New Hatchling, New Questions! Please help!

[tortnerd]

I am an idiot.
Today, I saw a CL posting for a baby Sulcata "turtle". The picture was of a 10 g tank, sand substrate, and 2 heating lights aimed at the entire nightmare.

I drove out to "meet" her, and, well, now I have a hatchling Sulcata. She fits in the palm of my hand.
I have had 2 young RTs for a year now, and they are thriving, so I'm not a complete newb. I am sort of aware of what I have just gotten myself into. That said, I have so many questions!
She seems healthy despite her circumstances, very active and curious. But, the women I bought her from said they had started out with 2, and one had recently died.

She was supposedly on a diet of vegetables and supermarket kale and spinach. I'm going to cut the vegetables entirely, and tomorrow start mixing dark leafy greens with timothy hay. I was thinking of just buying the died stuff for guinea pigs- is that okay?
I don't know anything about which grasses are okay, except that Alfalfa is not. Can I feed her my lawn? We've never used chemicals on it.
So far, she has eaten nothing with me.

My other question is lighting- she came with a red heat lamp which seems okay to me (80 or so on the hot end of her new tort bin) but the basking lamp is a coil. Is it true that this could blind her? Additionally, the fixture has a reflective inside. I think I remember reading somewhere that this was a bad idea for a basking light- does anyone know anything about this?

I know I don't really post here a hole bunch, but I really need help! I feel kind of in over my head. I want this tortoise to do well, she deserves better than what she's had so far. And I'll post pictures as soon as she wakes up tomorrow!

 

[egyptiandan]

I'd toss the kale and the spinach and go with Spring mix (minus the spinach) and fresh grass from the yard. Hay isn't a good idea until a sulcata is much bigger.
Instead of the coil light, I'd go with an MVB for the basking site. That way you combine heat and UVB. Than have a regular fluorescent light to light the rest of the enclosure.
Make sure you supplement with calcium (with D3) at every feeding.

Danny

 

[tortnerd]

I'd toss the kale and the spinach and go with Spring mix (minus the spinach) and fresh grass from the yard. Hay isn't a good idea until a sulcata is much bigger.
Instead of the coil light, I'd go with an MVB for the basking site. That way you combine heat and UVB. Than have a regular fluorescent light to light the rest of the enclosure.
Make sure you supplement with calcium (with D3) at every feeding.

Danny

Oh, Awesome! So I can feed her the same diet I'm feeding the Russians, for the most part. Do you know how long until she should be eating grasses?
And I got a cuttle bone, and I'm planning on shaving it into the food at each feeding, as well as leaving one in the bin with her.
Thanks for your advice!

Oh, and I just thought of another question:
Is coconut fiber okay for Sulcata hatchlings?
Thanks again!

 

[Meg90]

You might want to mix it with clean playsand (not calci sand) for better traction...it will also help it from drying out too quickly. I think the preferred mix is 70% coir and 30% sand. I have a portion of straight coconut fibre in my hatchling enclosure and she does ok on it, but if its the least bit dry, its pretty easy to kick up dust for even such a little tort!

Can you post a pic of your setup? A pics worth a thousand words right!

Danny's right about the coil light. They have been known to cause blindness in tortoises.....good luck with the new baby. Does it have a name yet? Unlike your russians, it will be years before you know its sex, so you might want to pick something unisex! And kudos as well, for rescuing your new baby.

 

[Crazy1]

I am an idiot.

Additionally, the fixture has a reflective inside. I think I remember reading somewhere that this was a bad idea for a basking light- does anyone know anything about this?

I And I'll post pictures as soon as she wakes up tomorrow!

No your not. You are like the rest of us. You just love torts. that doesn't make you an idiot it makes you a compasionate tort lover to rescure her from what I am sure would have been an untimely end.

fixtures with a reflective inside for a Desert type tort (Sully) is fine. It will however intensify some of the heat & or light Just make sure with an MVB that it is the proper distance from the surface for the heat you want.

