Hello from England! I need some opinions on my sulcata please :)

[gg888]

i wouldn't worry about the name too much.
Lyn, who was chatting with you earlier, has a tortoise called Lola, who is a boy.
I don't think they'll get a complex about it

Poor torts! I've been thinking if the closest female name to Barnie, and all I'm thinking in of is Barbje. But I wouldn't subject him/ her to that!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Poor torts! I've been thinking if the closest female name to Barnie, and all I'm thinking in of is Barbje. But I wouldn't subject him/ her to that!

Indeed not!
I have an English female friend called Parvine, but it's not very close, really.

 

[Alaskamike]

You asked what I've done with Tiny
Here in South Florida many things are much easier with heat / sunlight / humidity. At least 9 months out of the year.

He was being raised in a small box indoors without adequate heat or UV and a very narrow diet of store bought greens.

I made him an outdoor enclosure , added in Mazuri tortoise food , weeds , grass , calcium powder several times a week , soaks, water dish and he gets lots of natural sunlight. Has a burrow and a heated night box.

Really it's simply giving him what a Sulcata needs. They said he was 3 yo when I got him. Hard to believe considering he was so small. ( Hence the name).

That was about 9 months ago. He's still small for his age - may always be - but otherwise healthy. Went from 2.3 lbs to 9 lbs. And growing fast. The new growth is reducing the peaks. But he will always have some.

He's had a few issues along the way. His shell flares were making rub spots on his front legs so I file them down now. He had an eye issue a while back but it cleared up in a few weeks with eye cream .

They need lots of good / varied food , UV , warmth and exercise. If you can find ways to provide those essentials they improve , grow & get healthy.

Just takes time.

 

[Lyn W]

That sounds right, I've been lightly spritzing his substrate with water. Also because I don't want it to dry out and irritate him in anyway, because there is an element of sand in there.

Hi gg, sand isn't a popular substrate with most keepers because if it gets on food and if eaten it can become impacted in the gut and cause all sorts of painful and possibly expensive problems to sort out. The care sheet will recommend better, maybe coco coir and/or orchid bark or something similar.
When substrate is sprayed quite a lot of the humidity is lost through evaporation, so I know some keepers pour water into the four corners so that the substrate underneath the surface keep moist while the surface isn't too wet.
Again a seach or checking of the caresheets, Beginners Mistakes etc. will give good advice.

 

[gg888]

Hi gg, sand isn't a popular substrate with most keepers because if it gets on food and if eaten it can become impacted in the gut and cause all sorts of painful and possibly expensive problems to sort out. The care sheet will recommend better, maybe coco coir and/or orchid bark or something similar.
When substrate is sprayed quite a lot of the humidity is lost through evaporation, so I know some keepers pour water into the four corners so that the substrate underneath the surface keep moist while the surface isn't too wet.
Again a seach or checking of the caresheets, Beginners Mistakes etc. will give good advice.

When I say sand, it's more soil really. It has tiny amount of sand mixed in (I'm not sure why). But is soil ok? It's completely untreated and everythinf

 

[gg888]

That

You asked what I've done with Tiny
Here in South Florida many things are much easier with heat / sunlight / humidity. At least 9 months out of the year.

He was being raised in a small box indoors without adequate heat or UV and a very narrow diet of store bought greens.

I made him an outdoor enclosure , added in Mazuri tortoise food , weeds , grass , calcium powder several times a week , soaks, water dish and he gets lots of natural sunlight. Has a burrow and a heated night box.

Really it's simply giving him what a Sulcata needs. They said he was 3 yo when I got him. Hard to believe considering he was so small. ( Hence the name).

That was about 9 months ago. He's still small for his age - may always be - but otherwise healthy. Went from 2.3 lbs to 9 lbs. And growing fast. The new growth is reducing the peaks. But he will always have some.

He's had a few issues along the way. His shell flares were making rub spots on his front legs so I file them down now. He had an eye issue a while back but it cleared up in a few weeks with eye cream .

