First time tortoise owner here

[shaneyyyyyy]

Hello,
Glad to be here on this forum... I have one sulcata tortoise thats 3 and a half, Bobby. Hes my first tortoise, so im just learning and researching how to care for him and if im doing it right. Im in school and i dont have a job so im trying to make it work. I registered here to address some concerns about my tort so im happy to learn from everyone on here..!

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hi, and welcome to TFO!

You've come to the best place to learn how to properly care for Bobby.

These are a couple links to care sheets and other good info. Read them, and come back with questions. We're happy to explain why we recommend the things we do.

Post some pictures for us! We love pictures! Show us Bobby's enclosure, decorations, and Bobby too! Include a pic taken from under him showing his tail area.
Did I mention we love pictures?

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

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

 

[ISU]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Welcome! Lots of Sully owners here with all kinds of info & help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[shaneyyyyyy]

Hi, and welcome to TFO!

You've come to the best place to learn how to properly care for Bobby.

These are a couple links to care sheets and other good info. Read them, and come back with questions. We're happy to explain why we recommend the things we do.

Post some pictures for us! We love pictures! Show us Bobby's enclosure, decorations, and Bobby too! Include a pic taken from under him showing his tail area.
Did I mention we love pictures?

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

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 a lot for all the information.. I already learned some things I need to fix. I have a couple questions.. This is my indoor enclosure i use for Bobby.
Its about 36x24 inches and about 12 inches tall. Is this too small for a tortoise whos about 11 inches long and 7 inches wide?
He seems to have slight pyramiding and from the threads you sent me it might be from how dry it is in his enclosure and his substrate.. I will get the fine grade orchard bark as soon as possible.. I feed him grocery store-bought green leaf 5 days a week with calcium supplements sprinkled on 2 days a week but I will definitely start easing him into eating grass.. I soak him about every other day and I have a ramped water platter but i will definitely get him a low-sided terra-cotta platter.. I live in south Washington where it is kind of humid, rains more than half of the year, and where it stays below 70 the whole year besides summer (winter can go from 20-40 degrees usually, fall/spring can go from 45-65 usually) ... Would this be acceptable climate for some kind of outdoor enclosure? I definitely think I should get a bigger enclosure but its a little hard at the moment.. I would like to get him some decorations in the close future.. Thanks again for the help and the welcomes I honestly dont know too much of what I’m doing haha

 

[KarenSoCal]

Yes, your enclosure is MUCH too small! He should have been out of that as soon as he wasn't tiny any more.

At his size, he should be moving outside full time. Hopefully you have an outdoor enclosure all ready for him. It should be about 30x30ft. Tortoises need a large area to walk, since they cannot digest their food otherwise.

Sullies get so big (150+lbs), they can be very destructive, breaking off sprinklers, toppling lawn furniture, trampling or uprooting bushes, etc.

Also, he absolutely needs a heated night box. This is maintained at 80deg all the time, day and night, all year long. He will sleep in it, get into a nice warm place when it's chilly or raining. He can live outside all year long with this set up. Unless you have an entire unused room in your house you can turn into an enclosure, this is the only way to keep him.

Keep in mind that he will be a large heavy animal! Some of them enjoy ramming people. Sullies don't go around anything...they go over or through. That includes children. And you too. I've been rammed from behind by a 100 lb...my knees buckled and I ended up sitting on him! LOL!

So your fence outside needs to be sully proof, as in tank proof. You need it so he can't see through it, either.

I'm not wanting to overwhelm you! But you need to understand what you are dealing with, so you can prepare properly. He needs a much more varied diet than lettuce, as you read on the care sheets. Sullies eat a huge amount of food...could you grow healthy stuff for him? Otherwise, your grocery bill is going to be considerably higher.

The pyramiding he has will never go away. The dry substrate and low humidity in his earlier years, before you got him, is the culprit. By maintaining moist conditions now, you can prevent more from developing.

