Setup for sulcata in Malaysia

[Rina_CK]

Hi, I'm new here. I just got my first baby sulcata in Malaysia. I've been reading up and want to make sure I have the beat setup for it.

In Malaysia the weather is mostly hot and dry. Wondering what would be the best thing to use to keep my tortoise?

I have attached my current setup suggested by the shop but I think I read it's not the best setup. Advice please for how to make sure its humid enough?

Btw I keep it outdoors but under my porch which is fully shaded.

I let it walk around outside for sometime and also do almost daily soaks.

Please advice and give suggestions please. I'm learning. Thanks in advance

 

[Tom]

Hi, I'm new here. I just got my first baby sulcata in Malaysia. I've been reading up and want to make sure I have the beat setup for it.

In Malaysia the weather is mostly hot and dry. Wondering what would be the best thing to use to keep my tortoise?

I have attached my current setup suggested by the shop but I think I read it's not the best setup. Advice please for how to make sure its humid enough?

Btw I keep it outdoors but under my porch which is fully shaded.

I let it walk around outside for sometime and also do almost daily soaks.

Please advice and give suggestions please. I'm learning. Thanks in advance

Hello and welcome.

The baby needs to be housed indoors in a large closed chamber with the heating and lighting contained inside the chamber. That is what is best for them. Outdoors is good for larger juveniles and adults, but babies need to be inside. The climate and weather don't matter in regard to this. This is true even in their native range.

Here is all the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

 

[wellington]

All babies no matter where you live need a closed chamber, high humidity enclosure, with all heat and lights inside the enclosure.
Fix a tent with a frame over the enclosure, and drape plastic or tarp over it and hang lights and heat inside. Pour warm water into the substrate which should be coconut coir, or orchid or fir bark. You want 80% humidity with a basking area with a incandescent FLOOD bulb that reaches 95-100 and a tube flourescent for uvb or the time outside will do for uvb.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Good advice already given, as well as toms threads you might like having a look through this one too, I cover equipment(make sure you have the right bulbs), levels, sizing, substrates, appropriately maintaining humidity, the importance of a closed chamber, there’s lots of visual examples for everything as well a handy diet link

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This one is also good to familiarise with as it will help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, plus I always encourage double checking new purchases on the forum first

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! More questions always welcome!

 

[Rina_CK]

Hello and welcome.

The baby needs to be housed indoors in a large closed chamber with the heating and lighting contained inside the chamber. That is what is best for them. Outdoors is good for larger juveniles and adults, but babies need to be inside. The climate and weather don't matter in regard to this. This is true even in their native range.

Here is all the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

Thank you so much wondering if an enclosure like the images attached is ok? And if I use an enclosure like this how many watt light should be used?

Hello and welcome.

The baby needs to be housed indoors in a large closed chamber with the heating and lighting contained inside the chamber. That is what is best for them. Outdoors is good for larger juveniles and adults, but babies need to be inside. The climate and weather don't matter in regard to this. This is true even in their native range.

Here is all the correct care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome.

Thanks for this information I will make a switch soon. Wondering if any of the enclosure in images attached will work? And if yes how many watt light would this need?

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much wondering if an enclosure like the images attached is ok? And if I use an enclosure like this how many watt light should be used?

Thanks for this information I will make a switch soon. Wondering if any of the enclosure in images attached will work? And if yes how many watt light would this need?

The one on the right looks pretty good. Only your thermometer can tell you what wattage basking bulb you will need, but probably only 25 -45 watts in a small enclosure like that in your warm climate.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

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. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
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.

 

[Rina_CK]

All babies no matter where you live need a closed chamber, high humidity enclosure, with all heat and lights inside the enclosure.
Fix a tent with a frame over the enclosure, and drape plastic or tarp over it and hang lights and heat inside. Pour warm water into the substrate which should be coconut coir, or orchid or fir bark. You want 80% humidity with a basking area with a incandescent FLOOD bulb that reaches 95-100 and a tube flourescent for uvb or the time outside will do for uvb.

Oh so I can wet the bark? I have pine bark and coco floor course should I remove the coco floor and just go fully pine bark?

Do you have any sample idea how to use a tent pr cover for an open bin like mine?