I can't wait to see pics of your new little Sully. Now for a name

 

[tortnerd]

Thanks for all the tips everyone! The new baby just started eating! It started with dandelion petals, and now we're on to the lettuce!

I went out and bought a full spectrum + heat bulb, and some timothy hay. She doesn't seem to care about the hay one way or the other yet, but my Russians loved it.
My new diet plan (for the first year) is: 50/50 leafy greens and timothy hay, mixed with flowers to get her attention. Also, TNT vitamin supplements and calcium powder.

The new bulb + fixture seems to be doing her good as well. I replaced the reflective dome fixture with a new one because it didn't have a ceramic base.

She took a great long drink of her bath and is now alternating between exploring her new space, and munching. So far she hasn't even looked into either of her 2 hides, but I'm sure that will come later.

Here's a few pics of her eating for the first time:



And here's her new set up:


Any name ideas?

Thanks again!

 

[Meg90]

What brand of bulb did you use?

Also, your substrate looks alittle dry....and I really would stick to a diet of just spring mix and other greens, no hay. Because if she doesn't eat the hay, she's only getting 50% of what you are offering, which is not enough to sustain healthy growth. You really just want to give babies what they will eat, because they can go south so quickly from not eating or drinking enough. My little Greek won't even touch other veggies, but will always polish off spring mix.

I'd wait a year or two before incorporating the hay.

 

[Laura]

Now start planning your outdoor enclosure.. real sun is best, and you wont have much choice as sulcatas GROW FAST AND LARGE!!!
enjoy!

 

[tortnerd]

The bulb I bought is called a "Solar Glo". I like the power sun ones better, but this was the only kind the shop had. (Just moved to a small town). I'm planning on taking her outside for a half hour of real sun every day once she gets more situated.

I can't wait to do an outdoor enclosure! Except, I'm renting now, so I might have to be sneaky about it. I was thinking of planting one of those plastic kiddie pools, and covering it with chicken wire. We shall see.

She is eating a LOT now. Only the spring greens mix, though. I'll feed her strictly leafy greens then, but I'll leave the hay available.

Also, today I realized that the people I bought her from left the add up- if anyone wants to see, here's the link:
http://medford.craigslist.org/pet/1234212408.html


I think I'm going to call her Del. I'm in trouble if she's actually a boy, but I'll deal with that when we get there.
Thanks!

 

[dannomite]

I have a Solar Glo because the petstores around here only carry those as well. But my Sulcata has been doing well under it so far...I just use an adjustable stand to move it up and down as it gets warmer.

 

[spring pace]

Thanks for all the tips everyone! The new baby just started eating! It started with dandelion petals, and now we're on to the lettuce!

I went out and bought a full spectrum + heat bulb, and some timothy hay. She doesn't seem to care about the hay one way or the other yet, but my Russians loved it.
My new diet plan (for the first year) is: 50/50 leafy greens and timothy hay, mixed with flowers to get her attention. Also, TNT vitamin supplements and calcium powder.

The new bulb + fixture seems to be doing her good as well. I replaced the reflective dome fixture with a new one because it didn't have a ceramic base.

She took a great long drink of her bath and is now alternating between exploring her new space, and munching. So far she hasn't even looked into either of her 2 hides, but I'm sure that will come later.

Here's a few pics of her eating for the first time:



And here's her new set up:


Any name ideas?

Thanks again!

congrats, the little sully looks wonderful. please keep the substrate moist, the lower 2 inches especially and 50/50 w/ play sand will hepl keep it that way. the basking area should be no less than 90-95 and the other side of the habitat around a constant 70. lettuce has no nutritional value for your sulcata at all, they like it, but whats the point? stick w/ the hays moistened until it gets used to the texture, (also a good point when it hits 50 lbs and eats like a full sized cow) long dark leafy greens and grasses. nopales cactus and its fruit once a week, flowers like dandelion, hibiscus, petunia and roses are also great treats. in season, bits of watermelon and pumpkin are OK too. smiles, spring