How to setup up a hatchling Suclata Tortoise enclosure?

[TortoiseRave]

Hey all! I am new to the forums, so i would like some help on how to setup a hatchling Sulcata Tortoise enlcosure.
what are the supplies and amount it will all cost?
can I use a 55 gallon tank to start? or should I buy/build a tortoise pen to start with?
do they need a water dish?
More questions to come.. just haven't thought of them all yet lol
Thanks Zac!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Zac:

We each have our own opinions on the questions you have asked. All you can do is listen to each of us, determine which answers fit your situation and choose accordingly.

In my opinion, you can house a baby sulcata in a large, plastic under-the-bed storage bin. It should be appx. 3' long, width doesn't matter. I have a UV basking light on one end and no light on the other end. During the winter, if your house gets pretty cold, you may want to have a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) on the cool end. Then I use another light fixture that holds a black incandescent bulb. Red would work also. I use this at night to help keep the habitat on the warm side. Of course, if you use a CHE, you don't need the black/red light.

I like cypress mulch for the substrate, because you can keep it moistened and it doesn't get sour or smell bad. They need the moisture to help them grow smoothly. Read this thread about smooth growth:

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding

You will also need a couple hiding places. You can cut a 6 or 10" plastic pot for plants in half from top to bottom. This works well.

And you'll need a feeding tile or small piece of cement for placing the food on, and a waterer. Be sure the sides of your waterer aren't too tall or the water isn't too deep. Sometimes babies fall over backwards when trying to get out of the waterer and the land on their back in the water.

I know "they" tell you to feed your baby tortoise hay, but babies just plain old don't eat hay. I use Spring Mix with added dandelion or escarole or turnip greens, etc. Hay works well when you have a larger tortoise and the grazing isn't good, such as during the winter. Then you can feed them hay instead of the grazing they do.

Here's another link for you to read:

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

Good luck to you. Hope to hear much more from you in the future!

---

I forgot to speak to the price issue, sorry.

If you buy the lights at a home improvement store they're cheaper than at the pet store. Get fixtures with ceramic base, not Bakelite base. They are sold as clamp light fixtures. That would be about $5 a fixture. The black light bulbs are $3 at Wal-Mart. The CHE is about $25 depending upon what watt you buy. The tub is about $10 maybe less. A bag of substrate at the pet store would be about $8 but if you can find it at Lowe's it's around $3. You can use flower pots already on hand and maybe pick up a tile for around $2.

 

[Len B]

Hey Zac: Here is a simple enclosure I put together the other day for a few youngsters, they stay in it during the day, The cost was three 1x6x6ft fence boards @$1.29 each and about 2 doz drywall screws which I had on hand. No bottom or cover which will increase the cost, At night they stay in a 40 gal breeder type aquarium with cypress mulch, a hide, a che, a 16 x10 ceramic tile turned upside down some fluorescent lighting and a real shallow water dish.

 

[TortoiseRave]

Hi Zac:

We each have our own opinions on the questions you have asked. All you can do is listen to each of us, determine which answers fit your situation and choose accordingly.

In my opinion, you can house a baby sulcata in a large, plastic under-the-bed storage bin. It should be appx. 3' long, width doesn't matter. I have a UV basking light on one end and no light on the other end. During the winter, if your house gets pretty cold, you may want to have a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) on the cool end. Then I use another light fixture that holds a black incandescent bulb. Red would work also. I use this at night to help keep the habitat on the warm side. Of course, if you use a CHE, you don't need the black/red light.

I like cypress mulch for the substrate, because you can keep it moistened and it doesn't get sour or smell bad. They need the moisture to help them grow smoothly. Read this thread about smooth growth:

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding

You will also need a couple hiding places. You can cut a 6 or 10" plastic pot for plants in half from top to bottom. This works well.

And you'll need a feeding tile or small piece of cement for placing the food on, and a waterer. Be sure the sides of your waterer aren't too tall or the water isn't too deep. Sometimes babies fall over backwards when trying to get out of the waterer and the land on their back in the water.

I know "they" tell you to feed your baby tortoise hay, but babies just plain old don't eat hay. I use Spring Mix with added dandelion or escarole or turnip greens, etc. Hay works well when you have a larger tortoise and the grazing isn't good, such as during the winter. Then you can feed them hay instead of the grazing they do.

Here's another link for you to read:

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

Good luck to you. Hope to hear much more from you in the future!

---

I forgot to speak to the price issue, sorry.

