Baby Sulcata Newbie.

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

i have a 5-7 month old baby sulcata tortoise, i am worried he is sleeping too much. He eats then seems to wander around for about 5-10 minutes then he hides under his light to nap for hours. I believe that the temperature is too low.(Maybe stress is a factor?)
Also was wondering the best way to prevent MBD, ive researched countless of times and find myself in the same predicament. (Ive read that low temps make it difficult for calcium to be processed so maybe that could b a factor?)
any tips or concerns would be very much appreciated and welcomed.
This is my first couple weeks caring for Turtle The Tortoise, and i want to make sure i dont do him wrong with mistakes i am making.

 

[wellington]

He needs to be in closed chamber with a basking area of 95-100, over all temp and and night 80-85 never lower and humidity of 80%.
The disc for temp is unreliable and needs to be replaced with a digital that reads temp and humidity and needs to be placed at tortoise height.
Please read the caresheet on this forum and forget what you may have read in other sites.
Warm water soaks for 30 minutes daily
A proper diet and uvb will prevent MBD. A small pinch of a calcium powder on the food 2-3 times a week.

 

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

He needs to be in closed chamber with a basking area of 95-100, over all temp and and night 80-85 never lower and humidity of 80%.
The disc for temp is unreliable and needs to be replaced with a digital that reads temp and humidity and needs to be placed at tortoise height.
Please read the caresheet on this forum and forget what you may have read in other sites.
Warm water soaks for 30 minutes daily
A proper diet and uvb will prevent MBD. A small pinch of a calcium powder on the food 2-3 times a week.

Thank you. i have a CHE coming in tmrw, do you think that will help with the Temperature? Also do you have any recommendations for the Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer (before i buy another unreliable one lol).

 

[TechnoCheese]

Welcome to the forum!
Give these a read:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/

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

You're going to have to cover the top of that enclosure with some kind of plastic, like a greenhouse tent, and/or get a new enclosure. Baby sulcatas need to be kept very moist and humid, which is impossible to do with an open topped enclosure like yours, and those "Zoo med tortoise house" type enclosures tend to mold in high humidity.

 

[wellington]

Thank you. i have a CHE coming in tmrw, do you think that will help with the Temperature? Also do you have any recommendations for the Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer (before i buy another unreliable one lol).

Any digital. You can get them at home depots, lowes, Menards, and hardware stores. They are around 10-15 bucks.

 

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

Welcome to the forum!
Give these a read:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-best-way-to-raise-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/

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

You're going to have to cover the top of that enclosure with some kind of plastic, like a greenhouse tent, and/or get a new enclosure. Baby sulcatas need to be kept very moist and humid, which is impossible to do with an open topped enclosure like yours, and those "Zoo med tortoise house" type enclosures tend to mold in high humidity

Would this type of enclosure work better/is this the kind you were talking about?

 

[TechnoCheese]

Would this type of enclosure work better/is this the kind you were talking about?

That one still has a mesh top that lets humidity out. Ideally, you want a solid box that houses all of the heating and lighting elements inside. For example, look into animal plastics enclosures.
If you're okay with something a little ugly, Mylar greenhouse tents can be converted into cheap, functional tortoise enclosures. Your baby sulcata is going to get very big, very fast anyway, so you might get one of the 80 x 48 inch or similarly sized ones to use until your tortoise is 8-11 inches and ready to move outdoors full time with a heated, insulated night box for night and cold weather. I use one for my ball python, and I replaced part of the front opening with clear vinyl to see in.

Very large (80x48x48 in.) greenhouse enclosure

I found this gem on TeguTalk today- https://tegutalk.com/index.php?threads/Grow-tent-enclosure---with-progress-photos%21.19923/ I would imagine that this would be very useful for growing Sulcatas or other humid tortoises, or even a permanent enclosure for the smaller species. It’s easy to set...

tortoiseforum.org

Do you have a plan for what you'll do when your tortoise is too big to live indoors, especially during the winter? While it can be done, this species is difficult to keep in cooler climates, and I'm not sure just a night box will be enough for you. You may need a shed or similar space dedicated to winter housing, though I'm not terribly familiar with New York's climate, so I'll leave it for other people to comment on.

