I'm new to tortoises!!

[sulcata1861]

Hi! My name is Megan, i am from northern texas and I have been interested in raising a sulcata tortoise for years!! I've done a lot of research but sadly there isn't always a black and white answer so I was hoping to have yalls advice...I just got my first sulcata hatchling on November 6 2015... he/she was hatched in July of 2015 and is about 2 inches wide... he (i dont know the sex so im calling it a he) is still shy around me and so far has only come out with me present during his first soaking in warm water for 30 minutes, which i did this morning... he is eating and drinking and appears to be settling in well... he hides most of the day but is up every morning for a couple of hours and then again around 3pm... so here's my questions..

1. I had plans of building a 4 foot by 2 foot turtle box for him, however the breeder suggested a small area for the first year that way he wouldn't have trouble locating his food.. I've never read anything about this so was interested in yalls input on this advice...would a small enclosure be best for the first year? Could it hurt?

2. I am currently planning to soak him 3 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes each time.. too much/not enough? Can you over soak them?

3.im having trouble getting his enclosure to get above 90 degrees...I'm using an enclosure the size of a 20 gallon tank and I have a UVB light along with a 75 Watt heat lamp.. would a 100 watt be too hot.. plus would putting a heat pad under the enclosure all night make it too hot? I have about 2 inches deep of alfalfa pellets as bedding... or could I move him into the living room (warmer) or is that too much traffic with me, guest, and dogs? Would that stress him out? I wanted to get a space heater but didn't know if that'd dry out the room... the current humidity is between 60 and 70%.

4. I'm feeding him spring mix salad (not giving him spinach). And also feeding him Zoo Med Natural Grassland Tortoise Food.. mixed with calcium powder and multivitamin powder. Is this good or should I be doing something different?

Thank you!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. They breeder is a little off on the enclosure size. The size you mentioned will be fine. I would soak every day and give him time to get used to the big person that is hovering over him and he doesn't know yet if your going to eat him. When he figures out you bring the food, he will be much more comfortable. Please read Toms threads below in this post by my signature for most of the answers to your questions you have now and will have. It can be a lot to swallow, so don't be afraid to ask for some help clearing it up.

 

[lismar79]

First off welcome to the forum! I would for sure read toms threads as wellington said. There are some things in there you can improve right away. Please make one of them the alfalfa pellets, those are no good as a substrate (bedding) they don't hold humidity well, they mold, and they are hard to walk on.

 

[Jodie]

What kind of UVB light are you using? If it is a coil bulb, it can cause eye damage. For night heat, a heating pad is no good. A CHE on a thermostat is a great option.
I only supplement with calcium three times per week. Too much calcium can cause stones.
Try to vary t g e d I st a bit more. Grass and weeds are best. Escarole and endive are great options from the store. Also kale, mustard greens, Arrugula......
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new baby.

 

[sulcata1861]

Yeah I read a bit about the closed enclosures and am planning on building that... I had that planned for this weekend but the breeder told me to use something smaller! But I'm for sure going to build the original one planned now! And I don't see the link wellington but I'll browse the forum for tom. Thank you guys!

 

[sulcata1861]

What kind of thermometer can be used for a CHE.. does it have to be a pulse proportional thermometer?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Megan

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome Megan !

 

[sulcata1861]

Thank you!!

 

[sulcata1861]

Update.. I will have my new enclosure by next weekend.. for now I have to stick with the 20 gallon size enclosure... I've got the humidity at 83% the cool zone is at 85 degrees though.. and the hot zone is at 95-100 I am using the powersun UV light and just got a CHE lamp for night however it didn't wrk so I'm about to take it back to see if maybe it's a bad bulb or wrong lamp.. I'm planning on setting a timer for 12 hours each lamp. I've began soaking daily and got some cypress mulch that I am spraying to keep moist so humidity will stay up. I've literally got about 3 different thermometers and 2 humidity readers in the tank..... is any of this wrong?? I've read Tom's discussions and I think I've pretty much got it to what he said. But is the humidity at 85ish% too high?? Or is the cool zone to warm at 85 degrees? Also he loves eating grass from my yard!!!

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Put the CHE on a thermostat, not a timer. You run the risk of over heating an enclosure that small easily by leaving it on without a thermostat to regulate it.

 

[the_newzie]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[sulcata1861]

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you!! It's been extremely helpful so far!

 

[sulcata1861]

Put the CHE on a thermostat, not a timer. You run the risk of over heating an enclosure that small easily by leaving it on without a thermostat to regulate it.

