Setting up new hatchling enclosure tomorrow

[erdavis]

Hey guys! I am setting up my hatchling's enclosure tomorrow and need some advice. I am planning on going with a Christmas Tree Storage Container as it's "cage". Using coco coir and organic topsoil mix as the substrate. Plastic shoe box as a hide. Pretty much going exactly by what Tom said in his sticky. My questions are these:

I have heard that UVC and UVB lights are bad for tortoise eyes, is this true? Do I need to get a UVA light specifically?

I have heard that over feeding a tortoise is bad for it. And that if a Sully has food in its enclosure at all times, it will most likely over eat. But if it roams in a backyard, it does not over eat. I read a thread somewhere on here but can't find it now. The person took planters (maybe called plastic flower trays?) and planted seeds in them that they're sully could eat. Once they grew a little they would put one planter in their sully's enclosure to graze, when that was eaten down they would switch it out with a different planter etc so that the first one could grow. Would a sully eat too much in this case? Is it a good idea? Or bad?
I had another question. I plan on letting my hatchling outside in a kiddie pool for about an hour a day. Could I plant seeds in this and let him graze on that?

Also, I read that after I soak my sully I am supposed to completely dry him before putting him back in his enclosure. I also know that I should be spraying him with water about 3 times a day. Am I supposed to dry him off after I do that as well? I figured I would if I had to dry him after soaking, but then the mist seems pointless to me.

Any help would be great!

 

[Tom]

Hi. I'll answer them one at a time.
1. The lights can sometimes damage their eyes are the coil type, compact florescent lights. The mercury vapor lights do not have this issue that I've ever seen. If your tort is going to get sunshine every day for an hour or more for most of the year, then you really don't need any artificial UV lights and you can simply use regular incandescent flood bulbs from the hardware store. Using an MVB in your case will not hurt anything either.
2. Your food tray idea is a great one. My opinion is this: They cannot over eat if you are feeding the right stuff. If you are feeding too much of some stuff, then I think some caution is warranted. Food growing in the kiddie pool is also a GREAT idea.
3. I would recommend leaving him wet after soaks and spraying several times a day too. I have seen much anecdotal evidence, as well as much personal experience that the wetter the carapace, and the more often its wet, the smoother they grow. I keep mine wet as much as possible.

 

[erdavis]

2. Your food tray idea is a great one. My opinion is this: They cannot over eat if you are feeding the right stuff. If you are feeding too much of some stuff, then I think some caution is warranted. Food growing in the kiddie pool is also a GREAT idea.

I found a list somewhere of plants that should be 75% of their diet, and other plants that should be 25%. How should I do this in his enclosure?
On each planter should I plant 75% of the first types of seeds and then 25% of the other?
Or should I have a whole planter consisting of just the 75% plants, and let them graze that for 3 days. And then have a whole planter of just 25% and let them graze that for a day?
I hope that makes sense..

 

[Tom]

In recent years there has been a proliferation of care and diet info for sulcatas. Sorting through all of that can be daunting and overwhelming. Let me make your life a lot less worry free...

It is NOT critical. Tortoises in general, and especially sulcatas are very adaptable. We could go on all day about the subtle nuances for any any feeding style or what is "best", but the bottom line is, they will be okay if you stick to greens stuff of some sort or another with a little other "stuff" mixed in occasionally. To be more specific: If you can get or grow fresh grass of several types and weeds of several types, I think that is the best diet. BUT, for some people, including me, this is just not practical or possible all the time. A variety of store bought leafy greens fills in the gaps just fine and does not appear to hurt them in any way. Occasional veggies like carrots, peppers, squash, pumpkin, and ... dare I say it... even the occasional legume, is all just fine. I just fed my adults some potato peels and cucumber yesterday.

I think most will agree that the ideal situation would be to have several pastures seeded with the right grasses and weeds that to open up daily and let your sulcata graze in. Couple that with near perfect tropical weather every day and you will have a healthy happy sulcata. This is just NOT going to be possible for most people and compromises must usually be made. Depending on your climate, I would just plant and grow as much as you can, scavenge and steal whatever you safely can, and buy the rest... Here is a recent project I did for babies and the concept worked phenomenally well.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ut-Safe-Outdoor-Baby-Enclosures#axzz1hf7UVOdn

Here are some of my favorites to feed: Grass, of several types that I find in several safe places. Weeds; dandelion, sowthistle, milk thistle, filaree, mallow, hawksbeard, mustard, wild onion/garlic, plus many more. Leaves; mulberry, hibiscus, grape, rose of sharon, rose, geranium, etc... Cactus; I use organ pipe with the spines cut off and several varieties of spineless opuntia that I grow myself, plus the cactus fruits (la tuna) occasionally. Succulents; ice plant, jade plant, elephant bush, red apple... From the grocery store; spring mix, endive, escarole, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, parsley, cilantro, red or green leaf lettuce, bok choy, swiss or red chard, spinach, romaine, carrot tops, watercress, butter lettuce, green beans etc... very rarely (once every month or two, and mixed in with greens) I will grate up some carrot, squash, bell pepper or pumpkin for babies. I also feed the ZooMed grassland tortoise mix soaked and mixed in with other stuff and I feed Mazuri once or twice a week too.