New Gift

[eclipse5161]

ok so My fiances mother works at a local pet shop here in town. and a lady brought in her sulcata because she didnt "want" it anymore. well it found its way to my house like a few other animals have that people didnt want. with it came a 2x2 square glass tank with stand and lid. 2 ceramic clamp lights, water and food dish. i have a few years of experience with aquatic turtles, but have never dealt with tortoises. so i know a little bit about the care but the difference in land and aquatic turtles is a little new to me. the tort, who is nameless as of now, is very active. seems to be in great health as far as i can tell. and has eaten the tomatoes my mother in law put in with him this morning when she brought it over.

here are some pics.

i do not like this set up at all. i will be changing the bedding and adding some hide spots. i need to get a couple thermometers and a few other things to better occomadate the little guy. i have a few questions for you with more experience.

1.) does its shell look to be in good shape?
2.) would you recomend changing tanks? i have a spare 55 gallon tank that i feel would be easier to work with. considering the cool spots and such.

im sure ill have more question later on as the day go by but this will do for now. im very excited about this little guy. ive always wanted one but i have never made the plunge.

 

[Yvonne G]

Aquariums are not the best habitats for tortoises, but the 55 gallon would be much better than the one he's in now.

I'd like to recommend you going to K-Mart or Wal-Mart and buying a Christmas tree storage bin. It's quite long, has low sides and is nice for being able to have a warm side and a room temperature side.

His shell is looking pretty good, however the scutes are raising a bit (pyramiding). You can help to stop that by moistening the substrate. Also, we don't recommend feeding tomatoes to hatchlings because of the acidity. Feeding occasionally to bigger tortoises is ok. You can feed him Spring Mix with added weeds and grasses.

The substrate kinda' looks like cypress mulch, however the pieces are too large for that little guy to safely walk on. Some folks here like to use a 70/30 mixture of coconut coir (bed-a-beast) and children's play sand (which can be purchased at a home improvement store). You use play sand because it has been sanitized and is free of harmful pieces like glass, etc.

You also need a UVB light if the tortoise is going to be living 24/7 in the house. The really do need the UV rays from the sun in order to grow healthy shell and bones, the light is better than nothing.

Here are a couple sites for sulcata reading:

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/sulcatacare.htm

http://www.turtlehomes.org/usa/sulcatacaresheet.shtml

Congrats on your new tortoise. AND...

to the forum!!

Yvonne

 

[eclipse5161]

Aquariums are not the best habitats for tortoises, but the 55 gallon would be much better than the one he's in now.

I'd like to recommend you going to K-Mart or Wal-Mart and buying a Christmas tree storage bin. It's quite long, has low sides and is nice for being able to have a warm side and a room temperature side.

His shell is looking pretty good, however the scutes are raising a bit (pyramiding). You can help to stop that by moistening the substrate. Also, we don't recommend feeding tomatoes to hatchlings because of the acidity. Feeding occasionally to bigger tortoises is ok. You can feed him Spring Mix with added weeds and grasses.

The substrate kinda' looks like cypress mulch, however the pieces are too large for that little guy to safely walk on. Some folks here like to use a 70/30 mixture of coconut coir (bed-a-beast) and children's play sand (which can be purchased at a home improvement store). You use play sand because it has been sanitized and is free of harmful pieces like glass, etc.

You also need a UVB light if the tortoise is going to be living 24/7 in the house. The really do need the UV rays from the sun in order to grow healthy shell and bones, the light is better than nothing.

Here are a couple sites for sulcata reading:

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/sulcatacare.htm

http://www.turtlehomes.org/usa/sulcatacaresheet.shtml

Congrats on your new tortoise. AND...

to the forum!!

Yvonne

i already got the uv bulb. i knew i had to have one of those from my experience with aquatic turtles. and i had a feeling the tomatoes wernt the best for it, but the lady who had it before fed it tomatoes and thats what was in the tank when we got it. all these problems will be addressed shortly. just need to find time to get the stuff.

 

[purpod]

Greetings Eclipse ~

Aww, what a little cutie you've got there! Looks like Yvonne has given you some xllnt advice, so there's really not much I would add.

On a personal note, I've always liked having a set-up indoors that 'looks' good as well as is good for the tort, so I would suggest using the 55 gallon; it's something you already have, and should be big enuf for the time being. It's also easy to set the lighting on top of the vivarium, with no worries of it being knocked over or melting plastic. Again, just my own personal preference ~

Do you have outdoor space to where you could kick back outside with your new babe? My smallest leopard is still 'trapped' by those edging bricks that landscapers use... you know, they come either straight {or at a slight curve} and the top looks like a line of "B's (flat edge of the B laying down on the ground). Some peeps here have made some incredible outdoor enclosures using cinder blocks too (taller and heavier than my little edging bricks).

Altho mine have good sized vivariums indoors, I really like to take them outside and let them graze and romp around; plus the real sunlight is bestest for them anyways... I've got succulants planted, as well as various grazing grasses & a small hibiscus shrub for them to chow upon as they like. You may want to think about setting up an outdoor area for your new shelled family member; lots of ideas in the enclosure section here at TFO. {just make sure you are there while he is out, to avoid any other critters thinking your babe is a nice snack or a chew toy}.

And just curious; what was the name his previous owner gave? I'm one of those odd balls who doesn't change the name of a pet... hence our wire hair fox terrier is named 'Brumby' {It would not have been my personal choice, but what the heck...}

Anyways, enjoy setting up your new bud ~
And again, Welcome ~
Purpod

 

[eclipse5161]

Greetings Eclipse ~

Aww, what a little cutie you've got there! Looks like Yvonne has given you some xllnt advice, so there's really not much I would add.

