Another newbie

[IowaGuy28]

Hey all, my name is Jay, Im 28 (just turn in April) and I live in central Iowa. I moved her from Lawrence, KS (KU anyone?) On a job relocation, I've been up for since mid 07'. I've Always had a huge soft spot for turtles, my dad took me as a kid to catch box turtles on the side of country roads . Now that Im older I wanted to raise something special that would get BIG over time since I now have those kind of patience. I purchased myself an African Sulcata (from a known breader in Vegas) named Tilley, he'll be 1 in August. Well this is me in a nutshell, feel free to ask questions. Im really looking forward to having friends who are turtle/tortoise enthusiasts like myself. Bye for now

Jay

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jay:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello Jay and welcome to the forum...

 

[IowaGuy28]

Oh dear, it just Now posted and I've posted prolly 4x thinking it was glitching out...My appologies now :-(

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jay:

There's a thread you should read before posting:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-PLEASE-READ-BEFORE-MAKING-YOUR-FIRST-POST#axzz1tuknt24v

Its just that there wasn't a moderator online too approve it when you first posted your thread.

 

[IowaGuy28]

Oh, actually I sped read it and saw the "moderator" comment, I thought that meant that it would be posted public...then moderated....and deleted if deemed necessary. Rgr that, once again I apologize

 

[wellington]

Hello and WELCOME .

 

[Yvonne G]

No apologies necessary. We're glad to have you with us, double posts and all!

 

[Zamric]

Welcome to the Forum!

I see a bit of pyramiding going on. Mind telling us how you keep Tilley?

 

[Herphiles]

Welcome!

 

[IowaGuy28]

I'll be honest, i pretty much ghetto rigged (spl?) His first setup :-( . Hes actually in a clear tote (1 1/2 W by 2 1/2 L) i discovered at walmart...prolly used for storage under a bed. Got a heat bulb (250watts i think) in one corner. A dry mult-type bedding, i feed turnip greens (cut up) with alpha bellet sprinkles over the top. Water changed daily, same with food...food more like 2-3 times a day. I need to let him soak regularily, i just read to let them soak a minimum of 15 min? I've been brainstorming ideas for his next encloser for probably 2 months now...all advise and ideas are very welcome!

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Zamric]

OK.... he need LOTS more space For his size I would recomend at LEAST a 4'x5' indoor enclosure with a second level accessed with ramps (for more square footage and walking space) Temps in his enclosure should go from 110* (basking spot) to 75* (cool spot) with about a 80-85* ambiant temp. Top soil or coir for a real good substrait (to hold moisture...NO DRY Bedding!) His Diet need's a bit more variety....Dark green, leafy vegis and grasses and weeds (Check out our Dietary section) Soaks are always a good idea! He will also need a Humid Hide and make sure his Substrait is deep enough for digging/burrowing (They like that!)

 

[Jacob]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome!

 

[terryo]

Welcome to the forum Jay!

 

[IowaGuy28]

Thanks for the advice! I'd never considered a 2 story enclosure, i was gonna build it myself and completely customize it. I confess...::sigh:: i saw one of those kids 'sand play pits', just like a kiddy pool, that was shaped/painted like a turtle...i thought That would be an awesome idea...no? Would a toy be anything they can push around? What fruits r ok for snacks....grapes, cherubs, etc...?

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Hello and welcome!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Zamric]

Thanks for the advice! I'd never considered a 2 story enclosure, i was gonna build it myself and completely customize it. I confess...::sigh:: i saw one of those kids 'sand play pits', just like a kiddy pool, that was shaped/painted like a turtle...i thought That would be an awesome idea...no? Would a toy be anything they can push around? What fruits r ok for snacks....grapes, cherubs, etc...?

Those sand pits are good as long as they cant climb over the edge.

Go to the Main page of the Forum and scroll down till you see the topic "Food and Diet"... They have it all there... but in a nutshell, grass and weeds and leafy greens and Cactus. Fruits like watermellon, strawberries grapes and such are nice treats, but there systems arn't designed for lots of sugars, so maybe once a week.