Why is my baby sulcata scratching her little face?

Maggie3fan

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Thank you so much for taking your time in educating me. I now see how serious pyramiding is for a tortoise and I will take care of my baby so that she won’t be in any harm. Best wishes to Big Sam and Mary Knobbins
I just thought you needed to know what's at stake here....the reality of it
 

Tom

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Hello Tom,
Thank you so much for replying. I really i appreciate your help and I have some questions if you don’t mind.

Is it ok if I make a wooden lid that has the holes for the lamps? It would be perfectly fit so that the humidity won’t leak out. I would put the the lamps in the enclosure but I don’t know how to do that.

  • I’m going to get coconut coir mix with orchard bark if that’s ok?
  • How much power does the CHE have to be? 100w or 60w
  • Can I not take her out on the grass anymore? Like ever or until she grows more?
  • When should I change the substrate? And will it mold?
  • Currently I’m feeding her some spring mix and some nutrional tortoise pellets. But shes picky and only eats the greens and not the purple leafs and she only eats a couple of pellets because it sticks to her little mouth. Should I just give her greens and grass with a sprinkle of vitamin powder? ( I have one called zoo med reptivite with vitamin D3)
  • I also haven’t seen her poop or pee since I got her which was 5 days ago is something wrong ?
  • These are the things I’m getting for my baby :
  • thermostat controller,
  • another lamp with a CHE bulb,
  • some cuttlefish bone,
  • a digital thermometer,
  • a terra cotta plant saucer
  • I’m going to make her a lil humid hide by using a plastic container and putting some pea moss in it.
  • Is there anything else you’d recommend for my baby? I really just want to give her a good life and I was so sad to see that I wasn’t treating her like she was suppose to be treated. :( Hopefully with everything I’m getting her she stays healthy and lives for long.:,)
- You can make a wooden lid, but make it tall like a fish tank canopy, so the lights can all be indie the enclosure. Having the lights outside wastes a tremendous amount of electricity and creates a chimney effect that draws your warm humid air up and out.
- No coco coir for baby sulcatas unless you just can't find orchid bark. Coco coir is safe, but messy. Orchid bark all by itself is best.
- Only your thermometers can tell you how big the CHE needs to be. Every enclosure is different. I'd go with the 100 since you will have it on a thermostat. It can't over heat the enclosure since the thermostat will turn it off.
-I would change the substrate immediately. The perlite can kill them. Get that out of there right away. Today. ASAP.
-Diet info in here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/t...leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/#post-1814413
And here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
-Are you soaking daily for 30-40 minutes? There should be poop in the soak water. Keep the water warm for the whole soak time.
-Your list looks good, but no moss. They will eat it and you don't need it.

Keep those questions coming. :)
 

Duckster RT

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Another possibility is that the pellets are stuck on the roof of the mouth. I noticed when it happens to my guy he rubs his side of his head with his front legs. It is rare but happens.
 

jr_16

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Fontana Ca
- You can make a wooden lid, but make it tall like a fish tank canopy, so the lights can all be indie the enclosure. Having the lights outside wastes a tremendous amount of electricity and creates a chimney effect that draws your warm humid air up and out.
- No coco coir for baby sulcatas unless you just can't find orchid bark. Coco coir is safe, but messy. Orchid bark all by itself is best.
- Only your thermometers can tell you how big the CHE needs to be. Every enclosure is different. I'd go with the 100 since you will have it on a thermostat. It can't over heat the enclosure since the thermostat will turn it off.
-I would change the substrate immediately. The perlite can kill them. Get that out of there right away. Today. ASAP.
-Diet info in here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/t...leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/#post-1814413
And here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
-Are you soaking daily for 30-40 minutes? There should be poop in the soak water. Keep the water warm for the whole soak time.
-Your list looks good, but no moss. They will eat it and you don't need it.

