New and feeling defeated....

[reptimomAZ]

I originally signed up to find out why my baby is not eating. We adopted him on 9/28 and 10 days later he is still not eating much. He was eating spring greens so that is what I've tried to continue, along with some weeds from our yard (no sprays). I have dusted with some calcium, not a whole lot. Could that be the problem?

Also, as I was getting ready to put Flash back after his soak tonight I noticed some movements and it appears there are a lot of bugs in the new cypress mulch I bought today. Kind of freaking out about that... I have one end deeper for burrowing and moisture and the other end is mixed with aspen chips and is more shallow with the heat and UVB lamps in the middle so that his hide is cooler and his food doesn't cook. It is a long sweater box for now. We're building a full tort table this weekend. He is indoors mostly in AZ, just a baby. He's fairly active and curious, and he gets to roam in the backyard almost every day for about 30 minutes to an hour for some natural light and heat.

I have cared for ball pythons, corn snakes, skinks, dubias, leopard geckos.... I am feeling completely lost with this little guy. We did our research ahead of time and of course I have been binge reading and growing more confused. What do you recommend?

 

[dmmj]

the calcium smells funny to tortoises. Try sprinkling just a tiny little bit and see if that changes his attitude toward food or forgo the calcium for a few days and see if that changes his attitude. before someone ask what are his temperatures please?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Well, "Mom" I'm hoping the binge reading you are referring to is reading the threads and posts from the specific tortoise type you have, found here on the forum?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Tom is a great resource for information regarding sulcata tortoises and he can offer you all manner of solid, proper advice to help your little guy out. Understand, please, that this advice will be prefaced by some straight forward questions that have to do with the habit and temps. You have your baby set up in.

 

[leigti]

Check out the species specific section for a care sheet that will give you a lot of great information. If the tortoise is too cold it won't eat. The temperature shouldn't drop below 80° even at night. The long sweater box would work well when he is a baby, if you keep the lid on and just cut holes big enough for the lights it will keep heat and humidity in. A tortoise table is hard to keep warm and humid unless you have it covered. Look up "closed chamber" for some ideas here. And check out the enclosure section also.

 

[leigti]

Get some coconut coir. It usually doesn't have any bugs, it holds moisture well and will pass right through your tortoise if he accidentally eats any of it. If you buy the bricks like eco-earth you can freeze them before you add water to them. Or you can bake it. I personally just throw it in the freezer overnight and the next day I put it in a bucket and add hot water to it. Then I squeeze out the excess water and put it in the enclosure damp but not soggy.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Hopefully this link works for you. It is a forum thread Tom has put together for new sulcata owners…

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

 

[leigti]

Hopefully this link works for you. It is a forum thread Tom has put together for new sulcata owners…

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

I really need to learn how to link threads.

 

[Jodie]

I really need to learn how to link threads.

Lol. You just go to the page, select the address at the top, copy, then paste.
Welcome to the forum reptimomAZ.

 

[leigti]

Lol. You just go to the page, select the address at the top, copy, then paste.
Welcome to the forum reptimomAZ.

Can't do that from the phone app. And my computer is still in three different pieces.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Can't do that from the phone app.

All I ever use is the phone app.

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

I would try a lot of different types of food. My tort is picky so sometimes you just gotta find what they like. I also would try a baby carrot food soak. It's recommended for sick torts but I did it with my tort who was acting a little lethargic and he perked up. It's good vitamins. Make sure your temps are good also. Whenever my temps are off my tort acts sick. The bugs aren't harmful but I don't like them either. They live in the moist substrate. Normally I'll put up with it for a while and then switch the substrate out.

 

[Tom]

There is a lot of contradicting info out there right now for sulcatas. Most of that info is based on decades old incorrect assumptions about where sulcatas come from. It was wrong 30 years ago and its still wrong today.

Here is the "right" info based on new knowledge of what really happens over there in Africa, and also what works very well in North America.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Most people, even top breeders, still think that this is a desert species and that they need it dry all the time. This is not just wrong, its deadly to babies. While adults can survive arid conditions, humid conditions are better for them. Even more so for babies. As a result of this misunderstanding, most breeders are still starting their hatchlings far too dry on dry substrate in open topped dry enclosures, and not soaking them nearly enough, if at all.

Sweater boxes and open topped tables are the opposite of what they need, unless the entire room is kept warm, humid and tropical all the time. Give those threads a read and then come back with all your questions.

 

[DawnH]

Be sure you temps and humidity are spot on as that can affect their desire to eat/move around, etc. A cold baby is not a good thing. The bugs are not all that bad. You can bake the bark in the oven (on low, I would put it in on a few cookie sheets, bake at 250 for 10-15 minutes then let it sit in the warm over overnight) or even sprinkle food grade Diatomaceous Earth on it (tort safe.) Read the above threads (water source/soaking, etc) and when Tuleo was little I would use a food chopper to cut his food up. One trick is to sprinkle the calcium power on top of the food and then FLIP IT OVER. You can get a squirt bottle, lightly mist his greens (fresh grasses and weeds) sprinkle the powder (so now it sticks) and flip it over. BOOM! Mom 1, Picky Tort 0.

 

[Jacqui]

*hugs* It will get better.

 

[reptimomAZ]

Well, "Mom" I'm hoping the binge reading you are referring to is reading the threads and posts from the specific tortoise type you have, found here on the forum?

Yes, a lot of what I read has come from this forum, sulcatafood, and other credible sources. I can't read enough

 

[reptimomAZ]

Be sure you temps and humidity are spot on as that can affect their desire to eat/move around, etc. A cold baby is not a good thing. The bugs are not all that bad. You can bake the bark in the oven (on low, I would put it in on a few cookie sheets, bake at 250 for 10-15 minutes then let it sit in the warm over overnight) or even sprinkle food grade Diatomaceous Earth on it (tort safe.) Read the above threads (water source/soaking, etc) and when Tuleo was little I would use a food chopper to cut his food up. One trick is to sprinkle the calcium power on top of the food and then FLIP IT OVER. You can get a squirt bottle, lightly mist his greens (fresh grasses and weeds) sprinkle the powder (so now it sticks) and flip it over. BOOM! Mom 1, Picky Tort 0.

I think that may have solved the problem. I threw his food in a baby blender on pulse and he gobbled everything right up! I guess my hand shreds weren't small enough. I also added a rose petal for color and some other grasses.

I think my Temps might be off.... 100 at basking spot and his hide at the other end is hovering at 90 with about 55% humidity. (temp taken from the outside wall so it may be a tad lower/higher)

 

[reptimomAZ]

Yes, I moved the thermometer and hydrometer inside and it's 85/65.... it needs to be about 85 humidity though, right?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

it needs to be about 85 humidity though, right?

Yes. And toasty.

 

[wellington]

Yes, I moved the thermometer and hydrometer inside and it's 85/65.... it needs to be about 85 humidity though, right?

80% humidity is fine, so is 85. Just be sure the temp does not go below 80 day and night. The basking of 100 is good.
Sounds like your getting things in the right place and hopefully you won't feel so defeated. Many of us have felt the same in the beginning. Hang in there, it does get easier, I promise it does.