If you buy the lights at a home improvement store they're cheaper than at the pet store. Get fixtures with ceramic base, not Bakelite base. They are sold as clamp light fixtures. That would be about $5 a fixture. The black light bulbs are $3 at Wal-Mart. The CHE is about $25 depending upon what watt you buy. The tub is about $10 maybe less. A bag of substrate at the pet store would be about $8 but if you can find it at Lowe's it's around $3. You can use flower pots already on hand and maybe pick up a tile for around $2.

---

alrighty thanks! do they need a repti-sun 5.0? or not? and do i put live plants in with it?

 

[Tom]

It is my opinion that flourescent UV bulbs do nothing but light up the enclosure, despite what the manufacturers and light meters say. They just don't work in practice. The best thing to do is get your tortoise some daily sunshine. As little as 20 minutes twice a week is adequate, but more is better. If you can do this, you don't need any indoor UV bulbs. If you have frozen winters then you need to get a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB). I prefer the "T-Rex Active UV Heat" bulbs. Start with the manufacturers recommendation for distance from the substrate and then use a temp gun or remote thermometer probe to get your basking spot up to about 100-110.

If you put live plants where a sulcata can reach them, they will likely be eaten and or trampled. Since they need to "weather" for at least 3 months to get the nursery chemicals off of them, it will be a while until you want to attempt this anyway.

Yes they need a water bowl. Terra-cotta plant saucers usually work the best and only cost a couple of bucks as opposed to the pet store monstrosities that cost a lot and don't work very well. Start getting used to the idea of shopping for tortoise supplies at the hardware store instead of the pet-store. You'll save a ton of money and get better stuff for your tort too.

 

[TortoiseRave]

It is my opinion that flourescent UV bulbs do nothing but light up the enclosure, despite what the manufacturers and light meters say. They just don't work in practice. The best thing to do is get your tortoise some daily sunshine. As little as 20 minutes twice a week is adequate, but more is better. If you can do this, you don't need any indoor UV bulbs. If you have frozen winters then you need to get a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB). I prefer the "T-Rex Active UV Heat" bulbs. Start with the manufacturers recommendation for distance from the substrate and then use a temp gun or remote thermometer probe to get your basking spot up to about 100-110.

If you put live plants where a sulcata can reach them, they will likely be eaten and or trampled. Since they need to "weather" for at least 3 months to get the nursery chemicals off of them, it will be a while until you want to attempt this anyway.

Yes they need a water bowl. Terra-cotta plant saucers usually work the best and only cost a couple of bucks as opposed to the pet store monstrosities that cost a lot and don't work very well. Start getting used to the idea of shopping for tortoise supplies at the hardware store instead of the pet-store. You'll save a ton of money and get better stuff for your tort too.

Thanks, but wouldn't I need a Repti-Sun 5.0 for the winter and fall months? Or not?
The nice thing is for me but not the employees/owners is that there is a hardware store that is closing up in my town and everything is 50% off

 

[Tom]

It is my opinion that flourescent UV bulbs do nothing but light up the enclosure, despite what the manufacturers and light meters say. They just don't work in practice. The best thing to do is get your tortoise some daily sunshine. As little as 20 minutes twice a week is adequate, but more is better. If you can do this, you don't need any indoor UV bulbs. If you have frozen winters then you need to get a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB). I prefer the "T-Rex Active UV Heat" bulbs. Start with the manufacturers recommendation for distance from the substrate and then use a temp gun or remote thermometer probe to get your basking spot up to about 100-110.

If you put live plants where a sulcata can reach them, they will likely be eaten and or trampled. Since they need to "weather" for at least 3 months to get the nursery chemicals off of them, it will be a while until you want to attempt this anyway.

Yes they need a water bowl. Terra-cotta plant saucers usually work the best and only cost a couple of bucks as opposed to the pet store monstrosities that cost a lot and don't work very well. Start getting used to the idea of shopping for tortoise supplies at the hardware store instead of the pet-store. You'll save a ton of money and get better stuff for your tort too.

Thanks, but wouldn't I need a Repti-Sun 5.0 for the winter and fall months? Or not?
The nice thing is for me but not the employees/owners is that there is a hardware store that is closing up in my town and everything is 50% off

No you don't need that. They don't do anything. The MVB will give you the best artificial UV, and that one bulb will be all you need during the day unless your house stays too cool. My typical set up for my house is a 60 watt Pearlco ceramic heating element (CHE) on 24/7 toward the warm end and a MVB on 12 hours a day on the warm end. You will need to monitor temps and make changes when necessary, but this system usually works well for me. If you get regular sunshine, you can skip the MVB and just use a cheaper regular spot or flood bulb from the hardware store.