How is he doing? How am I doing?

[Melly-n-shorty]

Hi all!
Guess what? I have more questions shocker? I think not!

I went and got Shorty a food scale. I measured and weighed him tonight about 2 hrs after his evening soak. when is the best time to weigh him? morning? night? before or after his soak? does it matter?

he is 1 5/8" long (measured down the plastron...that's what the bottom of the shell is called right?)he weighs in at a wopping 29 grams. so tiny!


when I first came to this Forum a week ago we guessed him to be about 2 weeks so that means he would be about 3 weeks now if we are right on his age... could some one with more experience then me tell me if he doing ok weight and size wise? does he weigh enough based on how long he is?

ok more questions:
I am changing up what I feed him daily. I am rotating a spring mix one day with collard greens mixed with grass clippings and endive the next day. (going to get prickly pear) any suggestions food wise? I have a calcium supplement without D3 that i have used once in the last week. but i am not sure how often i should give it?

1/3 of his enclosure is wet moss under his basking lamp for humidity the rest of the enclosure is organic soil. he has a water dish big enough for him to walk around and soak in, a humid hide with a 60 watt CHE, and flat stones to eat off of. his basking lamp is a 125 watt exo terra solar glow with mercury vapor. Is there anything else i should look into?

i am giving him 10 minute soaks twice a day, is that too many? can I over do them? he seams to really enjoy them. i am wetting down his shell twice a day on week days and almost hourly on the weekend.

ok so how am I doing? from what i have read you guys do not suggest new owners get hatchlings and i am a new owner. so want to make sure i am doing the things I should and i want to know if i am doing anything wrong. Thanks for all your help everyone! ok back to reading posts more posts. lots to learn.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Soaking once a day is enough...

 

[dmarcus]

I think that is a good weight for him, when we got Tejas he was 2 1/2 months and 40 grams.

Other than what Maggie said, you are doing fine and he seems very healthy...

 

[onarock]

It all depends on the genetics of your leopard. I have a female whos hatchlings weigh 33-37 grams on average 24hrs out of the shell with one this year that was 39.4g after 24hrs.
I weighed John today (the one thats going to John) and he is right around 6 weeks and is 45g. Another from that same clutch is over 50g.
I think a sulcata or leopard that is 40g at 10 weeks is a bit small.
30g at 3 weeks is not bad at all, considering it probably weighed anywhere from 17-23g - 24hrs out of the shell.

 

[yagyujubei]

He's a tiny one, all right, but I think that his weight is right for his size. Personally, I am a big fan of feeding Mazuri. I have had great results. You seem to be doing everything you should. My smallest weighed 23g at 1 3/4". I would try to keep temps in the 80 to 90 degree range.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

I think that is a good weight for him, when we got Tejas he was 2 1/2 months and 40 grams.

Other than what Maggie said, you are doing fine and he seems very healthy...

is it bad to soak him twice a day?

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

just give you an idea of how small he is... this is a pic of him when i first got him and thats a nickel next to him.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I think you are doing great. I am new to all this as well. I was just going to suggest getting a water temp probe to make sure your water does not get too cold in your soaks. They are so little and move so fast in the water that the temp drops pretty quickly.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

I think you are doing great. I am new to all this as well. I was just going to suggest getting a water temp probe to make sure your water does not get too cold in your soaks. They are so little and move so fast in the water that the temp drops pretty quickly.

ooo thats a good idea. i have a few aquarium ones i can use! thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

If he poops a lot when you soak him, then, yes, twice a day is too much. You'd like for some of the poop to stay inside so he can get full benefits from the nutrition of it. Pooping in a soak once a day is just fine. But for a small baby, twice a day pooping in the soak might be too much.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

If he poops a lot when you soak him, then, yes, twice a day is too much. You'd like for some of the poop to stay inside so he can get full benefits from the nutrition of it. Pooping in a soak once a day is just fine. But for a small baby, twice a day pooping in the soak might be too much.

oh, ok. that makes sense. Ill keep the morning one then... I thinks it helps him start out his day and he comes right up to me in the morning now! so cute.

---

Thank you Yvonne!

 

[ticothetort2]

I soak Tico twice a day, once in the morning when he usually does his 'business' and once at night after he has been outside for the afternoon.

I've also had great results w/ feeding mazuri.

