Help on proper sulcata enclosure

[badkitty]

Hello My name is Grace I'm new to the tortoise forum.
I live in Phoenix AZ. Just trying to make sure I have the best set up for my sulcata hatchlings. Your input is greatly appreciated.

We just built a turtle table 4x8 for the sulcata hatchlings
they are about 3in. right now.
the substrate is soil and coconut coir in their nesting box. I have a power sun
light on a timer 7am-7pm
I soak them everyday and they get outside sun about 2 hours a day.
They are fed grass & weed mix and also green spring mix & cuttle bone.
Is there anything I need to add?

 

[dmarcus]

Hello Grace and welcome to the forum...

Sounds like you got a lot covered.. What are your temps and humidity like in the enclosure?

 

[reticguy76]

Welcome !! I too just joined this forum and a fellow Phoenician.

Sulcatas are pretty easy and adapt to Az pretty well

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Grace:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome fellow Arizonan! Sounds like you've done your homework, that's good to see!

 

[badkitty]

Thank you everyone.
I try to keep the temp around 80-90 degrees, sadly I just learned about them needing more humidity as hatchlings. Can anyone tell me the right humidity levels? Also I just built the table so I need to purchase a digital therm/hydrometer can anyone recommend a brand or website for one. I've been to a couple of places and I'm not sure which one to get. Also I'm concerned the power sun light might not be enough I table seems pretty dark since the light is in one corner of the table. I was thinking of maybe making an angled roof for the table??

Thanks so much for your input this is all pretty new to me.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Sounds like you have a pretty good set up so far. You can always add either long fluorescent tubes or more incandescent flood bulbs for more heat and light over the rest of the enclosure. It will be impossible to maintain any humidity in an open topped table unless you just humidify the whole room. Daily soaks, shell spraying and the humid hide box will all help with smooth growth. The sunshine and grazings outside is also tremendously good for them.

I like mine to have an ambient of 80 all the time, and a basking spot of 100 in just one spot for around 12 hours a day. I like to use ceramic heating elements on a thermostat to keep them warm day and night, and then put the basking lamp(s) on a timer for 12 hours or so.

We'd love to see pics... Try tinypic.com very easy to upload photos and post them here using the IMG code.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Hello and welcome!

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Jacob]

Welcome to the forum, Sounds like you have a great start..