Good advice already given, as well as toms threads you might like having a look through this one too, I cover equipment(make sure you have the right bulbs), levels, sizing, substrates, appropriately maintaining humidity, the importance of a closed chamber, there’s lots of visual examples for everything as well a handy diet link

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

This one is also good to familiarise with as it will help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, plus I always encourage double checking new purchases on the forum first

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! More questions always welcome!

The one on the right looks pretty good. Only your thermometer can tell you what wattage basking bulb you will need, but probably only 25 -45 watts in a small enclosure like that in your warm climate.

Here is a breakdown of the four heating and lighting essentials:

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. Some people in colder climates or with larger enclosures will need multiple CHEs or RHPs to spread out enough heat.
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.

So the box you said would work seems that I can't get it here in Malaysia.

So attached is a box I can actually get. It comes with bulb holder aswell. Would this work? Any other advice? Its 120cm x 50 x50

 

[Tom]

Oh so I can wet the bark? I have pine bark and coco floor course should I remove the coco floor and just go fully pine bark?

Do you have any sample idea how to use a tent pr cover for an open bin like mine?



So the box you said would work seems that I can't get it here in Malaysia.

So attached is a box I can actually get. It comes with bulb holder aswell. Would this work? Any other advice? Its 120cm x 50 x50

I don't use the tents, so I don't know about those. I use closed chambers. The one in the picture look like it will work for a little while, but it will be too small in a few months.

You might need to partially cover those side vents, depending one what your thermometer and hygrometer tell you. Maybe not. You'll have to try it out and see.

 

[wellington]

No, do not use pine. Orchid or fir bark or coconut coir.

 

[Rina_CK]

No, do not use pine. Orchid or fir bark or coconut coir.

What about zoomed repti bark? It's really hard to get orchid bark here. I'm not sure if it's different but yere I see pine bark everywhere.

 

[Rina_CK]

I don't use the tents, so I don't know about those. I use closed chambers. The one in the picture look like it will work for a little while, but it will be too small in a few months.

You might need to partially cover those side vents, depending one what your thermometer and hygrometer tell you. Maybe not. You'll have to try it out and see.

Ya I would prefer to invest in something that I can use longer. What measurements of an enclosure you recommend.?

 

[wellington]

What about zoomed repti bark? It's really hard to get orchid bark here. I'm not sure if it's different but yere I see pine bark everywhere.

Reti bark is fine.

 

[Rina_CK]

Reti bark is fine.

Thanks

 

[Tom]

Ya I would prefer to invest in something that I can use longer. What measurements of an enclosure you recommend.?

122 x 61cm for a baby, and then 244 x 122 cm for a juvenile until it is large enough to live outside full time.

ZooMed Repti-Bark is orchid bark. Its good stuff.

 

[Rina_CK]

122 x 61cm for a baby, and then 244 x 122 cm for a juvenile until it is large enough to live outside full time.

ZooMed Repti-Bark is orchid bark. Its good stuff.

I'm guessing baby would be counted till it's 1 year old?

 

[Tom]

I'm guessing baby would be counted till it's 1 year old?

Size, not age. They all grow at different rates. The 122x61cm will last until the tortoise is around 300-400 grams. How quickly they reach that size depends on how you house them, what you feed them, and how they were started by the breeder. Mine reach that size in 3-4 months in most cases. Most of them don't get to that size for about a year.

 

[Rina_CK]

Oh interesting how do I get mine to grow nicely. What are the main things that can help with my baby's growth?

 

[Rina_CK]

Reti bark is fine.

Is this ok? I can only find this that's named orchid in my country

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Oh interesting how do I get mine to grow nicely. What are the main things that can help with my baby's growth?

A good diet, correct temps, lighting, humidity is also really important for smoother growth!

Is this ok? I can only find this that's named orchid in my country

I’m not too sure as it’s labelled a potting mix, you’d need to read the fine print to make sure nothing is added to it like fertiliser

 

[Rina_CK]

A good diet, correct temps, lighting, humidity is also really important for smoother growth!

I’m not too sure as it’s labelled a potting mix, you’d need to read the fine print to make sure nothing is added to it like fertiliser

Ah yes ok so it has to be purely orchid bark right