lethargic

[tortoiselady122520]

hi i’ve noticed that my baby sulcata has been sleeping a lot and not being very active and not eating very much what can i do??

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

We'll need some more detail to try to figure out why he's not feeling very good. So, some questions...

What are your 4 temps in his enclosure? Basking temp, warm side, cool side, and lowest temp at night?

What kinds of lights and heating are you using?

Please post some pictures of his enclosure and equipment.

Where did you get your baby? We'd like the name of the breeder/seller.

This is the care sheet for sulcatas. Read it and compare to how you are raising your little one. Then come back with any questions you might have. We'll work with you to find what's wrong.

And is the old Dagmar Hotel still in Hagerstown? I have some great memories of there from 30 years ago, long before your time...

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings. Yep, take a read what Karen sent to you & asked. My initial guess is temperature is just too low, especially overnight..

Tom’s care sheet, that Karen included above, has pretty much all that you need to know & religiously follow.

Try to upload some more pix of your enclosure.

good luck, happy torting

 

[tortoiselady122520]

this is his enclosure

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like it's right by a window. Cold air off the window could be pouring down into the enclosure. You really do need to rig up some sort of cover for it to enclose it totally, including lights. A big plastic tub with a lid would work well. Use the lid, but cut out holes for the lights to shine through. Here's an example: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/chambers-my-take-of-the-idea.77044/

 

[KarenSoCal]

I agree with Yvonne that the enclosure needs a top.

In addition, I don't see a water dish. Get a terra cotta flower pot saucer, and sink it into the substrate until the lip of the saucer is even with the substrate. You can buy the saucers separately most any place the pots are sold. Get one big enough that he can get all the way into it.

Buy a 2nd saucer to feed him. The rough surface will help keep his beak trimmed down. The plate you're using is too smooth to help with that.

The UVB light you are using is not a good one for torts. When you get a lid, plan on switching to a fluorescent tube type light, like this one...

Arcadia ProT5 UVB Kit (Includes Hood)

ProT5 is a highly adaptable lighting kit with high quality internal electronics, a high effective but removable reflector, power cable, fittings kit, free link cable and choice of Arcadia Reptile HO-T5 UV-B lamp. ProT5 uses the very finest electrical components to ensure safe running and long...

reptilighting.com

You only need to buy the fixture once, then you just have to replace the bulb.

I don't see any heat source for nighttime. If you have been leaving the basking light on for heat at night, that's not good. Torts need a day/night cycle just like we do, so it should be dark at night.

Is the substrate damp at all for humidity? It needs to be dampened, but do not wet it until we have your heating set up.

In addition to the care sheet I posted in post # 2 above, here is info on heating/lighting for your baby.

I believe you need to make these changes now! Your baby is most certainly too cold, and is just not being properly provided for. I understand that someone has given you bad advice, and not knowing better, you followed it. But that doesn't change the facts of the situation.

I am afraid that if these conditions are allowed to continue, your little baby will soon be sick and die, because you do not have the essentials needed for him to survive.

4 elements of heating: By Tom
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.

Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.

Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.

UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

 

[tortoiselady122520]

this is his enclosure now. he still isn’t really eating just sleeping he hasn’t ate in about 2 days. we just did a carrot soak to try and help him out

 

[Maro2Bear]

this is his enclosure now. he still isn’t really eating just sleeping he hasn’t ate in about 2 days. we just did a carrot soak to try and help him out

Greetings again. I’m just wondering how you are heating your new enclosure? Also, those small thermometers can be way off & very inaccurate. You need an infrared digital thermometer and/or install some digital ones from AcuRite.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/AcuRite...Temperature-Comfort-Monitor-00619HD/202260980

 

[tortoiselady122520]

i’m using a ceramic infrared heat bulb. it’s 100 watt and i use a uvb throughout the day

 

[Maro2Bear]

i’m using a ceramic infrared heat bulb. it’s 100 watt and i use a uvb throughout the day

and you have your CHE hooked up via a thermostat so it is turning off & on to maintain your ambient temp of at least 80F? CHE should be connected into something like this thermostat -http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13882-zilla-500-watt-temperature-controller

I’m trying to help here with all these questions ‘cause usually people don’t have their enclosures warm enough day and night. Minimum is 80, all over, no cold spots. It’s hard to maintain the high humidity & right temperatures with an open top.

Good luck with your Sully

 

[tortoiselady122520]

yeah it’s closed now i don’t mind all the questions i just want him to get better i would really feel a lot better if he ate. could it be his calcium intake too? and could i put like some baby food carrots and like some calcium powder and mix it and put in a syringe and try to get him to eat that way??

 

[Maro2Bear]

yeah it’s closed now i don’t mind all the questions i just want him to get better i would really feel a lot better if he ate. could it be his calcium intake too? and could i put like some baby food carrots and like some calcium powder and mix it and put in a syringe and try to get him to eat that way??

I wouldnt force feed it at all, could Make things much worse. Two days of not eating isnt the end of the world. Continue with your twice daily warm water soaks, make sure your tort stays nice & warm. No cold spots.
Give it some time to get accustomed to new conditions.

Lastly, how long have you had it?

Good luck

 

[tortoiselady122520]

okay thank you so much. i’ve had it for about a month. we got it as a christmas gift for someone that has been begging for a tort.

 

[Maro2Bear]

okay thank you so much. i’ve had it for about a month. we got it as a christmas gift for someone that has been begging for a tort.

Gotcha. Study that care sheet that Karen linked a few posts back. @Tom is “the Master” when it comes to raising Sulcatas and documented all the do‘s & dont’s in that care guide. He‘s raised 1000’s, so no sense trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to housing, feeding, lighting, temps, substrate, etc. These Sullys need to be warm & humid and fed the right foods (no fruits). It’s harder here in Maryland, with our cold/freezing temps.

Good luck - keep asking questions.

 

[Tom]

There are four elements to heating and lighting:

1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html

Where did you get the baby. Almost no one starts them correctly.

 

[Chefdenoel10]

yeah it’s closed now i don’t mind all the questions i just want him to get better i would really feel a lot better if he ate. could it be his calcium intake too? and could i put like some baby food carrots and like some calcium powder and mix it and put in a syringe and try to get him to eat that way??

try really warm water soaks with “unflavored pedialite “ or “baby carrot” purée.. add it to the water and soak him for like 30-40 mins?
Good luck I hope he eats soon!!!
Try different foods?