BTW, he's still a bit small to be sure, and I'm not good at telling, but he may be a she! I'll get someone else to take a look.
@Tom
male or female?

Here's another link that is helpful with all this.

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[shaneyyyyyy]

Yes, your enclosure is MUCH too small! He should have been out of that as soon as he wasn't tiny any more.

At his size, he should be moving outside full time. Hopefully you have an outdoor enclosure all ready for him. It should be about 30x30ft. Tortoises need a large area to walk, since they cannot digest their food otherwise.

Sullies get so big (150+lbs), they can be very destructive, breaking off sprinklers, toppling lawn furniture, trampling or uprooting bushes, etc.

Also, he absolutely needs a heated night box. This is maintained at 80deg all the time, day and night, all year long. He will sleep in it, get into a nice warm place when it's chilly or raining. He can live outside all year long with this set up. Unless you have an entire unused room in your house you can turn into an enclosure, this is the only way to keep him.

Keep in mind that he will be a large heavy animal! Some of them enjoy ramming people. Sullies don't go around anything...they go over or through. That includes children. And you too. I've been rammed from behind by a 100 lb...my knees buckled and I ended up sitting on him! LOL!

So your fence outside needs to be sully proof, as in tank proof. You need it so he can't see through it, either.

I'm not wanting to overwhelm you! But you need to understand what you are dealing with, so you can prepare properly. He needs a much more varied diet than lettuce, as you read on the care sheets. Sullies eat a huge amount of food...could you grow healthy stuff for him? Otherwise, your grocery bill is going to be considerably higher.

The pyramiding he has will never go away. The dry substrate and low humidity in his earlier years, before you got him, is the culprit. By maintaining moist conditions now, you can prevent more from developing.

BTW, he's still a bit small to be sure, and I'm not good at telling, but he may be a she! I'll get someone else to take a look.
@Tom
male or female?

Here's another link that is helpful with all this.

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Thats what i thought...
There comes the problem where I would totally be up for creating a spacious outside enclosure for him, but its not my decision to make. Im too young to get a job and im living with my dad but hes very unwilling to make a bigger space for him.. Ive told him again and again about the substrate and prices online for new lamps etc.. I have been wanting to move him outside also but my dad insists that we should just put him in a big tank in the garage. I dont know what to do at this point with no way of getting money.. Do you know of any alternative indoor enclosures that might work? We dont have any spare rooms and the garage is a mess..
That would be a surprise if he is a female hahaha

 

[KarenSoCal]

Could you show your dad this site? Would he read the care sheets if you printed them out for him? Would he talk to one of us on the phone? Is it the money or the space or the construction that he is balking at?

I'm so sorry, but if these answers are "no", you need to rehome him. He can't live in any kind of tank in the garage.

 

[shaneyyyyyy]

Could you show your dad this site? Would he read the care sheets if you printed them out for him? Would he talk to one of us on the phone? Is it the money or the space or the construction that he is balking at?

I'm so sorry, but if these answers are "no", you need to rehome him. He can't live in any kind of tank in the garage.

I read him the threads you sent me.. I dont know if he would want to talk to someone but he is asking whether my tortoise would be able to live well in the night box even if it gets down to 15 degrees fahrenheit and snows/rains a lot.. Would you also need some kind of overhead shelter to protect against potentially over a foot of snow/lots of rain? He seems to be unwilling to do it because of the construction and cost so he asked how you would set up the electrical things outside (would you need an electrician?). If it comes to needing to re-home Bobby i wouldnt be against it but i also want to do my best at making something sufficient for him.

 

[KarenSoCal]

If I had your situation this is what I would do:
I would build a night box to the specifications in the link above.
2. The heating equipment does not require an electrician. It's several items to plug in. The heaters are specific types, not space heaters or lights.
3.Since it gets that cold and snowy...I would put the night box in a decent sized shed, that I had thoroughly insulated and raised up slightly off the ground. This entire "home" needs to be built on the highest ground to help with drainage/rain.

