Help my baby sulcata might have a soft shell I’m not sure what’s bad or normal

[skrapoy]

He/she seems extremely healthy walking around a lot sleeping a lot burrowing in his/her little thing eating almost everyday I’ve been doing a lot of lettuce and other little things as of today I’m starting to do radish leaves /radish kale collard greens we soak him about once a day I mist his cage for moisture sometimes his basking temp usually reads around 105 ish miss tank reads about under 90 mid 80s and the left reads 75s I turn off basking light at night have a heat lamp usually stays low 90s mid 80s left is around 75 still sometimes lower here’s some pics
Also I thought about maybe leaving the uvb on at night time with the heat lamp maybe ?
He/she is at either about 2 inches or smaller please help!

 

[LaLaP]

Hi! Sorry to hear that he's getting soft but you may have caught it early enough.

What is the humidity in your set-up? Humidity is very important for the wee ones. I believe it should be 70-80%. Your system has to be closed (no open top) to achieve that. If you don't already have that you'll need it.
How often do you soak? If he is getting sick you'll want to soak more. Daily.. maybe twice a day.
Have you read this caresheet?

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/african-spurred-tortoise-sulcata-care-sheet.52524/

I'm sure others will have more helpful things to say. I don't know that much about baby Sulcatas... just that humidity and dehydrating are big factors in their health.

 

[skrapoy]

Hi! Sorry to hear that he's getting soft but you may have caught it early enough.

What is the humidity in your set-up? Humidity is very important for the wee ones. I believe it should be 70-80%. Your system has to be closed (no open top) to achieve that. If you don't already have that you'll need it.
How often do you soak? If he is getting sick you'll want to soak more. Daily.. maybe twice a day.
Have you read this caresheet?

https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/african-spurred-tortoise-sulcata-care-sheet.52524/

I'm sure others will have more helpful things to say. I don't know that much about baby Sulcatas... just that humidity and dehydrating are big factors in their health.

Okay so someone told me wrong I knew it was important but I didn’t know that much mine has been in the 40s ish I just now got it to 70 I need to get a humidifier thing tom

 

[TechnoCheese]

Please give al three of these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

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

- you should never have any lights on at night, including colored lights. What kind of lamp is your “night heat lamp”?. Your tortoise needs total darkness, and you should be using a ceramic heat emitter to keep night temps and cool side/ambient constantly above 80.

-temps should never fall below 80 in any part of the enclosure, day or night.

- humidity should be 80-100% at all times.

- that diet could use some change, so be sure to read the “for those who have a Young Sulcata” link.

What substrate is that?

Baby sulcatas normally have flexible plastron. What parts of the shell are soft, and are they mushy, or flexible like a butter container lid?

Where did you get this tortoise?

 

[skrapoy]

Please give al three of these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/

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

- you should never have any lights on at night, including colored lights. What kind of lamp is your “night heat lamp”?. Your tortoise needs total darkness, and you should be using a ceramic heat emitter to keep night temps and cool side/ambient constantly above 80.

-temps should never fall below 80 in any part of the enclosure, day or night.

- humidity should be 80-100% at all times.

- that diet could use some change, so be sure to read the “for those who have a Young Sulcata” link.

What substrate is that?

Baby sulcatas normally have flexible plastron. What parts of the shell are soft, and are they mushy, or flexible like a butter container lid?

Where did you get this tortoise?

From a OfferUp app local breeder what she said she was even sold me food she had aswell it seemed very legitimate and only the bottom is really soft and the bottom I would say like if you lightly press you can push it and I have a blacklight heat light for night and it’s a thick layer of soil then a thick layer of mulch should I change that? I thought it would provide more of a humid climate

 

[TechnoCheese]

From a OfferUp app local breeder what she said she was even sold me food she had aswell it seemed very legitimate and only the bottom is really soft and the bottom I would say like if you lightly press you can push it and I have a blacklight heat light for night and it’s a thick layer of soil then a thick layer of mulch should I change that? I thought it would provide more of a humid climate

I wouldn’t use the black light. Ceramic heat emitters or radiant heat panels should be used instead, because they don’t produce light.

Do you know how the breeder started the babies? Did she soak them? Did she keep them humid? Were they kept outside all day, or did they have indoor enclosures?

The substrate is fine for now, but later you should consider changing it to fine grade orchid bark, coco coir, or cypress mulch. Soil gets muddy when wet, and you can never be completely sure of the composition.

Also be sure that you have a digital thermometer with a probe or a temp gun, and a digital hygrometer. The “button” one you have now is notoriously inaccurate.

Babies usually have soft plastron. Just be sure that it doesn’t get any softer. Do you know it it was like that when you got it?

 

[Emily Contreras]

Yikes. That enclosure looks dry! And that type of bedding isn't that good you know. I read that someones sully got their eye poked out.
if it is like, less than a month old, it could be normal, depending on if it feels spongy or like a tuppaware lid. (I know I totally spelt that wrong but...)
If it feels spongy and you can feel its insides moving it might be going through "Breeder Failure Syndrome" (Tom made a post about it, showing the symptoms)

 

[Emily Contreras]

From a OfferUp app local breeder what she said she was even sold me food she had aswell it seemed very legitimate and only the bottom is really soft and the bottom I would say like if you lightly press you can push it and I have a blacklight heat light for night and it’s a thick layer of soil then a thick layer of mulch should I change that? I thought it would provide more of a humid climate

You should get a radient heat panel, and leave your tortoise outside for an hour a day. (In an outdoor enclosure. Tom also made a post about that lol)
I dont think blacklights are good by the way..