Keep those questions coming. :)
Thank you for the advice. I changed her to a smaller home for the time being and when I bathed her she did poop!
I had a question regarding cleaning her substrate (orchid bark)
Should I replace it every month or so?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thank you for the advice. I changed her to a smaller home for the time being and when I bathed her she did poop!
I had a question regarding cleaning her substrate (orchid bark)
Should I replace it every month or so?
No need. Your tortoise will poop and pee in the soak water, so the substrate will never be dirty. If you spot clean leftover food daily, there is no need to change the substrate until your tortoise outgrows its indoor enclosure and needs to move outside full time with a heated night box.

Like this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/single-tortoise-night-box.181515/
 

Maggie3fan

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Thank you for the advice. I changed her to a smaller home for the time being and when I bathed her she did poop!
I had a question regarding cleaning her substrate (orchid bark)
Should I replace it every month or so?
Spot clean it daily. I have 2 tort tables here that have had the same substrate for a number of years. But others that smelled to me so that substrate has been changed. Also that baby is not gonna have now the kind of poop that necessitates substrate change too often
 

Chefdenoel10

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Hello Tom,
Thank you so much for replying. I really i appreciate your help and I have some questions if you don’t mind.

Is it ok if I make a wooden lid that has the holes for the lamps? It would be perfectly fit so that the humidity won’t leak out. I would put the the lamps in the enclosure but I don’t know how to do that.

  • I’m going to get coconut coir mix with orchard bark if that’s ok?
  • How much power does the CHE have to be? 100w or 60w
  • Can I not take her out on the grass anymore? Like ever or until she grows more?
  • When should I change the substrate? And will it mold?
  • Currently I’m feeding her some spring mix and some nutrional tortoise pellets. But shes picky and only eats the greens and not the purple leafs and she only eats a couple of pellets because it sticks to her little mouth. Should I just give her greens and grass with a sprinkle of vitamin powder? ( I have one called zoo med reptivite with vitamin D3)
  • I also haven’t seen her poop or pee since I got her which was 5 days ago is something wrong ?
  • These are the things I’m getting for my baby :
  • thermostat controller,
  • another lamp with a CHE bulb,
  • some cuttlefish bone,
  • a digital thermometer,
  • a terra cotta plant saucer
  • I’m going to make her a lil humid hide by using a plastic container and putting some pea moss in it.
  • Is there anything else you’d recommend for my baby? I really just want to give her a good life and I was so sad to see that I wasn’t treating her like she was suppose to be treated. :( Hopefully with everything I’m getting her she stays healthy and lives for long.:,)

you came here.. welcome!
You’re gonna be fine now.
Just listen to all the advice Tom and Maggie provided and you will live happily ever after!!!
I promise!! ??❤️?....
? and a unicorn for luck!
You came to the right place!!!!!
 

jr_16

New Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2020
Messages
24
Location (City and/or State)
Fontana Ca
you came here.. welcome!
You’re gonna be fine now.
Just listen to all the advice Tom and Maggie provided and you will live happily ever after!!!
I promise!! ??❤?....
? and a unicorn for luck!
You came to the right place!!!!!
Thank you so much I really appreciate all the help and so does my baby :)
 

TammyJ

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You are a caring and good owner for your tortoise and I am sure if you stay with this site, your tortoise will continue to thrive! Mine have.
 

jr_16

New Member
Joined
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Messages
24
Location (City and/or State)
Fontana Ca
Hey guys so i had a question regarding the humidity in the enclosure. How many times should I wet the substrate to keep it up to 80% humidity?
Also is it ok if in the night the temp is at 82 degrees? Or should it be higher?
 

Maggie3fan

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Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
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Hey guys so i had a question regarding the humidity in the enclosure. How many times should I wet the substrate to keep it up to 80% humidity?
Also is it ok if in the night the temp is at 82 degrees? Or should it be higher?
I let the night temp be a little cooler at 80. And you wet the substrate as much as you need to.
 
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