Egyptian hatchlings check list

jadan9163

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May 11, 2020
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Bloomington
Hello,
I am getting 3 Egyptian hatchlings soon and i want to make sure I’m completely ready for them. Can someone help me come up with a list that has EVERYTHING i need for them? Pictures and links are always helpful. Im in Indiana if that is needed.
 

Wasa77

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Jun 1, 2020
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San Diego
What do you already have? If you list some necessities, I or someone else could point out anything you’re missing? :)
 

jadan9163

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Bloomington
I have crushed oyster shells, a basking light, calcium with no D3, i have a fogger, im getting flower pots, saucers, and there’s a thermometer in the enclosure but I’m not sure if i should get one that adds humidity? What’s a got way to keep humidity stable
 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

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I have crushed oyster shells, a basking light, calcium with no D3, i have a fogger, im getting flower pots, saucers, and there’s a thermometer in the enclosure but I’m not sure if i should get one that adds humidity? What’s a got way to keep humidity stable
Poor a whole bucket of water in the substrate, mist regularly. This is best achieved in a closed chamber, since they need 85% and above. What type of lights are you using?
 

jadan9163

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Bloomington
Poor a whole bucket of water in the substrate, mist regularly. This is best achieved in a closed chamber, since they need 85% and above. What type of lights are you using?
Its a zoomed 100 W basking light and then i have a long light fixture but im not sure if its 10.0 so i may have to get that.
 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

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That basking lamp is not good. They burn tort shells, are fragile, and sometimes stop producing uvb within 3 months. I can’t tell is that tube is a T5 of T8. T8s do not produce enough uvb, the newer T5s are much better. For ambient temps I would use a CHE bulb and for basking an incandescent flood bulb.
 

jadan9163

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Location (City and/or State)
Bloomington
That basking lamp is not good. They burn tort shells, are fragile, and sometimes stop producing uvb within 3 months. I can’t tell is that tube is a T5 of T8. T8s do not produce enough uvb, the newer T5s are much better. For ambient temps I would use a CHE bulb and for basking an incandescent flood bulb.
Are the tubes not uvb...? And im not sure thats why i said im getting a different one. Do you have links for both of things?
 

PA2019

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No they can’t, your tortoise will get impacted if it eats it.


@Golden Greek Tortoise 567 you are giving completely incorrect advice for the species in question. You clearly have not read up on proper husbandry methods for this coastal arid species. Please do not give husbandry advice unless you are familiar with the specific species in question, otherwise you can cause serious harm.

Substrate:
This species lives in an extremely sandy, arid environment. Successful husbandry and breeding of this species requires that the substrate they live on does not stay wet or saturated with moisture all day. Oyster shell substrate has been used since at least the 1970's with John Coakley with great success, as it does not become saturated with moisture, allows for great traction especially with hatchlings, and if ingested is digestible and a natural way to obtain calcium. Take note though, it is advisable to feed your tortoise on a tray or some elevated object to minimize the amount of ingested substrate (that goes for any tortoise). European breeders often use a mix of decompensated granite, sand, oyster shell and even clay and have had great success raising and breeding the species in captivity.

Humidity:
In their native range (Egypt, Libya, and the Negev desert) there are seasonal fog/mist weather patterns that can raise humidity levels to the upper 70's in the early morning hours, and the species has been documented drinking the dew that forms on leaves and rocks. However, the high humidity does not stay throughout the day and dissipates as temperatures rise during the day. In captivity, many keepers use foggers/misters for a short while (30 minutes-2 hours depending the situation) to mimic this rise in humidity with a corresponding drying out as temperatures rise in the enclosure. Foggers allow for the air to be humidified while keeping the ground relatively free from over saturation. Another option for safe humidity is to make a humid hide by gluing a piece of sponge to the roof of a hide to increase ambient humidity within the hide without getting the ground overly wet.