They need lots of good / varied food , UV , warmth and exercise. If you can find ways to provide those essentials they improve , grow & get healthy.

Just takes time. View attachment 153049

Thats a good looking tort! He/she is very lucky to have you! Thanks for your help, I'll keep all of it in mind when it comes to Barnie.

 

[Lyn W]

When I say sand, it's more soil really. It has tiny amount of sand mixed in (I'm not sure why). But is soil ok? It's completely untreated and everythinf

Topsoil is sometimes used. Homebase do a sterilised topsoil. I think some people use it with maybe some orchid bark on top - or whatever is recommended on the caresheet.
Avoid soils with sand or any little white bits in it, both of which can cause impaction in the gut.
Can't remember if you said you already do this, but serve food on something like a piece of slate which will help keep the beak trimmed as well as keeping substrate off food - not easy when they like to lie on their food and drag it all over the place!

 

[Tom]

so if tortoises can't be put together, how do people breed them? I'm not planning on doing this, i'm just curious.

First you have to have torts that are from known safe sources that have been properly quarantined and vet checked for parasites and what not. Next you mix them in the correct sex ratios. For sulcatas, putting a single male and female together is most likely to result in great stress, injury and eventually death for the female. Some recommend one male and two females in a large outdoor enclosure, but I have found 3 or 4 females to one male works better and divides the male aggression/attention down to more acceptable levels.

Even when everything is done "right" great caution needs to be observed. Some males get really aggressive. Every situation varies. If breeding is the goal, then the male must have access to the female, but there is no good reason to put two tortoises together for a play dote, as they are not social animals and do not need or want company or social interaction. They don't "enjoy" time spent with another tortoise. In a long term housing situation, in a large outdoor enclosure, with the right animals and right sex ratio, they can sort of reach an acceptable, stable truce. There tends to be a few days or weeks of fighting and hierarchy sorting with any new group that I have put together. I would only recommend putting them through this if it is intended to be a long term stable housing situation.

 

[Tom]

When I say sand, it's more soil really. It has tiny amount of sand mixed in (I'm not sure why). But is soil ok? It's completely untreated and everythinf

Any amount of sand mixed in is not a good thing. I work closely with many vets and I have seen a lot of sand impaction cases. Likewise, I recommend against that "Pets at Home" substrate with the limestone bits in it too. Encouraging a tortoise to eat its substrate in order to meet its calcium needs is a bad idea any way you look at it. I know that substrate is very popular over there, but its a bad idea.

I also don't like topsoil because it is made of composted plants and we can't know which plants. There could be large amounts of oleander or azalea in there. This might not be a problem if the soil is used for planting out in a garden as intended, but it very well could be a problem for someone using it in a closed enclosure for a tortoise.

I find orchid bark to be the best substrate for sulcatas.

 

[Lyn W]

Any amount of sand mixed in is not a good thing. I work closely with many vets and I have seen a lot of sand impaction cases. Likewise, I recommend against that "Pets at Home" substrate with the limestone bits in it too. Encouraging a tortoise to eat its substrate in order to meet its calcium needs is a bad idea any way you look at it. I know that substrate is very popular over there, but its a bad idea.

I also don't like topsoil because it is made of composted plants and we can't know which plants. There could be large amounts of oleander or azalea in there. This might not be a problem if the soil is used for planting out in a garden as intended, but it very well could be a problem for someone using it in a closed enclosure for a tortoise.

I find orchid bark to be the best substrate for sulcatas.

Good point! I never thought about that aspect of topsoil.
Thanks

 

[gg888]

Topsoil is sometimes used. Homebase do a sterilised topsoil. I think some people use it with maybe some orchid bark on top - or whatever is recommended on the caresheet.
Avoid soils with sand or any little white bits in it, both of which can cause impaction in the gut.
Can't remember if you said you already do this, but serve food on something like a piece of slate which will help keep the beak trimmed as well as keeping substrate off food - not easy when they like to lie on their food and drag it all over the place!

