Brand new!

[Gunner253]

Long time herp keeper, first time tortoise owner. We have a well started sulcata hatchling coming tuesday. It's my wife's lifetime dream to own a sulcata so here we are. Looking forward to getting to know everyone

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hi and welcome to TFO!

You're starting an adventure! Sullies are backyard bulldozers, but so sweet you have to forgive them. I mean, who cares about bushes, trees, lawn furniture, sprinkler systems, and crushed toes when you look at that adorable face? At least you have a few years to prepare. ?

On a more serious note, I'll post some links for you. It's all good reading, even if you don't think it applies to you. Like incubating eggs and first care for hatchlings. But it helps fill in the background for things we recommend later.

We'd love to see pictures of your enclosure and set up. And of course your baby when s(he) arrives!

Beginner Mistakes

To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...

www.tortoiseforum.org

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas. These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From...

tortoiseforum.org

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

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

Closed "Chambers"

Been meaning to do this one for a while now... Over the years I have kept a lot of reptiles in a lot of different ways. I've learned a lot of stuff about a lot of species. Since finding and joining this forum almost two years ago, I've learned a TON more. Now I'm not just stumbling around...

www.tortoiseforum.org

How to set up heat in new enclosure?

I just scored on a used 4x2x2 closed enclosure. It came with a socket I will put a 60w che in. And also 4' lighting fixture with a t5ho bulb by zoo med in it. So how should I set up the heating? Do I need to add a basking light? I also have the double light fixture I believe

tortoiseforum.org

 

[jsheffield]

Welcome to TFO!

Jamie

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[Gunner253]

Hi and welcome to TFO!

You're starting an adventure! Sullies are backyard bulldozers, but so sweet you have to forgive them. I mean, who cares about bushes, trees, lawn furniture, sprinkler systems, and crushed toes when you look at that adorable face? At least you have a few years to prepare. ?

On a more serious note, I'll post some links for you. It's all good reading, even if you don't think it applies to you. Like incubating eggs and first care for hatchlings. But it helps fill in the background for things we recommend later.

We'd love to see pictures of your enclosure and set up. And of course your baby when s(he) arrives!

Beginner Mistakes

To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...

www.tortoiseforum.org

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas. These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From...

tortoiseforum.org

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

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

Closed "Chambers"

Been meaning to do this one for a while now... Over the years I have kept a lot of reptiles in a lot of different ways. I've learned a lot of stuff about a lot of species. Since finding and joining this forum almost two years ago, I've learned a TON more. Now I'm not just stumbling around...

www.tortoiseforum.org

How to set up heat in new enclosure?

I just scored on a used 4x2x2 closed enclosure. It came with a socket I will put a 60w che in. And also 4' lighting fixture with a t5ho bulb by zoo med in it. So how should I set up the heating? Do I need to add a basking light? I also have the double light fixture I believe

tortoiseforum.org

Thank you! I appreciate all info! I'll definitely take pictures. The enclosure we're gonna use for the first year or so is a modified zoo med tortoise house. I know they arent the best option bc of size and having an open top but I was atleast able to take care of the size. We got one for free and I added 2 feet to its length. We were supposed to get the tortoise yesterday but weather changed shipping so we've had his enclosure set up for a few days getting temps and humidity dialed in. Basking spot is a powersun 100w about 14" above giving him about a 100 degree basking spot with enough uv still. We have a che on a thermostat that helps maintain the atmosphere temp at around 85 with a cool closed chamber that stays in the low 70's. Humidity in the cool chamber stays at 90% and with 3 sprays a day and a towel covering a third of the open top we've been keeping the other side around 70-80% with a warm hide in the high 80% range. Night temps stay around 70 in the cool end and low 80's on the warm end with a nice warm area in the upper 80's under the che. We've been doing a lot of research over the last several months in prep of this so now we're just impatiently waiting lol. We already have plans for his outside enclosure and house!

 

[KarenSoCal]

It sounds like you've modified it well, with the exception of night temps. He should be at 80degF all night. Even the coolest spot should not drop below 80.

What you could do is make a framework of wood or PVC. The purpose is to have a bar above the enclosure and lights. The lights and CHE hang from the bar. Then you drape plastic, maybe a shower curtain, over the entire set up. Voila! a closed chamber that you won't need to struggle to maintain heat and humidity.

When I can find a pic of one, I'll post it.

 

[Gunner253]

I'd love to see a pic, I considered doing something similar or atleast covering more at night.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Here's a mini version. It can also be made with PVC.

 

[Gunner253]

That should be fairly simple to make and remove when need be! Thanks for the info!!