting for weeds?
3. Meal worms- How often should these be given?
4. I get paranoid about the temperature in the tortoises habitat, so I was thinking of putting a camera in there to monitor from time to time. Is there a specific camera that would be recommended, that of course would not get in the way and won’t bother my little guy?

I am very receptive to feedback. I included pictures of my tortoises habitat. I want to be able to provide the best of environment I can for my Tortoise.

Hello and welcome. Those two threads that Alessandro linked should answer most questions, but I'll answer your specific questions too:
1. Hay can be the primary diet for adults, not babies. When that time comes, use orchard grass hay, or Bermuda hay, not Timothy or alfalfa which are too stemmy.
2. Weeds of the correct types from anywhere are fine as long as they aren't sprayed with toxic chemicals.
3. Never. No mealworms or any other insects for a sulcata.
4. There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. In most cases you'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
3. Ambient light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in LED bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. In colder climates, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. I like the 12% HO bulbs from Arcadia. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html A good UV bulb only needs to run for 2-3 hours mid day. You need the basking bulb and the ambient lighting to be on at least 12 hours a day.

Be aware the most pet shops, vets, and breeders are going to give you all the old wrong info. YT and FB are even worse. That water bowl is dangerous ad unsuitable. The substrate needs to be damp, and that hay will mold. An open topped enclosure cannot maintain the correct temperatures and humidity. That is like trying to heat your house in winter with no roof. It doesn't work. You are one of the lucky ones that found the RIGHT info, and your tortoise will benefit for it.

All your questions are welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome! That's an awfully nice-looking little sulcata. May I ask where you got him?

 

[Thomas tortoise]

Please read the caresheet that @Alessandro Previero sent you. Your enclosure is not the way it should be. And that is why your tortoise is starting to get very very little pyramiding it will get more and more if you dont fix it. And believe me it is not fun feeling your tortoises bumpy shell. Its so much more better to feel the smoothness. by the way! welcome to the forum from me and my (baby/juvenile some what..) sulctata marcedes!

 

[Alessandro Previero]

I was looking at your set-up again: once the lamps and substrate are adjusted to what is recommended, you can use normal tape and kitchen aluminium foil to cover most of the enclosure tops. It is a simple fix but quite effective if done properly. Aluminium is cheap and reflects heat well, so temps can also be more stable.

To keep humidity high, you can wet the substrate each morning (what I do) with a normal spray bottle, and (optionally) place a water bowl under the main source of heat to generate some extra vapor.
Please if you use a bowl, ensure it is tall enough so that your tort can never climb inside and potentially drown.