brand new need help lots of questions!!!

[MaeganT]

I just bought a baby sulcata 2 months old today from a local very reputable pet store. I'm very lost when it comes to the whole habitat of my tortoise... I have a 40 gallon tank with Cypress Mulch a small shallow water dish and I put some spinach leaves and tortoise food from the pet store with calcium powder.. but he hasn't ate them. I bought a day blue light incandescent bulb and plan on getting a uvb light tomorrow. how many light do i need. is this one hot enough. also his she'll feels a bit soft and his eyes are closed alot or they look like they are atleast.. even when he moves... is this a bad sign I'm worried I want to make sure he's OK. he also sleep alot he's only 3 inches he might be like human babies they need lots of sleep?

 

[MaeganT]

he randomly walks around the tank than just stops and does nothing with his arms and neck sticking out for long periods of time almost like he just fell asleep like narcolepsy lol

 

[cmacusa3]

Hello and Welcome please checkout the section of the forum and I will also add some important links

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/sulcata-tortoises.88/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

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

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/

 

[cmacusa3]

Read over those and come back with any and all questions and several people will respond with great information to help you and the new little one.

 

[Tom]

I just bought a baby sulcata 2 months old today from a local very reputable pet store. I'm very lost when it comes to the whole habitat of my tortoise... I have a 40 gallon tank with Cypress Mulch a small shallow water dish and I put some spinach leaves and tortoise food from the pet store with calcium powder.. but he hasn't ate them. I bought a day blue light incandescent bulb and plan on getting a uvb light tomorrow. how many light do i need. is this one hot enough. also his she'll feels a bit soft and his eyes are closed alot or they look like they are atleast.. even when he moves... is this a bad sign I'm worried I want to make sure he's OK. he also sleep alot he's only 3 inches he might be like human babies they need lots of sleep?

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Sadly, most of the info out there for these guys is based on incorrect assumptions about how they live in the wild, and its wrong. Some of us have figured this out, but much of the tortoise keeping community still hasn't.

The answers to all your questions and more is in those threads that cmac3 linked for you. Everything is explained in detail there. If anything needs more clarification, or if you have more questions, or if you just want to converse about tortoises, please come back and ask.

I'll add this one too for feeding:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

You need to make some changes, and make them very quickly. Read those threads linked above for you and make the changes. But in the meantime, let's see if we can't get that baby's eyes open and get him up and running.

Every day take him out and place him into a small bowl with tall sides. In the bowl, mix 50/50 Gerber strained carrots baby food and warm water. Only put enough of this in the bowl so it comes up to the middle of his sides. Where the top shell meets the bottom shell is called the bridge. Leave him soaking in this mixture for at least a half hour, but keep checking on him to make sure he doesn't tip over onto his back. I put the bowl back into the habitat, positioned right at the edge of where the light concentrates on the floor, so it will stay warm. His eyes will open after about 3 days, but they will not stay open unless you make the changes as shown on those threads in the links above.

Good luck with your baby. I'm just curious. . . were his eyes closed when you first got him?

 

[Gillian M]

Hello and a very warm welcome to the forum.

What an adorable little tort! GOD bless.

 

[Bee62]

Hello MeaganT,

your baby sulcata tortoise needs immediately warmth or it will die !
You need a basking bulb for day time and a ceramic heat emitter for the night. The temperatur should be 85 - 90 F under the basking lamp or under the che. Your tortoise needs the warm temperature to be able to walk around, eat and digest.
It is very, very important that you install the heating bulbs as soon as possible, before your baby get`s sick.
And he needs daily soaks in warm water. The soaks should be last for a half hour. The soaks are against dehydration and helps your tortoise to digest.
Please do these things before it is to late !

And no, there a not like human babies who need a lot of sleep. If they sleep all the time and don`t eat they feel uncomfortable.
And spinach is no good food for tortoises.


Sabine

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Maegan

 

[MaeganT]

when I bought him his eyes where kind of shut I just assumed he was sleeping and after a couple.hours yesterday I figured he would warm.up.to his new home...he took a strole around the tank moves every couple hours but seems to be most responsive to.warm baths the blacks of his eyes start to.show and he moves around the bath quite a bit. I am going first thing in the morning to by him a 150watt heating light this one is 100 but I think because it's such a big tank he's not getting the heat he needs. should I go back to that pet store tomorrow and complain I don't think I would have made a tortoise sick in a matter of 5 hours yesterday

 

[MaeganT]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

You need to make some changes, and make them very quickly. Read those threads linked above for you and make the changes. But in the meantime, let's see if we can't get that baby's eyes open and get him up and running.

Every day take him out and place him into a small bowl with tall sides. In the bowl, mix 50/50 Gerber strained carrots baby food and warm water. Only put enough of this in the bowl so it comes up to the middle of his sides. Where the top shell meets the bottom shell is called the bridge. Leave him soaking in this mixture for at least a half hour, but keep checking on him to make sure he doesn't tip over onto his back. I put the bowl back into the habitat, positioned right at the edge of where the light concentrates on the floor, so it will stay warm. His eyes will open after about 3 days, but they will not stay open unless you make the changes as shown on those threads in the links above.

Good luck with your baby. I'm just curious. . . were his eyes closed when you first got him?

what do the carrots and water do? I am very curious I am going to the Supermarket first thing when I wake. I don't want to do it wrong.. does it come out like a soupy watery mix. is he suppost to eat/ drink it?

 

[Linhdan Nguyen]

what do the carrots and water do? I am very curious I am going to the Supermarket first thing when I wake. I don't want to do it wrong.. does it come out like a soupy watery mix. is he suppose to eat/ drink it?

When a tortoise soaks in his "bath" he drinks the water (if you look closely, you will see their head go down enough to cover their mouth and their neck will show signs that they are drinking.
Anyways. With the baby food carrot, it gives the tortoise some nutrients from the water mix, since he's not eating.
When I first got my tortoise, he was not eating. Yvonne suggested the water & carrot baby food soak and after a couple days, he was pooping and okay.
The Gerber strained carrots is baby food, it's thick, ALMOST like pudding, but not as thick.
Just mix it in the water and plop your little one inside

 

[Bee62]

MeaganT said

when I bought him his eyes where kind of shut I just assumed he was sleeping and after a couple.hours yesterday I figured he would warm.up.to his new home...he took a strole around the tank moves every couple hours but seems to be most responsive to.warm baths the blacks of his eyes start to.show and he moves around the bath quite a bit. I am going first thing in the morning to by him a 150watt heating light this one is 100 but I think because it's such a big tank he's not getting the heat he needs. should I go back to that pet store tomorrow and complain I don't think I would have made a tortoise sick in a matter of 5 hours yesterday

You are right. Your baby can`t get sick within 5 hours. How were the tortoise babies are kept in the pet shop ? Did they have basking bulbs and UV bulbs ?
Very glad to hear that he starts walking around. Can you cover your tank that the heat might stay in ?

 

[Bee62]

Hello Meagan,

are there news from your baby ?