 

[Neal]

Sounds like he is doing well. I soak mine once a day, twice a day if they get outside time for more than two hours. 29 grams at three weeks is really good I think. Like Onarock said, genetics play to big a role in how fast the tortoise will grow. Mine hatch out at 17 to 20 grams and grow at about 4 grams a week. Any time is a good time to weigh him, just be sure to be consistent. Meaning, if you weigh him after soaking, make sure the next time you weigh him is after he soaks. That way you can compare weights more accurately. I like to do mine in the evening after they soak once a week.

I'll also suggest mazuri as others did.

Sounds like everything is very good. If you have the means, try to get him for an hour outside. Tomorrow we are tip toeing around 110 degrees so if you do get him out make sure it's in the morning or evening.

Welcome aboard, glad to have another AZ leopard owner on here.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

Sounds like he is doing well. I soak mine once a day, twice a day if they get outside time for more than two hours. 29 grams at three weeks is really good I think. Like Onarock said, genetics play to big a role in how fast the tortoise will grow. Mine hatch out at 17 to 20 grams and grow at about 4 grams a week. Any time is a good time to weigh him, just be sure to be consistent. Meaning, if you weigh him after soaking, make sure the next time you weigh him is after he soaks. That way you can compare weights more accurately. I like to do mine in the evening after they soak once a week.

I'll also suggest mazuri as others did.

Sounds like everything is very good. If you have the means, try to get him for an hour outside. Tomorrow we are tip toeing around 110 degrees so if you do get him out make sure it's in the morning or evening.

Welcome aboard, glad to have another AZ leopard owner on here.

thank you for the advice Neal! Ill be sure to stay consistent. I had him out last weekend for about a half hr and he was out today for about a half hr. tomorrow I am going to try to extend it.

 

[Tom]

Weight sounds about right to me too. I usually soak my little ones once a day, but like Neal, I'll soak them a second time if they've been out in the hot dry air for more than an hour or two.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

Weight sounds about right to me too. I usually soak my little ones once a day, but like Neal, I'll soak them a second time if they've been out in the hot dry air for more than an hour or two.

he had a hr of supervised time outside today! and I gave him a second soak like you and Neal suggested. I love how he seams to enjoy them! Thank you all, for all your help! I would be lost without you! I noticed he had new growth today and I think it looks pretty smooth.

 

[onarock]

Can I give you some advice? I would make sure my tortoises is eating regularly and is well hydrated. I have nearly 50 hatchlings right now and not all drink when I soak them. Some drink from the water bowl or from puddles. Keep them warm, not hot at this point in the game (83-88f) Always provide ample shade when outside. I'm talking about plants, bushes or shrubs rather than the man made stuff. I like filtered sun through vegitation better than strait sun. Finally, dont be too concerned about the smooth shell stuff. Like I said food, heat and hydration should be the priority. Smooth shells dont always indicate good health and bumpy or pyramid shells dont always indicate poor health. You will learn as you go. Good luck

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

Can I give you some advice? I would make sure my tortoises is eating regularly and is well hydrated. I have nearly 50 hatchlings right now and not all drink when I soak them. Some drink from the water bowl or from puddles. Keep them warm, not hot at this point in the game (83-88f) Always provide ample shade when outside. I'm talking about plants, bushes or shrubs rather than the man made stuff. I like filtered sun through vegitation better than strait sun. Finally, dont be too concerned about the smooth shell stuff. Like I said food, heat and hydration should be the priority. Smooth shells dont always indicate good health and bumpy or pyramid shells dont always indicate poor health. You will learn as you go. Good luck

Advice is always welcome!
I watch him eat every morning because he is so tiny i worry a lot. i soak his food in water for about 5-10 minutes every morning and serve it to him wet. when i first got him he drank a lot in his first soak. I really think he was dehydrated when i got him so I watch now to see if he drinks. we don't have any bushes or shrubs. we have desert landscaping. all are plants are cactus or succulent (other then the grass and the baby hibiscus bush i got today). I let him roam (under supervision) today in our aloe planter because the soil was still slightly damp from the drip system. I was told to much aloe could give him the runs so I watched him carefully to make sure he didn't munch on it. the planter itself faces north and I took him out in the evening a little before sunset. Do you think that is ok? I working on biulding him a little outdoor enclosure with grasses and weeds he can eat. Its just not done yet. Do you think the aloe could work for now? his enclosure should be ready in about 2 weeks.

