Tortoise Shell

[Roanoke24]

Hello all! I’m a new Sulcata tortoise owner (just under a week), located in central Florida. I was told my baby Roanoke is just about a month old.
I was highly misinformed by a small exotic reptile store in Jacksonville about my tortoises starting enclosure. So what I’m working with is a 36x18x16 open mesh top enclosure. I have cypress mulch substrate, a log hide and sphagnum moss. I bought a hygrometer and I’ve been misting daily and working hard to keep the moisture 70-80% at night, during the day it ranges from 55-70%, I have ordered reptisoil to add below the cypress mulch to facilitate more humidity. And to decrease airflow I’ve just been blocking the exposed areas of mesh with dish towels (far enough from lighting to prevent disaster of course and there is always someone home.) The ambient temp is always 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. I have a T10 5.0 UVB long bulb that I have removed the mesh from under for direct exposure. And for the heating element I currently have a red light 100w bulb. (also have CHE ordered to replace that.) I have a heat gun that measures the temp directly below it at around 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
I am feeding Roa a variety of Timothy hay, tortoise pellets (moistened), mustard greens, collard greens and turnips greens. Dusting with calcium powder every other day. There is fresh water in the enclosure at all times and he does soak himself, I have also been soaking him every other day. I just took him outside into indirect sunlight in a warm soak for the first time today. I sat in the grass and let him wander in a small area next to me for a few minutes just for a little enrichment.

Here are a couple pictures of the enclosure and my tortoise. If anyone has any other suggestions and or things they would like to point out to make me a better Momma to this baby I would gladly accept. Please also be kind. Thank you!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and welcome! Adorable baby🥰

A few things of note, don’t use any kind of moss, they can cause impaction, sphagnum moss has too acidic a ph. Reptisoil is unfortunately not a good choice either, they’re usually mixed with sand which is an impaction and irritant risk.

You’d be best sticking with coco coir as a base, dampened and firmly packed by hand if you’re wanting to go the dirt route. Then with a layer of the mulch orchid bark on top👍

Humidity needs to be maintained 80%+ all over 24/7, you’ll constantly struggle with an open top😕

The best indoor uv to go for is t5 bulbs, Arcadia prot5 12% is probably the best on the market.

Your temps don’t sound too bad but red heat bulbs aren’t appropriate, you want a incandescent floodlight for your basking bulb, and CHE(s) for night heat, they’re a non light emitting heat bulb

For a baby as young as this its recommended to soak them daily, I’d also switch out that water dish, they are a hazard, terracotta saucer sitting flush with the substrate is considered safest, they have grip in the event the tortoise flips themselves

Feel free to check out this thread I made recently on an example of an effective starter set up, hopefully it’ll help🙂

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 this guy until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give you some ideas! I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to...

tortoiseforum.org

And here’s a link to their care sheet😊

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

 

[Tinyhigg]

Hi, I don't have any expert advice but I can share a bit of my experience. I struggled for almost a year to constantly keep my tort humid... and (s)he needs less humidity than your species.
I recently got an enclosure with a close top and now I realise how easy it is to keep him warm, humid and cozy inside. Get it. Just makes it all easy.
I think you can find some solutions to cover your top if you cannot get another enclosure, like green house tops, plastic and just anything you can put on top to close it.
Love the pics of the wee guy ❤️