UVB

[Alex and the Redfoot]

ohh zoomed could help? So like uvb lamp n other cant replace sunshine ? Okay thank you

A good UVB lamp is enough to prevent MBD and ensure healthy growth.

D3 food supplements only help with minor deficiences - e.g. sunshine in England is not very strong and keepers there add D3 for their outdoor tortoises.

 

[lovesulcata]

A good UVB lamp is enough to prevent MBD and ensure healthy growth.

D3 food supplements only help with minor deficiences - e.g. sunshine in England is not very strong and keepers there add D3 for their outdoor tortoises.

Oh okay thankyou, but i wanted to ask is there any differences of zoomed calcium with other calcium brand?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Oh okay thankyou, but i wanted to ask is there any differences of zoomed calcium with other calcium brand?

If it's calcium with D3 then vitamin D3 contents differs significantly between brands. Plain calcium powder is basically the same.

 

[lovesulcata]

If it's calcium with D3 then vitamin D3 contents differs significantly between brands. Plain calcium powder is basically the same.

owhh alright. Btw if i wet a dry tissue with a little water, then i put the tissue on the turtle shell so it doesnt become piramiding. Is it safe?

 

[COmtnLady]

Don't put a wet tissue on your tortoise. That won't do anything good. You have to make sure there is enough humidity in its enclosure, AND that the temperatures AT THE LEVEL WHERE THE TORTOISE SITS under the bulbs and lamps is correct. Pyramiding happens when the heat makes its shell too hot and dry. But a wet tissue won't help anything.

It is a danger if your tortoise eats the tissue, too.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

owhh alright. Btw if i wet a dry tissue with a little water, then i put the tissue on the turtle shell so it doesnt become piramiding. Is it safe?

You can put a wet towel during soaking when you supervise your tortoise. But it's not the same as high humidity environment so I wouldn't use it all the time.

Same with human health: humid air is good for skin but when skin is constantly wet it's a recipe for diseases (e.g. "athelete's foot" and others).

 

[lovesulcata]

You can put a wet towel during soaking when you supervise your tortoise. But it's not the same as high humidity environment so I wouldn't use it all the time.

Same with human health: humid air is good for skin but when skin is constantly wet it's a recipe for diseases (e.g. "athelete's foot" and others).

Ohh okay! Can i send u a video of my tortoise enclosure ? Because i dont know how to raise humidity, its stuck at 50-55

 

[lovesulcata]

Don't put a wet tissue on your tortoise. That won't do anything good. You have to make sure there is enough humidity in its enclosure, AND that the temperatures AT THE LEVEL WHERE THE TORTOISE SITS under the bulbs and lamps is correct. Pyramiding happens when the heat makes its shell too hot and dry. But a wet tissue won't help anything.

It is a danger if your tortoise eats the tissue, too.

alright thanks

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Ohh okay! Can i send u a video of my tortoise enclosure ? Because i dont know how to raise humidity, its stuck at 50-55

You can post a few photos of the enclosure (or a link to your posts if you have already posted them).

 

[lovesulcata]

You can post a few photos of the enclosure (or a link to your posts if you have already posted them).

Btw did u mean like this ? i soak them 20 minutes everyday
And here is my enclosure !

 

[Ray--Opo]

Hello, glad you are here. Don't take this wrong, but the enclosure needs many changes. Can't really tell how big the enclosure is. Also not sure what kind of wood substrate you are using. Could you give us a picture of the whole enclosure? We need to see the size of the floor space in the same photo. You need to use Reptibark or coco coir with cypress mulch on top for your substrate. You will never get 80% humidity without the proper substrate. Also the light fixture with the clamp system. Is very dangerous, they can be knocked over easily. This could cause a fire or if the bulb falls on your tort. Your tort could be burnt or killed. The members here will get you on the right track. Hang in there and we will get it figured out. Late for me, so I will be going to bed. Check on you tomorrow.

 

[COmtnLady]

Those sharp little blocks of wood have got to go away.
The mister also has to go away.


The reason your humidity is so inadequate is because you don't have anything to hold the moisture.
The best substrate is a couple inches of damp coco coir with an additional couple inches of orchid bark/fir bark/Cyprus mulch on top.

You also desperately need to have a new (never-used-under-a-flowerpot) terra cotta saucer (a little larger in diameter than the tortoise is long), full of clean water in the enclosure.

The mister can cause respiratory infections. It is not humidity, it makes bigger droplets in the air that are bad for your tortoise to inhale.



Have you had a chance to read this yet :

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Especially read number 27.


Here are a couple more info links that are important to read:

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 a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Btw did u mean like this ? i soak them 20 minutes everydayView attachment 385204
And here is my enclosure !
View attachment 385205View attachment 385206View attachment 385207View attachment 385209View attachment 385210View attachment 385211View attachment 385212

Thanks for the photos. As stated above, you need to make changes.
1. Substrate. Coco coir (soil-like ground coconut shell, usually sold in bricks in garden centers and pet stores).
2. Enclosure size. I'm not sure why there is a wall in the middle of the plastic box but I would remove it. Tortoises need a lot of space. A fast growing sulcatas especially.
3. Enclosure cover. It doesn't look to me that current cover holds humidity and temperatures well enough. I would get a similar container as you use for the enclosure and put it on top as a lid. You will need to cut a hole for the heat lamp and fix lamp holder to the lid (as mentioned, clamps are super unreliable).
4. Heat lamp should be pointed top down.

Any questions are welcome!

