Hey there my name is Rene and I just bought myself a baby sulcata tortoise! I named him Bowser. I have a few questions so please bare with me! lol! Well I have him in a 20 gallon tank I know its not best for the tortoise to be in a tank but its all I have to work with for right now. I have premium reptile bark as its substrate, a dish for him to soak nd drink water from, nd finally a log that it uses as a cave. My problem with it is that I feel like its not a stimulating environment for Bowser. Most of the time it tries to walk through the glass trying to escape is there a reason for this? Can I teach it too know where the tank stops for it can just enjoy the tank it lives in? I also was curious what all of you put as accessories in the tank to stimulate the environment cuz I have no idea what to put in it! If y'all can help that would be GREAT !!! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!!!
New sulcata tortoise Owner PLEASE HELP
- Thread starter rrene3
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Hi there, tortoises do better in enclosures that have walls they can't see through, otherwise they constantly just walk around and try to get out. A lot of people on this site use 50 gallon rubbermaid tubs, or something similar, for their tiny baby torts. You know, like a plastic storage tub you can buy at Target for around $10 or so.
There is a wealth of info on this site about proper basking temps, UV lighting, humidity, diet, outdoor time, and daily soaking of baby torts to keep them nice and hydrated... You're in the right place! Just search around, you'll find all the info you need. If you have any other questions, be sure to include photos of your baby and your setup.
There is a wealth of info on this site about proper basking temps, UV lighting, humidity, diet, outdoor time, and daily soaking of baby torts to keep them nice and hydrated... You're in the right place! Just search around, you'll find all the info you need. If you have any other questions, be sure to include photos of your baby and your setup.
I've owned reptiles all my life, in aquariums, and all they want to do is escape. Like the above poster said try a more opaque enclosure. My baby is in a 39 x 20 under-bed container and I've yet to see her scratching at the sides trying to get out. I can see through it but it's not crystal clear. I have a lot of terrarium wood laying around that she likes to walk around and hide under, as well as sphagnum moss on top that she likes to bury in. You can see it in my thread on the leopard forum. I've only had her for 3 days but she seems content, exploring everything but the walls. I didn't see her eat the first day (I did on the 2nd), but by night most of the food was gone so I guess that's a good sign that she's happy in this environment.
Hello and welcome. There is a whole lot of baby sulcata info in my signatures. It might be different than what you've been told previously depending on where you got your baby.
You do need a much bigger enclosure to start with. Your tortoise also needs somewhere to hide. You can get a black dish washing tub from Walmart for about $2. Flip it upside down and cut out a small door hole. This humid hide will also help to prevent pyramiding.
What sort of water bowl are you using? It should have very low side and be shallow. Most of the pet store type bowls are great for lizards and snakes, but death traps for tortoises.
Soak every day. Keep him warm 24/7. Feed a wide variety of stuff early in life. Get him some sunshine, grazing and exercise in a safe outdoor enclosure everyday if possible.
Good luck.
You do need a much bigger enclosure to start with. Your tortoise also needs somewhere to hide. You can get a black dish washing tub from Walmart for about $2. Flip it upside down and cut out a small door hole. This humid hide will also help to prevent pyramiding.
What sort of water bowl are you using? It should have very low side and be shallow. Most of the pet store type bowls are great for lizards and snakes, but death traps for tortoises.
Soak every day. Keep him warm 24/7. Feed a wide variety of stuff early in life. Get him some sunshine, grazing and exercise in a safe outdoor enclosure everyday if possible.
Good luck.
Hello and Welcome great advice already given. Good luck and we love pics
great advice already given. Good luck and we love pics- Joined
- Sep 6, 2012
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If you can't afford to change his enclosure yet, take colored paper and tape it to the outside walls of the tank. I did this and seems to NE okay for a temporary fix until I can get tort table built.
tifftortoise said:
Just what I was going to recommend!
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What kind of dish is a 'black dish washing tub'? Is that a soap dish or plant dish of some sort? My little sulcata, Max, might prefer that as a home better than that cardboard enclosure we currently have for him[/quote]
floralparktort said:
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Maybe in Floral Park you call it a dish pan. It would be in the kitchen section and its a plastic tub that you use for washing dishes.
It's not a dish. It's a big plastic tub for washing dishes or carrying stuff. They are around 18x12" and 6" deep.
For dishes, I like to use terra cotta plant saucers. Just the rights size, height and shape. Plus they offer good traction.
For dishes, I like to use terra cotta plant saucers. Just the rights size, height and shape. Plus they offer good traction.
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- Sep 17, 2012
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Ahh, i understand now. Thanks Tom!
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Rene, Good responses so far. Look into the correct lighing and warmth requirements. This is important for their health and digestion. They are cold blooded and suseptable to resperatory issues from the cold and damp. These guys love to walk and explore, as well as very curious. You need to block their view of the outside for now to reduce stressing and frustrating it, until you can make a better habitat. It will grow out of the tank VERY quickly.
Looks like you got some really good advise already. If you haven't already read. Below my signature are threads also that will help.
Rene, you may check the "search" feature of this forum and type in "enclosures," or "closed enclosures." You'll get some threads that will give you pictures of what enclosures should look like, or how to make them from very cheap materials you can pick up at the dollar store (Tom has a thread that shows just that). Please note that baby sulcatas need a warm, humid enclosure all the time. If the enclosure is too cold and it's damp, your baby may get a cold and could get very sick. You'll need to get a temp gun to check the various temperatures of the enclosure. Also, you should get a temp/humid gauge so that you can make any necessary adjustments. Check with your local Craigslist for 55 gal or larger tanks. Usually, you can get them for real cheap. And, at most pet stores, you can get scenic backgrounds to tape behind the glass so that the baby won't try to bang through it (or as suggested above, color paper). Please send pics of your new baby, and WELCOME!
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