The reasoning...sullies will go out in snow for a short time, as long as they have a warm place to come back to. But with a foot of snow, he may not be able to come out. So he still needs space to walk and get some exercise, the shed.

I have never done any of this, so I'm going to hope that Tom replies to this. We're getting out of my ability to help you with your extreme climate.

 

[shaneyyyyyy]

If I had your situation this is what I would do:
I would build a night box to the specifications in the link above.
2. The heating equipment does not require an electrician. It's several items to plug in. The heaters are specific types, not space heaters or lights.
3.Since it gets that cold and snowy...I would put the night box in a decent sized shed, that I had thoroughly insulated and raised up slightly off the ground. This entire "home" needs to be built on the highest ground to help with drainage/rain.

The reasoning...sullies will go out in snow for a short time, as long as they have a warm place to come back to. But with a foot of snow, he may not be able to come out. So he still needs space to walk and get some exercise, the shed.

I have never done any of this, so I'm going to hope that Tom replies to this. We're getting out of my ability to help you with your extreme climate.

Sounds like an idea.. ill talk to him about it. I was discussing the enclosure with him and he said we could have an outdoor enclosure where he can roam around this area in the side yard which is about 20x25 feet with sunlight and shade areas.. And then when it was night or when it gets cold we would have a separate enclosure in the garage thats about 8x8 feet with his lamps and a heat area. The outside enclosure will include a sheltered place to rest/eat and we could let him out to the 1 acre yard while watching him.. The garage doesnt have much insulation either so the enclosure would be a kind of shelter that keeps the heat and humidity in.. How does this sound? We already have the 8x8 enclosure so I just need the right lamps and substrate.

 

[KarenSoCal]

It sounds like you've made progress! We have something to work with!

I don't have much time today, but there is one issue that came to mind. He's small now, but he will get big fast. You won't be able to just go out and pick him up. If he doesn't want to go where you want him, you're in trouble. He'll be like a 150 lb rock. Many people have to use a cart or wheelbarrow to move them.

The 8x8 in the garage...is it just walls, or is it a completely enclosed structure? On a bitter cold night, you need to keep it at 80 deg. It has to have a roof to keep the warm in. If you try to heat an 8x8 box, it will cost a fortune. Check out the single tort night box link. If you built this and installed it with just the door opening into the 8x8, you would have a nice small space for him.

 

[Tom]

Hello,
Glad to be here on this forum... I have one sulcata tortoise thats 3 and a half, Bobby. Hes my first tortoise, so im just learning and researching how to care for him and if im doing it right. Im in school and i dont have a job so im trying to make it work. I registered here to address some concerns about my tort so im happy to learn from everyone on here..!

This is all very upsetting. The adult that gave you permission to get this tortoise made a terrible mistake, and you made a terrible mistake by not learning what would be required ahead of time. You've fed and cared for this tortoise incorrectly its whole life and now it is living in a tiny little open topped wooden box in a totally unsuitable climate. The adult who is supposed to be responsible for the welfare of this animal is unwilling or unable to do what needs to be done, and you don't have the means or resources to do so. As sad as all of that is, its the animal who is suffering the consequences for all these mistakes, instead of the people who made them.

This tortoise needs to be given to someone who can and will meet its needs ASAP.

Its great that you love animals and want them in your life, but not every animal is practical for everyone to keep. Since the adults in your life don't seem to understand this concept or want to take responsibility for their actions, YOU will need to learn to be more responsible and more careful about future animal keeping decisions. Don't buy animals that you don't have the money, space or ability to care for correctly. Before buying this tortoise, did you know how large it would get? Where did you think you were going to put a giant, active, tropical reptile that needs huge amounts of space and constant warm temperatures?

It's good that you've come here because now your tortoise can get what it needs. So sorry that this life lesson had to come in such a sad way. Please think this through better the next time you think you want an animal.