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 ❤️

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

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!

Hello and welcome!
You are doing great at keeping temperatures and improving care.

Some amendments to above comments:
As a quick "band-aid" for resolving humidity issue, you can cover or wrap the mesh with tin foil, precisely cut around lightning and heating fixtures. Please, watch the temperatures closely after "sealing" the enclosure. Instead of misting substrate - pour some water in the corners to moisten lower substrate layers, cypress mulch holds humidity pretty well.

If you have ZooMed Reptisun T5 10.0 lamp, no need to change it (I presume you made a typo in your post). Just make sure it's about 18 inches above substrate. CHE you've ordered will maintain ambient heat in the terrarium and it's a must to use it with a thermostat. However, you will need another heat and light source - a basking lamp. Flood type incandescent lamp (like Arcadia Solar Basking Floodlight) is the best for the job.

You can start planning for a larger indoors enclosure right now. Sulcata babies grow very fast but until they reach size of 10 inches it's not recommended to keep them outdoors full time. Don't buy a new glass tank or table - go with cheaper options as it's only temporary housing. Raised garden bed or portable greenhouse over pond liner or tarp floor are, perhaps, your best bet.

Any questions are welcome!

 

[Roanoke24]

First off thank you so much, and yes you were right I mixed up the numbers on the UV light!
I do have a couple questions… what wattage for the incandescent basking light? Ive read 60w should be good, but I'm unsure. And I also wonder where to place it? I was under the impression one side was supposed to be heated and the other was supposed to be left without in intentional heat source outside of getting ambient heat.
And when you say the CHE needs a thermometer is that like the ones that will turn off and on the bulb when temps are too high/low? I’ve read about that as well.
Also, I do have my baby’s UV light on a timer for 14 hrs a day, should the basking lamp be on the same timer? I’ve read people put them in only for a few hours at the high of the heat during a typical day outdoors.
I see some commenting on the water dish, I have it witnessed the baby navigate it with ease, there is only enough water in it to reach just above his plastron and I have brought it lower and made it more level with the substrate.
Also to clarify the reptisoil I purchased is coco coir, nothing with sand.
I will attach updated pictures of the set up from today and after I add the new substrate and lights when they arrive!

Your feed back and advice is much appreciated! Thanks again!

 

[wellington]

First, the enclosure is too small. The water dish is dangerous and needs to go and be replaced with a clay saucer
Do not use red bulbs, they can make your tortoise eat things it shouldn't
You need a closed chamber enclosure ASAP with temps never lower than 80 day and night. Basking temp 95-100 so yours is too high. Humidity 80% day and night, higher humidity is fine.
If you get him outside several times a week for sun, you don't need uvb inside.
Do not use any moss and hay is better for older ones and orchard hay grass is much better than Timothy. Timothy is too woody.
These changes should be done ASAP as your tortoise already has some slight pyramiding which at that little size, means he was started too dry.
Give daily soaks.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

First off thank you so much, and yes you were right I mixed up the numbers on the UV light!
I do have a couple questions… what wattage for the incandescent basking light? Ive read 60w should be good, but I'm unsure. And I also wonder where to place it? I was under the impression one side was supposed to be heated and the other was supposed to be left without in intentional heat source outside of getting ambient heat.
And when you say the CHE needs a thermometer is that like the ones that will turn off and on the bulb when temps are too high/low? I’ve read about that as well.
Also, I do have my baby’s UV light on a timer for 14 hrs a day, should the basking lamp be on the same timer? I’ve read people put them in only for a few hours at the high of the heat during a typical day outdoors.
I see some commenting on the water dish, I have it witnessed the baby navigate it with ease, there is only enough water in it to reach just above his plastron and I have brought it lower and made it more level with the substrate.
Also to clarify the reptisoil I purchased is coco coir, nothing with sand.
I will attach updated pictures of the set up from today and after I add the new substrate and lights when they arrive!

Your feed back and advice is much appreciated! Thanks again!

Ah no worries that uv is fine! For the basking floodlight, people tend to go between 50-75watts, you may need to try a couple to see🙂 place that bulb one end of the enclosure and have the uv that end too.

One side does stay warmer due to the basking bulb, they need that 95-100 basking spot directly underneath. Ambient heat is just to make sure the ‘cooler end’ isn’t dropping below 80, with the bigger scale you’ll need to go, a floodlight probably won’t keep the entire enclosure above 80, CHEs will also take care of the night heat(again no lower than 80 anywhere). The CHE needs to be ran on a thermostat not thermometer, you’re correct the thermostat is what will turn the ceramic bulbs on and off as and when needed, they won’t need to be on a timer👍

For the UV, around 4 hours from noon(or when you notice yours likes to bask) is sufficient, the uv being on the same schedule as the basking and ambient lighting is an old fashioned rule that has stuck with a lot of keepers, fact is no tortoise is blasted with over 12hours of uv in the wild, uv rays peak for a few hours a day, therefore it’s fine to mimic this in captivity and save your bulb life😊

The basking and any ambient lighting can be on a 12hour timer.

With the water dish, it’s not just about the water being a drowning hazard, the sides are far to high, they will get more adventurous and possibly try to climb them, if they fall back and flip, the bowl lacks traction for them to right themselves. There’s been horror stories. I’d definitely switch it out, especially for a baby.

Coco coir is a fine choice👍

Hopefully if you check out those two links I posted they’ll help give you an idea for an upgrade🥰