Can I get that thermostat at petco or petsmart? Those are the only two pet stores in my area and I didn't see any temperature cut off thermometers??

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

You can, but there are many more options if you're willing to shop online.

 

[sulcata1861]

You can, but there are many more options if you're willing to shop online.

Yeah im willing to shop online! I'll look around and see what I can find! Is it something like the pulse proportional thermometer? Or is it an entirely different thermometer?! Thank you for the advice and help!! I'm trying to raise him happy and healthy!

 

[sulcata1861]

Yeah im willing to shop online! I'll look around and see what I can find! Is it something like the pulse proportional thermometer? Or is it an entirely different thermometer?! Thank you for the advice and help!! I'm trying to raise him happy and healthy!

Just ordered it. Thank you again!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Megan, and welcome to the Forum!

 

[Tom]

You've gotten some good advice already. Here are the two thermostats that I like:
http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTP...kcompar-20&ascsubtag=56416baf48308f04f8e6868a

Soak daily for a baby.

85 is fine for an ambient temps day and night. 80 is warm enough. 85 will be fine too.

 

[Tom]

Hi! My name is Megan, i am from northern texas and I have been interested in raising a sulcata tortoise for years!! I've done a lot of research but sadly there isn't always a black and white answer so I was hoping to have yalls advice...I just got my first sulcata hatchling on November 6 2015... he/she was hatched in July of 2015 and is about 2 inches wide... he (i dont know the sex so im calling it a he) is still shy around me and so far has only come out with me present during his first soaking in warm water for 30 minutes, which i did this morning... he is eating and drinking and appears to be settling in well... he hides most of the day but is up every morning for a couple of hours and then again around 3pm... so here's my questions..

1. I had plans of building a 4 foot by 2 foot turtle box for him, however the breeder suggested a small area for the first year that way he wouldn't have trouble locating his food.. I've never read anything about this so was interested in yalls input on this advice...would a small enclosure be best for the first year? Could it hurt?

2. I am currently planning to soak him 3 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes each time.. too much/not enough? Can you over soak them?

3.im having trouble getting his enclosure to get above 90 degrees...I'm using an enclosure the size of a 20 gallon tank and I have a UVB light along with a 75 Watt heat lamp.. would a 100 watt be too hot.. plus would putting a heat pad under the enclosure all night make it too hot? I have about 2 inches deep of alfalfa pellets as bedding... or could I move him into the living room (warmer) or is that too much traffic with me, guest, and dogs? Would that stress him out? I wanted to get a space heater but didn't know if that'd dry out the room... the current humidity is between 60 and 70%.

4. I'm feeding him spring mix salad (not giving him spinach). And also feeding him Zoo Med Natural Grassland Tortoise Food.. mixed with calcium powder and multivitamin powder. Is this good or should I be doing something different?

Thank you!

I wanted to answer your initial questions in my own words, but first a bit about "research". Most of what is out there in the world is wrong. Most websites, experts, vets and breeders are basing their advice on 30 year old incorrect assumptions about the natural environment that sulcatas come from. It was wrong then and its still wrong, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out how so many people have still not figured this out.

In any case, you've found us, and its sounds like you have gotten the message.

Your questions:
1. I would not listen to anything this breeder told you. I start hatchlings in 4x4' or 4x8' enclosures and they have NO trouble finding their food. Yes, an enclosure that is too small can hurt. They need room to move and exercise. Once you put all the "furniture" in a small enclosure, there is hardly any room left to walk. They need to walk. It helps them digest their food.
2. Soak babies every day. You might be able to over-soak one if it was in deep water all day every day, but daily 20-30 minutes soaks, or double that, will not hurt anything.
3a. You need a closed chamber to keep things warm and humid. Fighting an open top is futile.
3b. If you are using a coil type cfl UV bulb, it is probably burning his eyes and causing him to hide all day.
3c. No heat pads, but you already got this advice…
3d. Alfalfa pellets are not a suitable substrate, and how are you maintaining 60-70% humidity with dry substrate and an open top? Are you using the dial type stick-on Petco thermometer, hygrometers? Those are not accurate or reliable. Get a digital one from the hardware store.
3e. I would move him to the warmer room. They desensitize to activity quickly.
3f. Yes, a space heater will dry things out.
4. Spring mix is okay some of the time, but you need much more variety. I would mix the calcium powder with greens twice a week and the vitamins once a week. The ZooMed is good if you soak one pellet and then thoroughly mix that all in with the greens of the day.

All of this and more is explained here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

What NOT to do:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

What to feed them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/