Unending eating concerns

Maryalice

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2021
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippinex
This is a continuing saga of my baby sulcatas - Frankie is 6 months old and Harriet is 4 months old. Frankie is my first baby who I suspect was started dry. He's been thru a lot - RI in his 4th month and was treated with 6 antibiotic shots for 2 weeks; 1 stone-hard urate; and irregular pooping which was (temporarily) addressed by 1 gram of Bene-bac probiotics. So after a few days of no issues, both Frankie and Harriet have been barely eating for the past 3 days. Since Harriet is now involved, I suspect it is something that I am doing, as they have identical set-ups, diets, and routines, but in separate enclosures. (Harriet was well-started and lived in a humid closed enclosure with 24/7 access to water, when I got her 2-and-a-half months ago. Now at 4 months old, she weighs 119 grams - 10 grams heavier than Frankie.)
Current set-up, diet, routine: Each of them is housed in a 50-gallon glass tank, with top covering of mesh wire which is in turn covered by cardboard wrapped in plastic. The plastic-wrapped cardboard is taped to the mesh wire. It is not a perfect seal, as small slit gaps remain where the wire passes or in between the top cover and the glass. Overall, I am able to maintain 78%-99% humidity, having to mist once every 1-2 days. Temps are set to a max of 36C during the day and 33C at night. To clarify, the probe of the thermostat that is set to 36C in the day and 33C at night, is right next to the basking spot which is in the middle of the enclosure, while temps in the left and right side of the enclosure range only from 31C- 33C. I only use incandescent bulbs during the day and CHE at night (6pm-7am), as they get an hour and a half of yard walk and grazing, each day (except when it rains), from 8:00-9:30 am. Water is available 24/7. Their substrate is Reptibark and they have a hide in each corner of their enclosures - 2 of which have misted cocobark.

Daily diet consists of 50% grass (buffalo grass mixed with Napier grass); and 50% mixed greens, given intermittently, with at least 2 kinds at any day: nalta jute, hibiscus leaves, mulberry leaves, pechay (dark green variation of the bok choy), moringa leaves, sweet potato leaves, romaine lettuce. Every 3 days, I sprinkle either chopped oregano, basil, and coriander. I also add grated "fruit" every 3 days, alternating between squash, zucchini, and cucumber. And twice a week I give them Mazuri or Exoprime. Between them, they consume about 2 cups (not packed) of grass and mixed greens everyday.
Routine: Food is given around 6:30-7 am; yard walking and grazing at 8-9:30 am; soaking at 9:30-10 am (longer for Frankie, 45- 60 minutes, who likes to take his sweet time to poop and expel urates). When they are put back into their enclosures, a fresh batch of food is given if they have consumed the early morning batch. At around 2-3 om when they are out of their hides, we add another batch of greens. At 6pm, all remaining food is taken away, and lights are replaced with CHE and temps reset at a max of 33C. Lights are put out in the room where they are in, and only a glimmer from a street lamp seeping through the curtains are vsible. I check on their temps before I go up to bed, usually around 11pm.

We (my househelp and I) have been very diligent in their routines, yet it seems it is not enough to keep them thriving. (They are almost as much work as raising my human babies!) Would appreciate your advice to get them to eat normally again. Btw, I used to soak Frankie in Gerber mixed veggies or squash or carrots, when he was not eating and pooping. Should I keep doing this? He's turning yellow orange with all the Gerber soaking he got.?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,270
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
The CHE should be set on a thermostat to 26-27C. The probe should be down low from the heat sources, but out of tortoise reach.

The heat lamp should e set on a timer for about 12 hours. The basking bulb should warm the enclosure to about 32-33C over the course of the day. It should be about 36C directly under the basking bulb.

Try giving more weeds and less grass until they get a little bigger. Stop with the BeneBac and the Gerber soaks. Shouldn't need that.
 

Maryalice

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2021
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippinex
Thanks for your reply @Tom. Am nearing my wits’ end trying to give my babies the ultimate care, but it seems my efforts are not enough. I will definitely lower their night temps. My day temps seem to be according to your prescription. As to feeding them weeds, am not sure of the types of weeds growing in my yard which is basically planted with buffalo grass. I see other small plants growing in between the grasses. I suppose those are the weeds, which Frankie and Harriet love to munch on during their yard time. I don’t know what kinds of weeds they are or if they are good for tortoises. Isn’t mazuri made of weeds? Perhaps i should give them more mazuri to get more weeds into them? If I cut down on feeding them grass, and there are very little weeds that i can get from my yard (they are quite tiny and difficult to find through the long blades of grass), they might end up eating more mixed greens. Will definitely stop the Gerber soaks and will not give another dose of Bene-bac. And then I will keep my fingers crossed that these corrections will address their eating and pooping issues.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,270
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks for your reply @Tom. Am nearing my wits’ end trying to give my babies the ultimate care, but it seems my efforts are not enough. I will definitely lower their night temps. My day temps seem to be according to your prescription. As to feeding them weeds, am not sure of the types of weeds growing in my yard which is basically planted with buffalo grass. I see other small plants growing in between the grasses. I suppose those are the weeds, which Frankie and Harriet love to munch on during their yard time. I don’t know what kinds of weeds they are or if they are good for tortoises. Isn’t mazuri made of weeds? Perhaps i should give them more mazuri to get more weeds into them? If I cut down on feeding them grass, and there are very little weeds that i can get from my yard (they are quite tiny and difficult to find through the long blades of grass), they might end up eating more mixed greens. Will definitely stop the Gerber soaks and will not give another dose of Bene-bac. And then I will keep my fingers crossed that these corrections will address their eating and pooping issues.
Your tortoises should not be allowed access to any plant or weed that you have not identified and know to be safe. Those weeds/plants in the yard could be something toxic. This could be the cause of your issues.

Mazuri is not made of weeds, but it is a good supplemental tortoise food in addition to all the other good stuff you are offering.
 

Maryalice

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2021
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippinex
Thanks again @Tom. Since I cannot keep them from their yard time, I suppose i need to find ways to identify those small plants that keep growing in my yard even after the gardener cuts them or pulls them out. Sigh... (I thought that anything that keeps growing back even after they are cut and pulled out are "weeds".) Even after knowing their names, whether or not they are not toxic to tortoises is another challenge. The Tortoise Table is very Euro- and North American- centric and barely includes Southeast Asian plants. Will just have to try my best to look for other ways to identify the "weeds".
Are there any TFO members who can help identify these southeast asian "weeds" or small plants that keep growing back? Thanks in advance.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,270
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks again @Tom. Since I cannot keep them from their yard time, I suppose i need to find ways to identify those small plants that keep growing in my yard even after the gardener cuts them or pulls them out. Sigh... (I thought that anything that keeps growing back even after they are cut and pulled out are "weeds".) Even after knowing their names, whether or not they are not toxic to tortoises is another challenge. The Tortoise Table is very Euro- and North American- centric and barely includes Southeast Asian plants. Will just have to try my best to look for other ways to identify the "weeds".
Are there any TFO members who can help identify these southeast asian "weeds" or small plants that keep growing back? Thanks in advance.
The term "weed" is used to describe just about any nuisance plant the pops up where someone didn't want it. It is a very vague term and can encompass thousands of plant species all over the world. Its definitely important to ID all the plants that your tortoise have access to.

You can post pics here and we might know some of them. I use a plant ID app called "PlantNet". Its been pretty good over here ad I've used it in other parts of the world too. Maybe it would work for you over there?
 

New Posts

Top