Young Cherry heads sleeping a lot

[Kothy]

Hi, I'm from Connecticut, USA
Two weeks ago I got two Baby Cherry heads. Not from the same hatching. They seem to get along. One is a little older than the other. (About a month). Anyway, they both eat and poop fine, but that is all. All they want to do is hide in there huts and burrow in the sphagnum moss. I have them in the Black tub 3 X 4 feet with a humidifier going all the time, heat lamp and UVB light at one end, I have a heat mat under the tub. They have two separate huts, but they seem to like the same one. They get soaked every morning for 15 minutes or until they poop. The water is warm. They drink and eat fine, they just don't seem to want to explore. I plan on bringing them out side in a area I built for them, but it isn't warm enough right now. How long should they be walking around, I see them walk around after eating for about 5-10 minutes then off to sleep. I know it takes a while, but I don't know why they seem to want to snuggle.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

As long as they eat and drink eagerly. Sleeping and hiding most of the day is normal for a hatchling.
However, it sounds like your enclosure needs a lot of modifications.
And your tortoises aren't snuggling. They're showing signs of agression already.
Can you post some photos so that we can sort it out for you?

 

[Kothy]

As long as they eat and drink eagerly. Sleeping and hiding most of the day is normal for a hatchling.
However, it sounds like your enclosure needs a lot of modifications.
And your tortoises aren't snuggling. They're showing signs of agression already.
Can you post some photos so that we can sort it out for you?

 

[Kothy]

I sent a Picture, I will set up a separate tub for the other one.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's going to be very difficult keeping up the humidity with an open topped enclosure.
A closed chamber makes life easier.
Also, that light is very harsh and desicating. They are also not consistent. I have 3 in a box that I bought for my Chameleons and found out that they produced wildly different levels of UVB. They are garbage.
It was a $160 mistake.
You want one of these.
A T5 5.0 UVB. STRIP FLORESCENT (LLL REPTILES or BIG AL'S PETS $50)
Unless your tortoise gets actual sunlight for a few hours a week. Then you can go without a UVB light.
I would then use a CHE for heat and any light source for soft lighting.
That bright light alone is enough to make them hide.
It'll get much easier soon.
But e few things need tweaking.

 

[Kothy]

Ok, First I separated them into to tubs, can see a difference already. They both have been up for over an hour. I have the humidity at 60%, and I moved the lights to the corners of the tubs, so they have a cool area and a hot area, they both went walking around testing. I raised the lights up higher, and that made a difference. The picture I sent was taken with a flash, so it looked lighter than it really is. I will be taking them out when the weather allows.

 

[saleena.lewis]

Ok, First I separated them into to tubs, can see a difference already. They both have been up for over an hour. I have the humidity at 60%, and I moved the lights to the corners of the tubs, so they have a cool area and a hot area, they both went walking around testing. I raised the lights up higher, and that made a difference. The picture I sent was taken with a flash, so it looked lighter than it really is. I will be taking them out when the weather allows.

I'm glad that you have noticed some improvements! But I would recommend trying to get that humidity higher as cherry heads highly appreciate higher humidity.

 

[Kothy]

Just checked it is now up to 80% humidity

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Just checked it is now up to 80% humidity

If you can hold that 80% for the majority of the day, that's great.