Hello I'm new to this forum so I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you all for posting so much helpful advice and tips about Sulcatas. I purchased a 6 month old, now 9 months old, Sulcata during the holiday season. I have been following advice on this forum religiously but I just want to be sure that I am doing everything right so I'm going to show you guys my set-up and how I am taking care of my tortoise (his/her name is DD).
My tortoise table:
This 24 gallon enclosure was converted from a small coffee table into a tortoise table! It has plexiglass on all sides, two small drawers for storage and wire mesh below the tortoise design (we have two cats so safety is a priority).
On the interior of the tank there is a basking and UVB light combo that keep the basking area around 85F while the other side of the tank is in the 78-80F range. The small machine with a green light and a hose coming out of it is a humidifier that pumps wet air into the tank to keep the humidity on the right side of the tank at about 80% humidity. I am a full time student so keeping the tank from getting too dry was an issue at first because of the wire mesh at the top of the tank, the mesh helps regulate the temp but it does let humidity out very quickly.
The bedding is a mix of Cyprus mulch and chemical free potting soil. It is soft enough to let him burrow. The seashells function as small toys, I've observed him flipping them over, sleeping on them, and carrying them into his hiding place for safe keeping.
From the time that I got him I have been giving him different things every week give or take a few days but he enjoys dandelion leaves and zucchini the most. He does not get zucchini very often and when he does it is in a small quantity. I am currently feeding him a mix of dandelion leaves and mustard greens but he has had spring mixes in the past. I am currently trying to set up a portable feeding tray that I can grow cat grass on (If you know of a better grass that's easy to get a hold of please tell me)
DD is a shy tortoise, he is used to me putting my hands in the tank to give him food, fill his water dish, or give him a bath. He hates taking baths but he does get two every day in warm water. He enjoys exploring new places and does not seem to be afraid of our two house cats, in fact whenever they watch him he races over to that side of the tank to greet them. When I got him he was 3 inches exactly, he is now 3 1/4 inches long! His shell is very smooth and I don't think that he is showing any signs of pyramiding but if someone thinks he is please let me know.
The breeder that I bought him from did send me a few packs of Reptivite vitamins and Repti Calcium but I am not sure about how often I should be giving these to him.
So that concludes this thread, if I missed some information feel free to let me know and I will do my best to provide good info. Thank you to all that took time to read this. If I am doing something wrong or not enough please let me know!
Thank You!
My tortoise table:
This 24 gallon enclosure was converted from a small coffee table into a tortoise table! It has plexiglass on all sides, two small drawers for storage and wire mesh below the tortoise design (we have two cats so safety is a priority).
On the interior of the tank there is a basking and UVB light combo that keep the basking area around 85F while the other side of the tank is in the 78-80F range. The small machine with a green light and a hose coming out of it is a humidifier that pumps wet air into the tank to keep the humidity on the right side of the tank at about 80% humidity. I am a full time student so keeping the tank from getting too dry was an issue at first because of the wire mesh at the top of the tank, the mesh helps regulate the temp but it does let humidity out very quickly.
The bedding is a mix of Cyprus mulch and chemical free potting soil. It is soft enough to let him burrow. The seashells function as small toys, I've observed him flipping them over, sleeping on them, and carrying them into his hiding place for safe keeping.
From the time that I got him I have been giving him different things every week give or take a few days but he enjoys dandelion leaves and zucchini the most. He does not get zucchini very often and when he does it is in a small quantity. I am currently feeding him a mix of dandelion leaves and mustard greens but he has had spring mixes in the past. I am currently trying to set up a portable feeding tray that I can grow cat grass on (If you know of a better grass that's easy to get a hold of please tell me)
DD is a shy tortoise, he is used to me putting my hands in the tank to give him food, fill his water dish, or give him a bath. He hates taking baths but he does get two every day in warm water. He enjoys exploring new places and does not seem to be afraid of our two house cats, in fact whenever they watch him he races over to that side of the tank to greet them. When I got him he was 3 inches exactly, he is now 3 1/4 inches long! His shell is very smooth and I don't think that he is showing any signs of pyramiding but if someone thinks he is please let me know.
The breeder that I bought him from did send me a few packs of Reptivite vitamins and Repti Calcium but I am not sure about how often I should be giving these to him.
So that concludes this thread, if I missed some information feel free to let me know and I will do my best to provide good info. Thank you to all that took time to read this. If I am doing something wrong or not enough please let me know!
Thank You!