@jadan9163 I'm glad you came here asking for advice. I'm sorry you have been giving incorrect information. The breeder that you are getting the hatchlings from should be able to help you with making sure you have everything ready to go before your egyptians arrive. Have you read though the following care guides? The information can help you understand your tortoises better. Remember though, it is just one example of how to care for an egyptian tortoise.



 

Golden Greek Tortoise 567

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@Golden Greek Tortoise 567 you are giving completely incorrect advice for the species in question. You clearly have not read up on proper husbandry methods for this coastal arid species. Please do not give husbandry advice unless you are familiar with the specific species in question, otherwise you can cause serious harm.

Substrate:
This species lives in an extremely sandy, arid environment. Successful husbandry and breeding of this species requires that the substrate they live on does not stay wet or saturated with moisture all day. Oyster shell substrate has been used since at least the 1970's with John Coakley with great success, as it does not become saturated with moisture, allows for great traction especially with hatchlings, and if ingested is digestible and a natural way to obtain calcium. Take note though, it is advisable to feed your tortoise on a tray or some elevated object to minimize the amount of ingested substrate (that goes for any tortoise). European breeders often use a mix of decompensated granite, sand, oyster shell and even clay and have had great success raising and breeding the species in captivity.

Humidity:
In their native range (Egypt, Libya, and the Negev desert) there are seasonal fog/mist weather patterns that can raise humidity levels to the upper 70's in the early morning hours, and the species has been documented drinking the dew that forms on leaves and rocks. However, the high humidity does not stay throughout the day and dissipates as temperatures rise during the day. In captivity, many keepers use foggers/misters for a short while (30 minutes-2 hours depending the situation) to mimic this rise in humidity with a corresponding drying out as temperatures rise in the enclosure. Foggers allow for the air to be humidified while keeping the ground relatively free from over saturation. Another option for safe humidity is to make a humid hide by gluing a piece of sponge to the roof of a hide to increase ambient humidity within the hide without getting the ground overly wet.

@jadan9163 I'm glad you came here asking for advice. I'm sorry you have been giving incorrect information. The breeder that you are getting the hatchlings from should be able to help you with making sure you have everything ready to go before your egyptians arrive. Have you read though the following care guides? The information can help you understand your tortoises better. Remember though, it is just one example of how to care for an egyptian tortoise.



Sorry, I read it wrong. I thought the OP was talking about different species. As you can see I often do not read the first post carefully enough. Thanks for correcting me, much appreciated. ? And I apologize to the OP for giving incorrect info.
 

jadan9163

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Joined
May 11, 2020
Messages
31
Location (City and/or State)
Bloomington
@Golden Greek Tortoise 567 you are giving completely incorrect advice for the species in question. You clearly have not read up on proper husbandry methods for this coastal arid species. Please do not give husbandry advice unless you are familiar with the specific species in question, otherwise you can cause serious harm.

Substrate:
This species lives in an extremely sandy, arid environment. Successful husbandry and breeding of this species requires that the substrate they live on does not stay wet or saturated with moisture all day. Oyster shell substrate has been used since at least the 1970's with John Coakley with great success, as it does not become saturated with moisture, allows for great traction especially with hatchlings, and if ingested is digestible and a natural way to obtain calcium. Take note though, it is advisable to feed your tortoise on a tray or some elevated object to minimize the amount of ingested substrate (that goes for any tortoise). European breeders often use a mix of decompensated granite, sand, oyster shell and even clay and have had great success raising and breeding the species in captivity.

Humidity:
In their native range (Egypt, Libya, and the Negev desert) there are seasonal fog/mist weather patterns that can raise humidity levels to the upper 70's in the early morning hours, and the species has been documented drinking the dew that forms on leaves and rocks. However, the high humidity does not stay throughout the day and dissipates as temperatures rise during the day. In captivity, many keepers use foggers/misters for a short while (30 minutes-2 hours depending the situation) to mimic this rise in humidity with a corresponding drying out as temperatures rise in the enclosure. Foggers allow for the air to be humidified while keeping the ground relatively free from over saturation. Another option for safe humidity is to make a humid hide by gluing a piece of sponge to the roof of a hide to increase ambient humidity within the hide without getting the ground overly wet.

