Basic sulcata help please

[Antioch]

Hey guys I just got a sulcata tortoise for an early seventeenth birthday present, my grandfather is building her a new home but for a little bit she will be living with my 7 year old bearded dragon as she already has been for about a week, and my bearded dragon has lived with a tortoise before. The current enclosure is 4ft by 2ft by a foot and a half. I'm trying to include pictures but I'm not sure I'm doing it right. The substrate is sand and I know that's not good for sulcatas but its only for a little bit. My main questions are about the new terrariums set up. It's going to be about 5ft by 3ft by 2ft and since I know (think I know) small sulcatas need humidity like a natural burrow, I was going to do one half on the not basking side substrated with bed a beast and moistened and the other half with reptile carpet. I don't know if this is a good setup and need help.

My dad actually bought the tortoise off a kid who I don't think took very good care of her at all. When I got her she came in a 2ft by 1ft tank that didnt have a heat light,Had aspen bedding which I don't know how good that is for tortoises and had a tray full of old iceberg lettuce. For the first couple of days her eyes were what seemed
Like glued shut so I was worried but after a couple days with the heat lamp and stuff she seems fine an I was wondering If that was just a heat problem? This tortoise is also four years old and reallly small. I've had a sulcata before for about ten years. He died last year of what I think was a respiratory problem my dad couldn't take him to a vet for. (I have to pay for everything myself for my pets). He was about 30 pounds and for the first half of his life wasn't properly cared for because I was too young to really affect the way my parents raised him. For the second half he lived outside and I bought him a dog house that I plan in using for this tortoise when she's older.

The house my grandfathers building will only be for a couple months until summer where it gets pretty hot here in California. And for winters.

I'm also wondering how does just normal backyard grass work for a sulcatas diet because I know they're diet is pretty much all grass high fiber low protein and I haven't been able to get any Timothy grass I think it's called. Also how is mustard and collard greens for a sulcata as that's what I mainly feed my beardie.
This tortoise also has a lot of pyramiding and I need advice on what to do about that but I think a big factor is humidity. I also spray and soak my tortoise a lot. I just need some all around help and appreciate any responses.

And this is the house my gramps is working on it will be done any day

 

[ascott]

Very cool....

I would not house any tortoise on a sand substrate...the tort will likely ingest it while eating/drinking and a tort can become impacted (their guts clogged up) which is bad...

Your theory of humidity needed is correct...however the humid area should be kept warm (no less than 80 degrees) and the cool area should be kept dryer...warm humid environment is good but a cool humid environment can create illness...you will also want to provide a basking spot that allows temp of 100 under the basking light--this will allow the tort the ability to regulate his internal temps..

You can change up the diet by offering a spring mix as this will let you transition away from the iceburg lettuce (which I would do now) and eventually you will want to integrate hay into the torts diet, which you can mix in with the spring mix and spray the entire pile of food offering with water...this will offer hydration along with make it difficult for the tort to pick through the pile for his favs...lol.

If you go to the search bar on this forum and type in sulcata care you will come across alot of options...then you can design your care from all of the options....