Hey everyone i have a few questions/ concerns my baby sulcata sleeps ALL DAY when i first got him his main idea was figuring out a way to escape and he would claw at the sides of the bin all day. But now he never gets up and rarely eats. HELP!
Sleeping all day
- Thread starter tor-tise
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Lets start with the basics. Tell us about his enclosure lighting, temps, substrate etc..
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poor husbandry or even a single thing missing from the care sheet can make a tortoise lethargic and can stop eating so it's really important that you get the basics right.If you don't know about them or you are confused then you can search for TOM's threads ,they can be a real help for you.
good luck
good luck
Hes in a storage bin with the lid always off. The substrate is moist eco earth, i have one uvb light on him and its a 5.0 uvb if im correct its not a tube one. And it doesn't look like a normal house bulb either. Right now temps are about 67-69 its cold here in LA. But i feed him romaine lettuce and occasional spring mix.
What heat source are you using? What is the basking temperature? Inside or outside?
Lancecham said:
Oh hey lance its joseph from cham forums. I was told by the breeder that he didnt need one until it got cold so i was planning on buying one for him this weekend since its getting a little chilly
Hi Joseph,
You need a heat lamp ASAP. The longer you wait, the higher the chances of it getting sick. Then you are looking at expensive vet bills or possibly worse.
Go to Home Depot/Lowes or wherever tonight and get one.
You need a heat lamp ASAP. The longer you wait, the higher the chances of it getting sick. Then you are looking at expensive vet bills or possibly worse.
Go to Home Depot/Lowes or wherever tonight and get one.
Yeah, your temps are way to low. It should be no lower then 80 in my opinion and it should be around 90-100 under a Power Sun UVB bulb. Low temps will make for a sick tort. I know cause I've been there. Plus they need heat to help digest food. I didn't read all of the post's cause I just seen the 69 temp and wrote this post right away. Do something to get them temps up till you can get a power sun bulb. A spot light or something. And as for my vet bill: when Cooper got a URI because of the low temp's, it was around $350 for the test's and the shot's I had to give him not to mention buy'n the proper light and an under the tank heater, so like 55 for the bulb and 20 for the under tank heater. Best of luck.....
i found a month old 75 watt heat bulb and hes sleeping under it right now i soaked im for 30 minutes in warm water. I measured the temps right where hes at and its around 80-82. I also cleaned everything in is enclosure and put freshly picked dandelion leaves and some fresh romaine but he just ignored it and went back to sleep. Ill keep you guys updated on his progress i plan to buy a 50 watt bulb and place it on the other side of the enclosure but nothings permanent because i might get his bigger house this weekend. And i also want to get his mazuri this weekend.
It probably won't eat tonight as it is night time. Try to get the basking are between 90-100 as mentioned already. TortOises need a cooler side so they can thermoregulate themselves. So you probably don't need a light on the other side of the enclosure. Just get the basking temperature up.
What kind of enclosure do you have and what size is it?
What kind of enclosure do you have and what size is it?
Lancecham said:
ill get a 100 watt tomorrow, and upload pictures of the enclosure as well as gets the measurements for you guys.
Agreed with above suggestions. Your sully is sleeping and not eating because it is too cold. Below my Signature are threads. Please read them
Just to let you know what I do for my sully Cooper: he has coco-coir for bedding, I use a PowerSun 100 Watt bulb for heat and he bask's under it a lot, also I have a under tank heater on one side of his enclosure, I feed him Mazuri, spring mix, green and red leaf lettuce, some romain lettuce, collard greens, kale, and any other dark leafy greens I can find that are one the list for him to eat, and I also put Timothy hay in cause he eats it and its good for him. I give him spaghetti squash once in awhile as a treat. In the spring/summer he will graze outside in our pesticide free yard, but he likes what I make him everyday more then the outside grass's. Hope this may be of help to you, good luck!
Just like everyone has already mentioned, it is waaay too cold in there...deadly cold. I want to mention one other thing. DO NOT LET HIM COOL OFF AT NIGHT!! Just because you get him all warm and cozy during the day doesn't mean he can cool off at night. Aim for 80-85 at night. The coolest spot in the cage should be 80-85 as well and the warm size can creep into the 100's, up to 110 safely. I didn't read all the specifics but if you have one of those coil type UVB bulbs, remove that now as it has been known to cause blindness.
Also, while your at the store pick up some big heavy sticks and go beat the breeder for telling you he doesn't need a heat lamp.
Also, while your at the store pick up some big heavy sticks and go beat the breeder for telling you he doesn't need a heat lamp.
Lmao!!!! Jtrux that was awesome! I couldn't agree with you more. Wish we could do that to every tort breeder, seller that gives deadly advice.
Ok can i get a 75 watt red night light bulb for him too?
tor-tise said:
I would not use a red "night light" for my tortoise. A Ceramic Heating Element is much better. They produce heat with no light. You will also want to hang the basking light and the heating element straight down, so you may want to devise a way to hang them. Most of the members will advise against using the clamps that come with light fixtures due to too many failures that have bad results.
Those red lights are horrible on your electrical bill as well. A CHE costs about $3-5 more, and lasts for about 3 years. No-Brainer.
Also, if you're not putting it outside for sun, you need to get a good UVB bulb - the non-coil type.
Also, if you're not putting it outside for sun, you need to get a good UVB bulb - the non-coil type.
i have a Arcadia 6% uvb from light your reptiles that's a 18inch tube should i put that on him? and i cant get the ceramic one right now, i gotta go buy one this weekend
The tube will be fine.
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