@jadan9163 I'm glad you came here asking for advice. I'm sorry you have been giving incorrect information. The breeder that you are getting the hatchlings from should be able to help you with making sure you have everything ready to go before your egyptians arrive. Have you read though the following care guides? The information can help you understand your tortoises better. Remember though, it is just one example of how to care for an egyptian tortoise.



Thank you. I knew about the substrate the breeder made me a list but i was really asking for tips because I know they are a harder breed to take care of. Im so excited for them and i just want to take the best care possible. I have read the care for them. Is my light okay?
 

PA2019

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Thank you. I knew about the substrate the breeder made me a list but i was really asking for tips because I know they are a harder breed to take care of. Im so excited for them and i just want to take the best care possible. I have read the care for them. Is my light okay?

I can't tell exactly what type of fluorescent (the tube light) light you have. Take it out of the fixture and take a picture of the black writing on the corners of it so we can see if its T5, T8, 10.0, 5.0 etc..

The basking bulb is harder to say yes it fine, or no its not. You need to measure the temperature under the light at the level of the substrate to see if it is safe. In general, tolerated temperatures for egyptians are anywhere from mid 70's on the cool side to 100-110 directly under the basking light. You need to take temperature readings in different areas of your enclosure to determine if it is correct.

Egyptians have significant temperature changes throughout a typical day in their native range. Your goal should be to provide a range of temperatures in the enclosure so they can choose whichever temperature they want at a given moment.

Placing the basking spot at one end of the enclosure allows for a hot side (closest to the basking bulb), a cooler side (normally the middle of the tank) and then the coolest portion of the tank would be furthest from the basking bulb.

To get temperatures correct I recommend a quality thermometer. A lot of people use temperature guns, as you can instantly point to a specific area of the enclosure and get an accurate surface reading.

Here is an example of the temperature gun

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

You definitely need to get a humidity gauge. Too much humidity and your hatchlings could become ill, or too little and they can develop significant pyramiding. Purchasing a digital gauge is best in my opinion, and lots of them have a dual feature which measures temperature and humidity levels.

Here is an example

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013BKDO8/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
 

jadan9163

Member
Joined
May 11, 2020
Messages
31
Location (City and/or State)
Bloomington
I can't tell exactly what type of fluorescent (the tube light) light you have. Take it out of the fixture and take a picture of the black writing on the corners of it so we can see if its T5, T8, 10.0, 5.0 etc..

The basking bulb is harder to say yes it fine, or no its not. You need to measure the temperature under the light at the level of the substrate to see if it is safe. In general, tolerated temperatures for egyptians are anywhere from mid 70's on the cool side to 100-110 directly under the basking light. You need to take temperature readings in different areas of your enclosure to determine if it is correct.

Egyptians have significant temperature changes throughout a typical day in their native range. Your goal should be to provide a range of temperatures in the enclosure so they can choose whichever temperature they want at a given moment.

Placing the basking spot at one end of the enclosure allows for a hot side (closest to the basking bulb), a cooler side (normally the middle of the tank) and then the coolest portion of the tank would be furthest from the basking bulb.

To get temperatures correct I recommend a quality thermometer. A lot of people use temperature guns, as you can instantly point to a specific area of the enclosure and get an accurate surface reading.

Here is an example of the temperature gun

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

You definitely need to get a humidity gauge. Too much humidity and your hatchlings could become ill, or too little and they can develop significant pyramiding. Purchasing a digital gauge is best in my opinion, and lots of them have a dual feature which measures temperature and humidity levels.

Here is an example

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013BKDO8/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
Okay thank you so much. Im going to be setting up the enclosure tomorrow can i message you ?
 

PA2019

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Messages
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Tucson, AZ
Okay thank you so much. Im going to be setting up the enclosure tomorrow can i message you ?

Sure! But it would be helpful to see pictures of the setup tomorrow as well so we all can give better advice as to what is safe, what needs tweaking, and what is missing in the setup.
 

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