SupportingAnais?

[Tiana Beaudette]

i just got my sulcata probably a week ago and all she/he does is sleep and eat? i have a 75W heat light in there but i usually have to change the bulb because i only have one lamp and she needs uvb too so i alternate during the day but she still sleeps. is it because she is lonely? or that i really need to get another lamp?

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Sleeping, eating and poo'ing is kinda what they do especially that young. It does take a little while for it to acclimate to its new home though, so inactivity for the first week or two is not uncommon. How long is it getting UVB per day? Your substrate looks like cypress mulch. I don't don't usually like using that for the little guys. Orchid bark or coco coir is recommended for babies. It is soft, retains moisture, and there's far less risk of impaction if it takes a nibble on it. Cypress mulch.....not so much. It's great for when they get bigger though.

I'm not sure why you are alternating the bulbs throughout the day. Just leave the UVB/basking lamp on during the day, and turn off at night. You don't need any light in there at night time. I'm not sure if you have a hygrometer to measure the humidity inside of the enclosure, but I would highly recommend one if you don't. Your ambient temps should be around 80F-85F, basking spot around 95F - 105F, and humidity should be maintained at a minimum of 80%. The orchid bark / coco coir (if kept nice and moist) will aid you in maintaining the humidity, along with closing off the top of your enclosure to prevent the heat and humidity from escaping.

You might also want to invest in a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) that is hooked up to an optional thermostat. That will maintain the necessary heat even when your heat lamp is turned off. CHEs produce no visible light. If you take my recommendation, then yes - you'll need another lamp for the CHE bulb.

 

[Tom]

i just got my sulcata probably a week ago and all she/he does is sleep and eat? i have a 75W heat light in there but i usually have to change the bulb because i only have one lamp and she needs uvb too so i alternate during the day but she still sleeps. is it because she is lonely? or that i really need to get another lamp?

Hello and welcome. Sounds like you've gotten some bad care info. That is pretty common. Not your fault. They need both the UV and a basking bulb at the same time. If you are using a screw in type cfl UV bulb, that might be your problem. Some of them burn tortoise eyes and they should never be used. Read the care sheet for more explanation and for what to use.

Here is the correct info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Read this and then come back with all your questions.