Welcome home baby!

[AZSid]

A couple quick pics of our newest baby! As of yet unnamed, but a family poll is going. So far it's a toss up between Glock and Savage, and until of an age to be sexed, assumed a female.

Our baby girl arrived just a few hours ago, courtesy of @Lancecham and came to us at a healthy 66 grams at just 25 days old. Super super active in the car on the way home and totally fearless of our attention. No tuck and hide from this baby! Upon arrival to her new home, she was placed in a warm water dish (it was rainy and chilly outside and we had to run the heater on the way home for her) where she spent about 0.2 seconds before jumping out and cruising to check out her new digs. After spending approximately 3 minutes checking out the corners, she snuggled into her hide and settled in for a nap.

Welcome home baby!

 

[BrianWI]

Wow, must have a big mom! Mine was about 49 grams at same age (42 grams at 3 weeks when I got her).

 

[Tom]

Lance does a great job starting them, so you made a wise choice there.

Check these out for more info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Speedy-1]

She is a good looking gal ! Great pics !

 

[AZSid]

First meal at home in her own garden planted with an African grass blend and Testudo broadleaf forage blend.

 

[GingerLove]

What a cutie, congrats!

 

[Gillian M]

So cute! GOD bless.

 

[Lancecham]

Whatever name you settle on, will be perfect. I am glad her trip went well considering she went from California to Tennessee and back to Arizona and still arrived on time. I am happy she went to a great home where she we will be provided with excellent care. Make sure you keep posting pictures of her so we can see how she grows.

 

[AZSid]

Plot twist! She shall be known as Pavona! (Yeah, we have a gun thing going on here...) Measuring 2.5" by 2.25", here she is enjoying her first home soaking!

 

[AZSid]

Whatever name you settle on, will be perfect. I am glad her trip went well considering she went from California to Tennessee and back to Arizona and still arrived on time. I am happy she went to a great home where she we will be provided with excellent care. Make sure you keep posting pictures of her so we can see how she grows.

Thank you so much! We were waiting at the doors at opening this morning to get her out of that box. She will not just be provided for here, but loved immensely! Not a pet, but a family member to be passed on through the generations.

 

[Gillian M]

First meal at home in her own garden planted with an African grass blend and Testudo broadleaf forage blend.View attachment 178725 View attachment 178726 View attachment 178727

A gorgeous tortoise! GOD bless.

 

[AZSid]

After a very frustrating 5 days of refusing to eat while in her enclosure, Pavona showed a weight loss of 6g. She would graze a bit in her garden, but definitely not enough to sustain a growing baby! I finally changed her feeding dish and abracadabra 8g gain in 2 days! The African grasses are meh, but eaten when mixed with Testudo mix, milkweed, desert mustard, goathead, Mazuri and Grassland. She takes herself into her hide every night to sleep, enjoys hanging out in her water saucer, and loves showers. Baths are okay... but if you stand there scooping the water and pouring it over her, she stretches all four limbs and her neck to the max.

 

[AZSid]

I'm having some trouble. When it rains, it pours I guess because everything was perfect when I used this exact same set up for Remington last year.

First, humidity. My reptifogger malfunctioned. I was able to fix it, but now I can't seem to get the balance inside the enclosure right. The fog pours in to Pavona's home on the opposite from the probe. So approximately 3'9" apart. It bellows out all day long, but doesn't seem to be reaching the probe for an automatic shut off at 80%. So while the probe reads 76%, the other side of the tank is soaked! Maybe just move the output to the middle of the tank? I like where it's at because once it reaches the substrate, it rolls along the bottom and into the hide perfectly, but I don't want to keep her drenched all the time either.

Second, my basking light. While a 50w seemed to work before, it burnt out this morning and had to be replaced. The new 50w I put in was only heating to about 90* as a basking spot. So I upgraded to a 75w. Now the basking spot is too warm. Top of her shell is reaching 95* but ground is reading at 106* Nature of the enclosure prohibits raising the light without some heavy modification and more or less a rebuild of the enclosure, which neither time nor money permits at the moment.

Third, bugs. There are tiny little bugs all over the tank. I get it, it's warm and wet and they love her food. Are they harmful to Pavona? I don't particularly care about their presence since they aren't coming out and all over my house, but if they are harmful or bothersome to her, I need to do something. I just don't know what. Pesticide is out, and I've already pulled the substrate, cleaned as best as I could in a wooden tank, and refilled and they were back within days.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Big Charlie]

Most people have problems with bugs. As far as I know, they are harmless and shouldn't bother her.
If you have a covered enclosure, you don't need a fogger to keep the humidity up. Just pour some water over the substrate and your heating lamps will create the humidity.

 

[AZSid]

Most people have problems with bugs. As far as I know, they are harmless and shouldn't bother her.
If you have a covered enclosure, you don't need a fogger to keep the humidity up. Just pour some water over the substrate and your heating lamps will create the humidity.

 

[AZSid]

It's enclosed but a gallon of water keeps the humidity up for about 6 hours... if I'm lucky. And the second I open the tank to feed, grab her for her bath or outside adventures, etc., the air inside is immediately replaced by this disgusting hot air I live in. Humidity literally drops 8-12% each time it's opened. I think my probe was just stuck... I blew it out and now it's regulating the fogger and lights better.

Thank you for the response on the bugs. I won't worry about them for now. She'll just have to learn to come get her food before they do!

My only concern now is the heat. The basking light is raising the ambient to 86* across the board. I think I figured out an easier fix, but it's still going to take a day of cutting, measuring, and assembling. At least I should have the scraps around to do it without a trip to the hardware store.

 

[Alexio]

I'm sorry I'm jumping in a little late here. Could you maybe post a picture of the enclosure/ provide details about the dimensions? I can't understand either why your humidity fluctuates so much in a closed chamber. Once the substrate is moist it should provide ample humidity for many days with no maintenance what so ever. (In a closed chamber) also what kinds of bulbs are you using ? Basking ? Flood? I know you said 50 and 75 but that's making me think basking bulb.

 

[AZSid]

4' x 2'. Substrate is orchid bark and approximately 3" deep. Have a CHE and the (now 75w) basking bulb. Fogger and CHE are set with with a hygrotherm. All fixtures are taped with heat resistant tape to prevent humidity escape from edges. Front and back are plexiglass, sides, top, and bottom are all wood and there's a sheet of plastic under the substrate to prevent wood rot.

 

[Alexio]

Okay so what I do on all of mine and what I think may be a factor here is because wood is porous It may be absorbing some of the moisture/ humidity. I use plastic on the bottom in the same way and then I carry it up the sides and top.
I think of it like a more maluable tank that doesn't hold water, (although maybe it could) but moisture is not able to permeate the plastic. If the wood is treated with very specific things it can achieve moisture reactance on its own but I find it so much cheaper/ easier to use plastic.

 

[Alexio]

The problem with basking bulbs is they concentrate a lot of heat in one small area. But you said your having problems with your ambient temps? Are you running the che night and day? Are you using s thermostat/rheostat?
Edit okay I just looked up what a hygrotherm is that appears to be a thermostat. Where is your probe placed and what is the hygrotherm set to?