Question about my tortoise

[luciddreaming]

I will start by saying that I do not know much about tortoises, so bare with me. I have an African Spurred tortoise who is about 7-8 years old...and he is still very very small. I'm not sure how big they usually get but heres a picture to show you. He's in a 20 gallon tank and usually lives off of brocolli with calcium on top of it. What should I change to make him grow more or to be healthier? I have been in school and have not had enough time for him but now I'm going to try to make him as healthy and happy as possible!

 

[yagyujubei]

I'm not a sulcata owner, but he's unusual looking for a sulcata, and tiny. If you could post a couple more pics, it will make it easier for those in the know to assist you. Wash him off, and while wet, a top view, and a bottom view would help.

 

[Jacob]

Hes pretty small for a sulcata of that age!
If yo can give him at least twenty min of daily sunlight a day!
Give him a steady diet of different foods!
Spring mix, grasses, hays, with caclium or cuttlebone!
Most def he needs a bigger tank, 70 gallon or more for excersise!
I have my 4 month old in a 40 and hes outside in his pen for hours during the day for
Excersise and natural sun uv!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You need to get him on a better diet.

 

[DeanS]

If he is indeed a sulcata, he's no more than 3 or 4 years old. Yes, he's got pyramiding, but it's not terrible. Get him outside if possible...if not, you're going to need a couple hundred gallon or build a tortoise table...heat him up...spray him down...and get him on a good diet. If you are forced to keep him inside, then get yourself a 160 watt Mercury Vapor Bulb (Zoo Med makes the Powersun...and I find them the most effective) and a Ceramic Heat Emitter. Any other concerns? Let us know! BTW, where are you located?

 

[Tom]

Here's how I like to keep them.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1Jp8XOzf4

Normally this is for babies and younger ones, but in your case I'd do it just like this.

Brocolli is not a good food for them. A small amount once in a while is fine, but not as a main part of the diet. There's a whole paragraph on what to feed in the care sheet.

Welcome to the forum. I hope we can all help you achieve your goal.

 

[TheCobbler]

Welcome! So I'm rather new also and Tom's care sheet is hands down the best guide I've been able to find online. But here are a few things I do to keep my tort happy and healthy. It's only a process of about a fifteen minutes in the morning and ten more when i get home. (i'm in school too)

indoor houseing: try going to homedepot, walmart, lowe's, etc. and find a storing bin. they come in 40-100gal tanks. (bigger=better) i have the 90gal. plus they only cost around $12. then add necessary substrate and accessories (like TOM says!). keep cuttlbone in enclosure at all times. (calcium)

outdoor housing: make somehting that can hold your tort outside. make sure there's an top that lets sunlight in and other things out. (fencing) also make sure there's available drinking water, shade, and cuttlebone (for calcium).

The Morning: wake up and prep a bath for your little guy. use anything that he can't climb out of. when you're doing your doing your daily routine (brushing teeth). prep warm water and fill your tort bath (make sure water level isn't too high, below the uper rim of shell). let your tort bath while you finish up, but just keep an eye on him. [if you live at home with grass] Right before you leave put your tort in his outdoor housing on the lawn so he can get sunlight and graze. leave food if no grass.

coming home: bring your tort in from his outdoor housing. and bath him again so he can cool off/relax.

i think that's it! someone please correct me if i'm doing anything wrong becuase i'm learning toooo.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Very small for 7 years old. Toms care shhet will get him going in the right direction.
Also, Welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi luciddreaming:
\
Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

Well, I'm so glad that you've found our forum and are now committed to giving your baby better care and attention.

He shows the effects of poor care and diet, however, his shell looks pretty smooth, with not much pyramiding. Its not too late to get him healthy.

Read the care sheet in Tom's post, and update your diet and care accordingly. And try to get your tortoise out of that aquarium and either outside or into a bigger habitat with a UVB light.

So glad you're here. Keep us posted!

 

[Laura]

from the look of the pic, Id say it has MBD... it needs a lot of work..
you came to the right place! start reading asking questions.. read some more..
and give us some more info.
what is the diet? where do you live?

 

[TortieLuver]

He needs a lot more of the natual diet that includes grasses, weeds, and opunita prickly pear cactus. Here's a list to get you started but keep in mind that natural foods (not commercial) are best and that they should be 70-80% of their diet.

Plants:
Hoary abutilon
Arizona cottontop grass
Bamboo muhly grass
Blue grama grass
Buckwheats
Cassia
Curly mesquite grass
Deer grass
Desert four-o'clock
Desert honeysuckle
Desert senna
Desert willow
Evening primrose
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
Fern acacia
Globe mallows
morning glory
plantain
prickly pear (fruit and pads)
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Spurges
Trailing four-o'clock
Vine mesquite grass

Produce:
Barley
Bearn sprouts (mung)
Beet greens
Bok choy
Carrot greens
Cilantro
Collard greens
Endive
Kale
Mustard greens
Parsley
Radicchio
String beans
Snow peas
Spinach
Turnip greens
dark green/red lettuce or romaine

Healthy foods
Alfalfa/bermuda/timothy (fresh or hay)
Bluegrass lawn
Cantaloupe leaves
clover
Dandelion greens
Grape leaves and shoots
Mulberry leaves
Pumpkine leaves
Rose petals
Watercress
Zucchini/Squash leaves

Avoid:
Avacado
Cabbage
Iceberg lettuce
Mushrooms
Any protein rich foods
Chinaberry berries

 

[luciddreaming]

Thank you all for the quick replies! I'm going to take all of your advice and try to give him a healthier diet! I live in North Carolina, for all of you that were asking.

 

[Amber richardson]

I love how sweet you all r. I was looking at the pics and the tort is about the same size if not a bit smaller than my 2 year old. A little love a lot of food and lights and a bigger home he will grow like crazy. I really can be fun and cheep. Get a kiddy pool or a large tank, even a large rubermade tub will work. If your handy with tools there are so many great ideas out there

 

[Shelly]

I really can be fun and cheep.

My kinda girl!

 

[dmarcus]

I really can be fun and cheep.

My kinda girl!

That is way to funny..