tortlove2416
New Member
I've had my sulcata for a little over a year now. He was given to me by a friend and so I am definitely a beginner tortoise keeper. To start, I had him in a 20 gallon long tank, with coconut fiber as the substrate. He gets a varied, grass-based diet but does not always eat every day. He also has a cuttlebone available 24/7.
He is about 6 inches long now and I built him a new enclosure out of a kids swimming pool. I switched the substrate over to sand because it's so much easier to keep clean. His food is on a ceramic plate to keep him from ingesting any of the sand. I also have a small animal igloo that is bedded down with straw for him to hide in. There is a live cactus/aloe Vera plant and a hibiscus bush in his enclosure for him to munch on.
The problem with this new enclosure is that it is in my basement (only place I had room), but it is cooler than what my room was. About 60-70F average during the day. I have a space heater in there to help out but it can't stay on all day. He's got a large 125W heat lamp. He's still active and eating, no changes in behavior. I am in central Ohio, and fall is here, so I've stopped taking him out to his outdoor pen and he'll likely be inside for the rest of the winter.
I have started to notice that his shell is starting to pyramid. I want to stop this, so I think I need to find a way to cover the pool and add a humidifier. He is soaked 3-4 times weekly. I also want to add a calcium supplement. So any suggestions on improving/modifying my enclosure & supplements to help his shell?
I am somewhat limited on resources as I am I'm college but I will do what it takes to make sure my tort remains happy & healthy! Please be polite in case I've made any errors, I want to learn and do things right!
He is about 6 inches long now and I built him a new enclosure out of a kids swimming pool. I switched the substrate over to sand because it's so much easier to keep clean. His food is on a ceramic plate to keep him from ingesting any of the sand. I also have a small animal igloo that is bedded down with straw for him to hide in. There is a live cactus/aloe Vera plant and a hibiscus bush in his enclosure for him to munch on.
The problem with this new enclosure is that it is in my basement (only place I had room), but it is cooler than what my room was. About 60-70F average during the day. I have a space heater in there to help out but it can't stay on all day. He's got a large 125W heat lamp. He's still active and eating, no changes in behavior. I am in central Ohio, and fall is here, so I've stopped taking him out to his outdoor pen and he'll likely be inside for the rest of the winter.
I have started to notice that his shell is starting to pyramid. I want to stop this, so I think I need to find a way to cover the pool and add a humidifier. He is soaked 3-4 times weekly. I also want to add a calcium supplement. So any suggestions on improving/modifying my enclosure & supplements to help his shell?
I am somewhat limited on resources as I am I'm college but I will do what it takes to make sure my tort remains happy & healthy! Please be polite in case I've made any errors, I want to learn and do things right!