He has a personalised engraved slate haha!

 

[gg888]

Any amount of sand mixed in is not a good thing. I work closely with many vets and I have seen a lot of sand impaction cases. Likewise, I recommend against that "Pets at Home" substrate with the limestone bits in it too. Encouraging a tortoise to eat its substrate in order to meet its calcium needs is a bad idea any way you look at it. I know that substrate is very popular over there, but its a bad idea.

I also don't like topsoil because it is made of composted plants and we can't know which plants. There could be large amounts of oleander or azalea in there. This might not be a problem if the soil is used for planting out in a garden as intended, but it very well could be a problem for someone using it in a closed enclosure for a tortoise.

I find orchid bark to be the best substrate for sulcatas.

What about sphagnum moss? I keep reading bits about it here and there, but mostly for red foot tortoises?

 

[Tom]

What about sphagnum moss? I keep reading bits about it here and there, but mostly for red foot tortoises?

I've tried that a few times and all of my tortoises try to eat it, so I end up having to remove it.

 

[gg888]

I've tried that a few times and all of my tortoises try to eat it, so I end up having to remove it.

Oh, that won't work then! If I was to use orchid bark, wouldn't it be difficult keeping it moist? Or is it only the hues that needs to be more humid?

 

[gg888]

Oh, that won't work then! If I was to use orchid bark, wouldn't it be difficult keeping it moist? Or is it only the hues that needs to be more humid?

Hide I meant haha

 

[Tom]

Oh, that won't work then! If I was to use orchid bark, wouldn't it be difficult keeping it moist? Or is it only the hues that needs to be more humid?

Its quite easy. Every enclosure is different, as far as rate of evaporation, but basically you just dump water into the substrate as needed to maintain the moisture level you want. One nice thing about orchid bark is that it can be relatively dry on top, while still being moist and giving off good humidity from the lower levels.

 

[gg888]

Its quite easy. Every enclosure is different, as far as rate of evaporation, but basically you just dump water into the substrate as needed to maintain the moisture level you want. One nice thing about orchid bark is that it can be relatively dry on top, while still being moist and giving off good humidity from the lower levels.

Well I've made a few changes to his table now! I've changed the soil to orchid bark, and I've made him a new hide out of a plastic washing up bowl (although he'll outgrow it soon). I've got a new thermometer/humidity reader coming in the post too. I'm just looking into putting some plants in there too (to help with humidity) , but my fingers aren't very green so it'll be tough! Any suggestions?

 

[Lyn W]

Spider plants are quite good. Homebase were selling two for £6
but store bought plants need to be repotted into chemical free soil and it is advised that
you wait a while to let any fertilisers etc from the old soil grow out of the plant.
But you may have things in your garden that are OK.
Have a look at www.thetortoisetable.org.uk for tort safe plants.

If you leave the plants in pots and bury the pots in the substrate
it is easier to swap them with new if your tort nibbles or bulldozes them.

 

[Tom]

...and I've made him a new hide out of a plastic washing up bowl (although he'll outgrow it soon).

Funny you mention that. I am constantly enlarging those door holes in my humid nodes for all my tortoises…

All my tortoises eat and trample any live plants, so I don't bother. Some people have good luck using potted plants. Just make sure they aren't full of the commonly used systemic pesticides. Any plant bought in a store over here is not trustworthy.

 

[gg888]

Spider plants are quite good. Homebase were selling two for £6
but store bought plants need to be repotted into chemical free soil and it is advised that
you wait a while to let any fertilisers etc from the old soil grow out of the plant.
But you may have things in your garden that are OK.
Have a look at www.thetortoisetable.org.uk for tort safe plants.

If you leave the plants in pots and bury the pots in the substrate
it is easier to swap them with new if your tort nibbles or bulldozes them.

I might attempt to grow them myself, at least then I'll know they're safe and what soil I've used! I debated plastic plants for something for him to hide in but I wasn't sure if they were safe, so I didn't bother!