I am getting a leopard tortoise tomorrow and his indoor enclosure is a bit boring. Was wondering what plants I could add in there that would be safe for her. Also I'm having problems keep the tank at 80 degrees at all times. It's ranging from 72 to 75 degrees on the side that is not heated. I have a under the tank heater but idk if that's good enough.
Baby leopard tortoise
- Thread starter Nachole
- Start date
Hello and welcome.
72-75 is too cool. You might need another CHE over there. You can run multiple CHEs off of one thermostat.
Also if the top is open, you might want to wait to get your baby until you can make a closed chamber that will hold in warmth and humidity better.
UTHs should not be used with tortoises. Too dangerous.
Where are you getting your new baby? Are you sure it was started correctly with daily soaks and humidity?
Have you read these:
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/
72-75 is too cool. You might need another CHE over there. You can run multiple CHEs off of one thermostat.
Also if the top is open, you might want to wait to get your baby until you can make a closed chamber that will hold in warmth and humidity better.
UTHs should not be used with tortoises. Too dangerous.
Where are you getting your new baby? Are you sure it was started correctly with daily soaks and humidity?
Have you read these:
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/
It's already been ordered...supposed to be delivered in the morning. I got it from tortoise supply. I researched and it said using a Rubbermaid tote was a good starter enclosure. I have a 20 gallon tank I could use but still doesn't have a top to it.
Babies require a lot of extra set up. It's much easier getting one that's older. they're stronger. Read the threads that Tom gave you. Baby tortoises often get sick and die because they're habitat is too cold. And a lot of the times the ones that are raised with low humidity open top enclosures will not thrive either. It's very dangerous to have high humidity with low temperatures. It's very important that you get the temperatures set first.
Not on here you didn't. We love tanks for babies if they're large enough. At one point I had a 200 gallon one for my 2 babies. Temporarily...The most important thing will be heat. No lower than 80 in the cool end. A basking spot that's higher(about 100?). At night you still need the temps up. @Tom is best for this. I'm sure you can keep him healthy long enough to read the threads Tom linked above and get something set up. My torts cost me a small fortune because I kept trying to make something cute as well as correct instead of just making one closed chamber big enough for them to grow up a bit in. I use clay pot saucers as water dishes(sink into ground level). I use coco coir for bedding. I use 2 of these temperature/hygrometers for accurate readings. The round button ones are trash.. they work until you find out they don't by then sick or dead baby. First thing to do when he comes out of the box tomorrow would be to put him in warm water (90-100f)I use my sink. water should only come up to the seam where the top and bottom of his shell meet. 30 min. Do this twice daily for a month or so then once daily afterwards. Replace water as needed to keep him warm. His food for next six months or so should be chopped fine. Bite sized pieces...Buy original Mazuri nuggets not Mazuri LS pellets(he'll just eat one softened nugget each feeding with his greens and veggies. Buy calcium powder to sprinkle his food weekly. I get everything from Amazon. It gets easier. The first enclosure set up is the hardest. Then they get fun. This is all I can think of. Once you read Tom's links you'll learn about the humidity requirements. This is just to keep him comfortable untill you got your ducks in a row...Have fun..Congrats on the new baby.
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You can still cover your rubbermaid tote. If you still have the lid, cut holes for the lights. Or if the sides are tall enough, put the lid over the lights. You can make it work. Take a look through our enclosure section. @Will has a good pictorial for how he uses rubbermaid totes. I'll try to find it.
Just about everyone you talk to is going to give you different advice. It can be confusing and maddening. I suggest you find someone who has produced results that you wish to duplicate and follow their plan. Everybody means well, but everybody has different ways of doing things. For example, I don't like cutting food into small pieces for babies. I worry they will choke on the pieces and mine seem to do better if I allow them to bite their own pieces off of whole leaves.
There is nothing wrong with using glass tanks. That is an old persistent myth. I believe it was started by people who put adult, wild caught tortoises in small glass tanks and then noted how stressed they were. They would have been just as stressed in a wooden box of the same small dimensions.
However, your problem is going to be the open top whether you use the tote or the tank. The open top lets all your warm humid air out into the room. Its just physics. A closed chamber contains all your warm air and makes maintaining humidity easy.
What you need immediately to "fix" the current problem is a CHE or two set on a thermostat to keep the ambient temp at 80 or higher. All that electrical heat is going to dry everything out, including your babies carapace, so solving the heat issue is going to create a dryness issue for you. It is a tough balance to strike with an open top.
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