On a personal note, I've always liked having a set-up indoors that 'looks' good as well as is good for the tort, so I would suggest using the 55 gallon; it's something you already have, and should be big enuf for the time being. It's also easy to set the lighting on top of the vivarium, with no worries of it being knocked over or melting plastic. Again, just my own personal preference ~

Do you have outdoor space to where you could kick back outside with your new babe? My smallest leopard is still 'trapped' by those edging bricks that landscapers use... you know, they come either straight {or at a slight curve} and the top looks like a line of "B's (flat edge of the B laying down on the ground). Some peeps here have made some incredible outdoor enclosures using cinder blocks too (taller and heavier than my little edging bricks).

Altho mine have good sized vivariums indoors, I really like to take them outside and let them graze and romp around; plus the real sunlight is bestest for them anyways... I've got succulants planted, as well as various grazing grasses & a small hibiscus shrub for them to chow upon as they like. You may want to think about setting up an outdoor area for your new shelled family member; lots of ideas in the enclosure section here at TFO. {just make sure you are there while he is out, to avoid any other critters thinking your babe is a nice snack or a chew toy}.

And just curious; what was the name his previous owner gave? I'm one of those odd balls who doesn't change the name of a pet... hence our wire hair fox terrier is named 'Brumby' {It would not have been my personal choice, but what the heck...}

Anyways, enjoy setting up your new bud ~
And again, Welcome ~
Purpod

i am in the process of retaining a small pin that my in laws have. our Bunny rabbit could use some time outdoors as well. locating the pin is the problem. once i get it he will have a nice little area to roam around and munch on some grass.

im not sure if the previous owner gave it a name. i think it will remain nameless until our 2 year old daughter can name it haha.

i to love to have a home that is appealing to the human eye and is set up nicely for the tort. eventually in a year or two when i look to buy a house ill make a nice area for it to live out doors in the summer and bring it in during the winter. but until ill have to get by with what i have.

 

[purpod]

Sounds like a good plan to me ~ bestest wishes for all to work out well!

Purpod ~

P.S. Don't be surprised if your precious daughter names him Yertle the Turtle, lol, guessing, that is, that she enjoys Dr. Seuss books

 

[eclipse5161]

well her bunny is named bunny so nothing will surprise me with her lol

 

[Crazy1]

Eclipse, welcome to the forum. You have a cute little Sully. You do know how big they get right? Of course it will take a bit of time for him/her to reach 150 to 200 lbs. like 17 years. Now for the questions you asked.
1.) does its shell look to be in good shape?
Its shell looks to be bumping upwards just a tad. It more than likely needs more humidity and a better diet. What has been done can not be undone but it can be corrected from this point forward and you would never even know it was starting to get a bit bumpy.
2.) would you recommend changing tanks? i have a spare 55 gallon tank that i feel would be easier to work with. considering the cool spots and such.
I would definitely change the tank. The one it is in is high sided and does not allow for good air exchange but you knew that.
The Christmas tree storage bin that Wal-Mart carries is only seasonal so you would have to wait for Christmas time. Though I do have several and love them. Tanks are not the best as most have said but they will work. and I am sure you will do your best to give it the microclimates it needsAnother thing that works is a childs plastic pool. This works inside as well as out and you can fill it with dirt and plant in it. That would give it a place to be yet it would also be secure. Just drill a couple of holes in the bottom for the water to drain..
Congratulations on your new Tort. Maybe you can call it Two, or if I remember, two year old children say "This many" with fingers held in the air?

 

[eclipse5161]

Eclipse, welcome to the forum. You have a cute little Sully. You do know how big they get right? Of course it will take a bit of time for him/her to reach 150 to 200 lbs. like 17 years. Now for the questions you asked.
1.) does its shell look to be in good shape?
Its shell looks to be bumping upwards just a tad. It more than likely needs more humidity and a better diet. What has been done can not be undone but it can be corrected from this point forward and you would never even know it was starting to get a bit bumpy.
2.) would you recommend changing tanks? i have a spare 55 gallon tank that i feel would be easier to work with. considering the cool spots and such.
I would definitely change the tank. The one it is in is high sided and does not allow for good air exchange but you knew that.
The Christmas tree storage bin that Wal-Mart carries is only seasonal so you would have to wait for Christmas time. Though I do have several and love them. Tanks are not the best as most have said but they will work. and I am sure you will do your best to give it the microclimates it needsAnother thing that works is a childs plastic pool. This works inside as well as out and you can fill it with dirt and plant in it. That would give it a place to be yet it would also be secure. Just drill a couple of holes in the bottom for the water to drain..
Congratulations on your new Tort. Maybe you can call it Two, or if I remember, two year old children say "This many" with fingers held in the air?

thanks for the reply. as of right now we are very limited in space. the town home we have rented just isnt enough room for the stuff we have. and trying to keep everything child proof at the same time is starting to get a little difficult. all i can do as of now is do what i can to get by until we can buy our own house. by the time this little fellow gets big enough for space to really be an issue we should have a home of our own.

 

[Crazy1]

Eclipse I understand how that is. I am a renter also. I wish I had my own home. Someday soon I hope. But we do what we can and make things the best we can for them. If we could all give them the habitat they deserve and require we would have acers of land.