 

[skrapoy]

You should get a radient heat panel, and leave your tortoise outside for an hour a day. (In an outdoor enclosure. Tom also made a post about that lol)
I dont think blacklights are good by the way..

Soo I brought it to my local exotic pet person lol and they said the tortoise is fine and healthy and strong and they said the set up I have is actually okay I now have a humidifier tho I can tell he /she likes it lol and they said that black lights are okay because tortoises can’t see them so it’s the same as having no lights that’s why they use the blacklight cause they said tortoises can’t see some colors aswell as other reptiles

 

[Emily Contreras]

Soo I brought it to my local exotic pet person lol and they said the tortoise is fine and healthy and strong and they said the set up I have is actually okay I now have a humidifier tho I can tell he /she likes it lol and they said that black lights are okay because tortoises can’t see them so it’s the same as having no lights that’s why they use the blacklight cause they said tortoises can’t see some colors aswell as other reptiles

Tortoises see more colors than we do actually.
And the lights like che and stuff dry them out. you are much, MUCH better with a radient heat panel and an hour of sun a day!
Those lights can basically cook your tortoise.

 

[Emily Contreras]

Soo I brought it to my local exotic pet person lol and they said the tortoise is fine and healthy and strong and they said the set up I have is actually okay I now have a humidifier tho I can tell he /she likes it lol and they said that black lights are okay because tortoises can’t see them so it’s the same as having no lights that’s why they use the blacklight cause they said tortoises can’t see some colors aswell as other reptiles

Your enclosure is far from fine.
That water dish is dangerous. and that substrate is really bad. And that food bowl is dangerous too. It looks big enough but its dangerous. You can choose though, if you keep those water dishes and food bowls. there is a pretty high chance your tortoise will flip over and end up dying inside of it. But again, you can choose to take that risk. Trust me. I didn't listen and mine almost died.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Tortoises see more colors than we do actually.
And the lights like che and stuff dry them out. you are much, MUCH better with a radient heat panel and an hour of sun a day!
Those lights can basically cook your tortoise.

I've never heard of a CHE cooking a Tortoise? I've been using one on a thermostat for my Tortoise over a year with no problem.

 

[Emily Contreras]

I've never heard of a CHE cooking a Tortoise? I've been using one on a thermostat for my Tortoise over a year with no problem.

I know, I used one too but this guy kept insisting that ches are bad too. Ill link you the thread when I find it.

 

[Emily Contreras]

I've never heard of a CHE cooking a Tortoise? I've been using one on a thermostat for my Tortoise over a year with no problem.

I cant find it. but he seemed pretty strong with his theory that it does. So i decided to follow lol

 

[xphare]

I cant find it. but he seemed pretty strong with his theory that it does. So i decided to follow lol

CHE are more than fine and radiant heat panels arent a very logical way to heat the tortoise in that setup.

 

[Emily Contreras]

CHE are more than fine and radiant heat panels arent a very logical way to heat the tortoise in that setup.

Thanks. I was kind of confused because this guy kept insisting that I use a radiant heat panel. Sorry for misinforming this person lol. Ill probably switch back to my che and le6t my hedgehog use my radiant heat panel.

 

[xphare]

I think they are great don't get me wrong but I spoke with Reptile Basics about set up and you have to mount it to the top of the enclosure. Judging by the pics of that enclosure, he has nothing to mount it to. And its far to small of an enclosure to begin with.

 

[Emily Contreras]

I think they are great don't get me wrong but I spoke with Reptile Basics about set up and you have to mount it to the top of the enclosure. Judging by the pics of that enclosure, he has nothing to mount it to. And its far to small of an enclosure to begin with.

I see.

 

[xphare]

There are other companies that you can get them from. I was originally looking into them for a retic enclosure but thought it was too much hassle and I went with heat tape instead. If people are having success using them with tortoises good for them.

 

[ariesxiao]

He/she seems extremely healthy walking around a lot sleeping a lot burrowing in his/her little thing eating almost everyday I’ve been doing a lot of lettuce and other little things as of today I’m starting to do radish leaves /radish kale collard greens we soak him about once a day I mist his cage for moisture sometimes his basking temp usually reads around 105 ish miss tank reads about under 90 mid 80s and the left reads 75s I turn off basking light at night have a heat lamp usually stays low 90s mid 80s left is around 75 still sometimes lower here’s some pics View attachment 255584
Also I thought about maybe leaving the uvb on at night time with the heat lamp maybe ? View attachment 255585View attachment 255586
He/she is at either about 2 inches or smaller please help!

If the shell is soft, it usually means the tortoise body doesn't absorb calcium very well. Maybe its food is lack of calcium ingredient. If this is the case, you should add reptile calcium powder in its food or supply more calcium rich food such as sweet potato leaves. If you are sure its food has rich calcium, it may be because the it is lack of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 can help to absorb calcium. You can add vitamin D3 powder into the food or let the tortoise expose in the UVB light or sun light. UVB light and sun light can help the tortoise produce vitamin D3 by itself.