 

[lovesulcata]

Hello, glad you are here. Don't take this wrong, but the enclosure needs many changes. Can't really tell how big the enclosure is. Also not sure what kind of wood substrate you are using. Could you give us a picture of the whole enclosure? We need to see the size of the floor space in the same photo. You need to use Reptibark or coco coir with cypress mulch on top for your substrate. You will never get 80% humidity without the proper substrate. Also the light fixture with the clamp system. Is very dangerous, they can be knocked over easily. This could cause a fire or if the bulb falls on your tort. Your tort could be burnt or killed. The members here will get you on the right track. Hang in there and we will get it figured out. Late for me, so I will be going to bed. Check on you tomorrow.

the enclosure is 54x36x14 cm! I use coco husk, im planning to change the substrate but i dont know which.

 

[lovesulcata]

Thanks for the photos. As stated above, you need to make changes.
1. Substrate. Coco coir (soil-like ground coconut shell, usually sold in bricks in garden centers and pet stores).
2. Enclosure size. I'm not sure why there is a wall in the middle of the plastic box but I would remove it. Tortoises need a lot of space. A fast growing sulcatas especially.
3. Enclosure cover. It doesn't look to me that current cover holds humidity and temperatures well enough. I would get a similar container as you use for the enclosure and put it on top as a lid. You will need to cut a hole for the heat lamp and fix lamp holder to the lid (as mentioned, clamps are super unreliable).
4. Heat lamp should be pointed top down.

Any questions are welcome!

Coco coir is coco peat too?? But if i only use 1 substrate without mixing, will it be okay? and will coco coir raise humidity? Because right now i use coco husk, and i spray the enclosure and coco husk with water many times in a day but the humidity still stucks at 50-59%. Oh the wall in the middle is because i have 2 sulcata, i wanted to buy 1 because i heard sulcata is territorial but my parents wants to buy 2 and the pet store doesnt even say anything. can u give me an example picture for number 3? And i dont know where to put the heat lamp so it will be pointed to down but im planning to change the heat lamp to exoterra daylight, right now im still using the exoterra basking lamp.

 

[lovesulcata]

Those sharp little blocks of wood have got to go away.
The mister also has to go away.


The reason your humidity is so inadequate is because you don't have anything to hold the moisture.
The best substrate is a couple inches of damp coco coir with an additional couple inches of orchid bark/fir bark/Cyprus mulch on top.

You also desperately need to have a new (never-used-under-a-flowerpot) terra cotta saucer (a little larger in diameter than the tortoise is long), full of clean water in the enclosure.

The mister can cause respiratory infections. It is not humidity, it makes bigger droplets in the air that are bad for your tortoise to inhale.



Have you had a chance to read this yet :

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Especially read number 27.


Here are a couple more info links that are important to read:

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 a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...

tortoiseforum.org

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

what is mister? yes i did read some of the forums, Is coco coir the same like coco peat?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Coco coir is coco peat too?? But if i only use 1 substrate without mixing, will it be okay? and will coco coir raise humidity? Because right now i use coco husk, and i spray the enclosure and coco husk with water many times in a day but the humidity still stucks at 50-59%. Oh the wall in the middle is because i have 2 sulcata, i wanted to buy 1 because i heard sulcata is territorial but my parents wants to buy 2 and the pet store doesnt even say anything. can u give me an example picture for number 3? And i dont know where to put the heat lamp so it will be pointed to down but im planning to change the heat lamp to exoterra daylight, right now im still using the exoterra basking lamp.

Yes, coco peat is what you need. It holds moisture really well and will help with humidity. You can use just coco peat without mixing.

Please! Don't get a second tortoise! You need to learn how to handle this one. Give it more space and proper care. Tortoises are solitary animals and don't need friends. Some sulcatas will fight to death, literally. Pet store wants to sell stuff, sometimes they don't know or don't care about animal well-being.

I made a photo of "bin+bin" closed chamber, you need to make a cut for the basking lamp where plastic pot is on the photo.

To make lamp pointed top down in your current setup just bend the holder more.

 

[lovesulcata]

Yes, coco peat is what you need. It holds moisture really well and will help with humidity. You can use just coco peat without mixing.

Please! Don't get a second tortoise! You need to learn how to handle this one. Give it more space and proper care. Tortoises are solitary animals and don't need friends. Some sulcatas will fight to death, literally. Pet store wants to sell stuff, sometimes they don't know or don't care about animal well-being.

I made a photo of "bin+bin" closed chamber, you need to make a cut for the basking lamp where plastic pot is on the photo.

To make lamp pointed top down in your current setup just bend the holder more.

so Coco peat is safe for sulcata ? ill buy it soon ) Too late, my parents bought 2….
ohh okay but my enclosure now is not rlly bad right? its kind of closed but its kinda open at the same time

 

[COmtnLady]

what is mister? yes i did read some of the forums, Is coco coir the same like coco peat?

The white plastic sprayer (that egg-shaped device in the 5th-from-the-top-picture) does not help humidity, it only puts droplets of water into your tortoise's area that can cause respiratory infections. It is bad for your tortoise to have large particles of water sprayed around its chamber.

Soak the coco coir/peat in warm water until the brick falls apart and there are no hard lumps left. Wring out as much of the water as you can using your hands, from the wet coco coir/peat and pack it into the bottom of your enclosure with your hands to a depth of about 5-6cm. Cover that with an equal depth of dry orchid bark (may be named fir bark where you are) or cyprus mulch.

Your tortoise needs a place to hide, so place a flowerpot, that is larger than your tortoise, on its side, in a corner to create a cave or darker area where your tortoise can hide.
Place a clean clay (unpainted terracotta) saucer that goes under a flowerpot, into the chamber full of water. Make the top edge of the saucer even with the top of the bark or mulch so that your tortoise can easily walk into it if the tortoise wants to do that.


.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Too late, my parents bought 2….

Then you will need separate enclosures for the two.