 

[onarock]

Can I give you some advice? I would make sure my tortoises is eating regularly and is well hydrated. I have nearly 50 hatchlings right now and not all drink when I soak them. Some drink from the water bowl or from puddles. Keep them warm, not hot at this point in the game (83-88f) Always provide ample shade when outside. I'm talking about plants, bushes or shrubs rather than the man made stuff. I like filtered sun through vegitation better than strait sun. Finally, dont be too concerned about the smooth shell stuff. Like I said food, heat and hydration should be the priority. Smooth shells dont always indicate good health and bumpy or pyramid shells dont always indicate poor health. You will learn as you go. Good luck

Advice is always welcome!
I watch him eat every morning because he is so tiny i worry a lot. i soak his food in water for about 5-10 minutes every morning and serve it to him wet. when i first got him he drank a lot in his first soak. I really think he was dehydrated when i got him so I watch now to see if he drinks. we don't have any bushes or shrubs. we have desert landscaping. all are plants are cactus or succulent (other then the grass and the baby hibiscus bush i got today). I let him roam (under supervision) today in our aloe planter because the soil was still slightly damp from the drip system. I was told to much aloe could give him the runs so I watched him carefully to make sure he didn't munch on it. the planter itself faces north and I took him out in the evening a little before sunset. Do you think that is ok? I working on biulding him a little outdoor enclosure with grasses and weeds he can eat. Its just not done yet. Do you think the aloe could work for now? his enclosure should be ready in about 2 weeks.

I feed aloe to my hatchlings about twice a week. The more outdoors you can provide the better. Here is my approach when it comes to hatchlings in the sun. I try to give them broken sunlight. A dialed down version of the full sun. If they want full sun they have that option as well, but the only time my hatchlings go out in the open for full sun is early in the morning or late in the evening and not all of them do this. I have a thread on here, if I can remember correctly called Hatchling Enclosure and Revamped Hatchling Enclosure. You can see what I put them in when they hit about a week... maybe 10 days. I try to avoid just giving them the options of either full sun or the hide.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

Can I give you some advice? I would make sure my tortoises is eating regularly and is well hydrated. I have nearly 50 hatchlings right now and not all drink when I soak them. Some drink from the water bowl or from puddles. Keep them warm, not hot at this point in the game (83-88f) Always provide ample shade when outside. I'm talking about plants, bushes or shrubs rather than the man made stuff. I like filtered sun through vegitation better than strait sun. Finally, dont be too concerned about the smooth shell stuff. Like I said food, heat and hydration should be the priority. Smooth shells dont always indicate good health and bumpy or pyramid shells dont always indicate poor health. You will learn as you go. Good luck

Advice is always welcome!
I watch him eat every morning because he is so tiny i worry a lot. i soak his food in water for about 5-10 minutes every morning and serve it to him wet. when i first got him he drank a lot in his first soak. I really think he was dehydrated when i got him so I watch now to see if he drinks. we don't have any bushes or shrubs. we have desert landscaping. all are plants are cactus or succulent (other then the grass and the baby hibiscus bush i got today). I let him roam (under supervision) today in our aloe planter because the soil was still slightly damp from the drip system. I was told to much aloe could give him the runs so I watched him carefully to make sure he didn't munch on it. the planter itself faces north and I took him out in the evening a little before sunset. Do you think that is ok? I working on biulding him a little outdoor enclosure with grasses and weeds he can eat. Its just not done yet. Do you think the aloe could work for now? his enclosure should be ready in about 2 weeks.

I feed aloe to my hatchlings about twice a week. The more outdoors you can provide the better. Here is my approach when it comes to hatchlings in the sun. I try to give them broken sunlight. A dialed down version of the full sun. If they want full sun they have that option as well, but the only time my hatchlings go out in the open for full sun is early in the morning or late in the evening and not all of them do this. I have a thread on here, if I can remember correctly called Hatchling Enclosure and Revamped Hatchling Enclosure. You can see what I put them in when they hit about a week... maybe 10 days. I try to avoid just giving them the options of either full sun or the hide.

I found your thread. what kind of grass are you growing in there?