sulcata 3 month old hatchling has shell wrinkles and wont open eyes but still eating

[kelogz08]

hello everyone,

i am new to this forum and i would like to say hi to all. sorry, i should have started with the intro thread but i needed help.

i have a 2-3 month old sulcata hatchling which i got probably 4 weeks ago. when i got him, he opens his eyes regularly.

however just recently, i noticed that he doesnt open his eyes. he even walks and eats without opening his eyes. he sometimes flightly opens one eye but shuts them out afterwards.

as of now, he is only eating romaine lettuce because it seems to be the only one that he can rip off small pieces, i use a mvb in a wire clamp lamp on one small corner of a 20 gallon long aquarium. temp is maintained at around 95 degrees and away from the mvb is between 75 to 85 degrees. i soak him once a day for 20minutes and i give powdered calcium in the food.

please help

 

[Keith D.]

Hello and welcome to TFO. Tell us more about your tort, how do you have him setup? Closed chamber, substrate and everything in between. It kinda sounds like hatchling failure syndrome. @Tom or @Yvonne G will have abut more insight then I on this one. Hope all goes well.

P.S. or he may be trying to brumate. Where do you live?

 

[wellington]

Are you using the cfl or coil bulbs? If so get rid of it they cause eye problems. It will clear up once bulbs are gone.

 

[wellington]

Hello and welcome to TFO. Tell us more about your tort, how do you have him setup? Closed chamber, substrate and everything in between. It kinda sounds like hatchling failure syndrome. @Tom or @Yvonne G will have abut more insight then I on this one. Hope all goes well.

P.S. or he may be trying to brumate. Where do you live?

Sulcatas do not brumate

 

[wellington]

Also please read Toms threads at the bottom of my post for proper housing temps humidity etc

 

[Keith D.]

Sulcatas do not brumate

Lol ya I forgot my bad.

 

[kelogz08]

I use a mercury vapor bulb housed in a wire clamp lamp in one of the corners of a 20 gallon long aquarium. the lamp runs for 12 hours. My humidity is at 50% under the bulb and about 80% farthest from the bulb. i use a coco coir as substrate. i have a food plate in the tank and a shallow terra cotta saucer for the water. Actually i have another hatchling sulcata with him and this one doesnt seem to have the eye problem as the other one, although they both have a wrinkly shell

 

[kelogz08]

i live in the high desert in california but i keep my hatchlings indoors. i use MVB which is maintained a distance such that the temp under the lamp is 95 degrees where they love to bask and hang out. i put them under unfiltered sunlight for a couple of hours on the weekends and daily 15-20 minute soak. As of the moment they only eat romaine lettuce with a dash of powdered calcium

 

[kelogz08]

i also use a metal screen cover for the tank

 

[Keith D.]

i also use a metal screen cover for the tank

You need to use a closed chamber and mix other food items.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum, and hope to hear you tort is better soon!

 

[Tom]

Biggest problem I see is no mention of night heat? What is the over night low?

That tank is also too small and using a MVB in something so small is typically going to have a very desiccating effect. I seriously doubt your humidity is as high as you think it is. Are you using a stick on dial type Petco hygrometer to measure humidity? Those are notoriously inaccurate and unreliable.

What was the source of this baby? If they are not started correctly by the breeder, this sort if issue is common. Most breeders, sadly, do not start them correctly

Read these for more info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

And I hope this is not your issue:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

 

[kelogz08]

thank you for all your reply. I use a digital cordless hygrometer/thermometer combo. I keep the coco coir very damp if not wet especially the part farthest from the MVB. Indoor temp inside the apartment is maintained at 73-75 degrees. attached is my sort of set up

 

[kelogz08]

i bought the torts from a breeder from craigslist

 

[kelogz08]

i used a 100w basking bulb before the MVB. it it does not reach or maintain a 90-95 degree temp. that is why i bought a MVB

 

[Keith D.]

Read the links Tom posted above. Especially on the closed chamber.

 

[kelogz08]

thanks for the help. all the inputs are appreciated

 

[Blakem]

73-75 is much too cold, especially for a baby. Your coco coir doesn't need to be damp, or very wet, just moist to create the humidity you need. You won't get humidity if you keep that top open. Try something as simple as covering it with plexiglass or a lid. Your humidity and heat escapes, heat rises. You can raise your temperatures by lowering the basking lamp, but get/make a lid for that tank first. If you keep it uncovered and at those temps, your baby can die, or get a respiratory infection (which is caused by being kept in a wet, cool environment, like yours). Get a temperature gun. Your basking spot should be 95-100, cool side 90-95, night time I don't like below 95, and warm side 95. Get those temps up ASAP

 

[kelogz08]

oh wow, i missed that part. If i were to buy a plexiglass or acrylic sheet from home depot, should I leave a hole for the MVB? or can I cover the tank fully? I also just bought a 40 gallon tank coz petsmart had a sale

 

[kelogz08]

i have been checking links for a closed chamber. it seems like i cannot use my MVB to seal it inside the 40 gallon breeder. am i right?