 

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

That one still has a mesh top that lets humidity out. Ideally, you want a solid box that houses all of the heating and lighting elements inside. For example, look into animal plastics enclosures.
If you're okay with something a little ugly, Mylar greenhouse tents can be converted into cheap, functional tortoise enclosures. Your baby sulcata is going to get very big, very fast anyway, so you might get one of the 80 x 48 inch or similarly sized ones to use until your tortoise is 8-11 inches and ready to move outdoors full time with a heated, insulated night box for night and cold weather. I use one for my ball python, and I replaced part of the front opening with clear vinyl to see in.

Very large (80x48x48 in.) greenhouse enclosure

I found this gem on TeguTalk today- https://tegutalk.com/index.php?threads/Grow-tent-enclosure---with-progress-photos%21.19923/ I would imagine that this would be very useful for growing Sulcatas or other humid tortoises, or even a permanent enclosure for the smaller species. It’s easy to set...

tortoiseforum.org

Do you have a plan for what you'll do when your tortoise is too big to live indoors, especially during the winter? While it can be done, this species is difficult to keep in cooler climates, and I'm not sure just a night box will be enough for you. You may need a shed or similar space dedicated to winter housing, though I'm not terribly familiar with New York's climate, so I'll leave it for other people to comment on.

Thankfully i have a Mylar Tent that is not in use. im hoping to be moved somewhere warmer by the end of next summer, if it doesnt go as plan ill jus have to build him his own house for winter lmao. i feel as if i jumped in the deep end without knowing how to swim. but i am trying to learn along the way (which definitely was not the way to go about it)

 

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

He needs to be in closed chamber with a basking area of 95-100, over all temp and and night 80-85 never lower and humidity of 80%.
The disc for temp is unreliable and needs to be replaced with a digital that reads temp and humidity and needs to be placed at tortoise height.
Please read the caresheet on this forum and forget what you may have read in other sites.
Warm water soaks for 30 minutes daily
A proper diet and uvb will prevent MBD. A small pinch of a calcium powder on the food 2-3 times a week.

is their anyway to keep him somewhat happy and healthy for a few days while i figure out the kinks?

 

[wellington]

is their anyway to keep him somewhat happy and healthy for a few days while i figure out the kinks?

If he is cold, can't bask under right temps and is kept to dry, that's all critical for a hatchling. I suggest not wasting too much time
The lighting you need is a tube florescent for uvb, an incandescent flood for basking and a che or two for added day heat and night heat.
Look for a greenhouse covers like pictured to cover the box.
Or a bigger one that you can fit the enclosure in and then use just the greenhouse part when he gets a bit bigger

 

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

i put the whole enclosure into my grow tent, hopefully it helps with the humidity. would spraying it with a spray bottle be a good way to keep it humid throughout the day?

 

[1<3TurtleTheTortoise]

If he is cold, can't bask under right temps and is kept to dry, that's all critical for a hatchling. I suggest not wasting too much time
The lighting you need is a tube florescent for uvb, an incandescent flood for basking and a che or two for added day heat and night heat.
Look for a greenhouse covers like pictured to cover the box.
Or a bigger one that you can fit the enclosure in and then use just the greenhouse part when he gets a bit bigger
View attachment 362711View attachment 362712

i think ive bought everything you’ve said i needed. everything will be here before the end of the week, thank you for helping me with my troubles.

 

[TechnoCheese]

i put the whole enclosure into my grow tent, hopefully it helps with the humidity. would spraying it with a spray bottle be a good way to keep it humid throughout the day?

Mixing water into the subrstrate will help the most, and spraying would also help. I would also spray the top of your tortoise's shell to keep it moist and hydrated. Good thinking sticking the whole enclosure into your grow tent, I meant to recommend that you do that and forgot.

 

[1wildtiger]

Check out my experience when I first got my baby Eastern Hermann’s Torts. I did pretty much what you are doing when I first started before I found this forum and all of the helpful members. I have many pictures of my progress. Good luck!!