Baby sulcata questions

[Tatdlildinker]

hey there everyone I'm new here and have a few q's. I just purchased a little baby sulcata tort. And eveything I have read is telling me different ways to house it. Some say have a wAyer dish others say don't. All the substrates are different. Temps are about the same. Rite now I have him/her on aspen bedding in a 40 gal breeder tank. The basking area is at 95 and the other side of tank is at 80. I have a little log in there and am feeding him/her dark leafy greens. With multi vitamis ones a week and calcium twice a week and soaking him/her for 20min in warm water every other day. I need to know if what I'm doing is rite or what do I change? The pet store I got him/her from had them on sand with dried lettuce and heat in middle of ten gal tank and a yucky water bowl :/ oh and how can I tell if he's a he or she's a she? Thanks so much!!

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome to the forum! That is such a cutel little tort, GOD bless, and take good care of it.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

You can have a water dish in with him, but use one with sloping sides so there's less chance of him tipping over while climbing out and falling on his back in the water. A plant saucer works great.

Get rid of the aspen bedding. You need something you can moisten.

Read the care sheet that is pinned at the top of the Sulcata section. It contains new and cutting edge info on raising baby sulcata tortoises. Its stuff totally opposite from what everyone has told you. Read with an open mind and be ready to change your thinking totally!!

 

[Dizisdalife]

Welcome to the forum. You certainly do need to have a water dish in the enclosure all the time. The substrate should be one that can retain moisture and not mold. Coconut coir and orchid bark are two that will do that. There is a lot of info to sort through and you will ultimately be the one to choose how your tortoise will be cared for. Here is a good place to start: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

 

[Tatdlildinker]

Sweet okay looks like I'm off to the store. I feel like a bad momma. Poor lil thing. Any idea on how to tell if I'm dealing with a boy or girl? Thanks again

 

[lismar79]

You will not know the sex for years..... we all get bad advice so no worries there, your doing good just buy making the changes

 

[leopard777]

Sweet okay looks like I'm off to the store. I feel like a bad momma. Poor lil thing. Any idea on how to tell if I'm dealing with a boy or girl? Thanks again

still too young to tell the sex .

 

[Jodie]

Don't feel bad. You're fixing it. Can't tell sex until they are mature, 2-5 years. Do you have a thermostat and thermometer to read temps and humidity? I have 2 in each of my enclosures. A temp gun and a timer for your lights is really handy too. Make sure to read the threads in the Sulcata section and ask lots of questions.

 

[Tatdlildinker]

I've got a humidity gage and two thermometers. Just got a daylight timer how many hours of daylight is recommended I've read a few different ones

 

[Jodie]

For my Leopards i have my light on for 12 hours. Others will correct me if this is wrong.

 

[Tatdlildinker]

Alrighty got the coconut bedding in the block that u expand with h2o. All set up with a warm side of 96 the cool side of 81 a basking area and the humidity is holding at 76%. Happy baby tort. Thanks everyone! Ps I read the food section and will be incorporating grasses in to his/her diet. So happy i can grow it all at home

 

[Tom]

Please read and follow this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

There is all sorts of bad, old, incorrect info floating around out there right now. They are NOT desert animals. They are grassland animals, they live in, or right on the edge of, the tropics and they hatch during the rainy, humid, wet season. Dry substrates, low humidity, cool temps and lack of water will kill them. You need to keep him/her warm at night but still dark. This is all explained in the care sheet. Lights should be on 12 hours a day to simulate the sun. They will move closer or farther away from the heat source to regulate their temperature.

Then read this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

And finally this one:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Jodie]

Alrighty got the coconut bedding in the block that u expand with h2o. All set up with a warm side of 96 the cool side of 81 a basking area and the humidity is holding at 76%. Happy baby tort. Thanks everyone! Ps I read the food section and will be incorporating grasses in to his/her diet. So happy i can grow it all at home

Good job. Make sure temps stay good at night too. Not below 80.

 

[Tatdlildinker]

Last nite it didn't drop below 81 on the cool side. I had to Magiver my set up so I could keep heat and humidity in the take. But it worked so yay

 

[Dizisdalife]

You may need to keep packing that coconut coir down until it stays firm. It has a habit of fluffing up and getting dragged all over for a while. It can also stain your tortoise's skin. Not permanently. The stains will fade away in time. Just so you are aware of it.

 

[Tatdlildinker]

Good to know I'll do that any advise for getting rid of the green stains on him from the nasty water bowl at the pet store?

 

[Dizisdalife]

Good to know I'll do that any advise for getting rid of the green stains on him from the nasty water bowl at the pet store?

No I don't. Never had that experience. I imagine they will wash away with regular soakings. You may post a picture to let more experienced members take a look.

 

[DeanS]

I was talking to Tom this afternoon about the GREAT success I'm having with my version of the closed chamber. I am only using a small Zoo Med fluorescent UV tube...and an 80W Radiant Heat Panel from Reptile Basics. With the thermostat set at 90ºF...the temps fluctuate from 85º to 95ºF. I use a 50:50 mix of coco coir and coconut bark. The temps stay perfect and so does the humidity...NEVER drops below 85%RH. Good luck and keep us informed!