New to forum and new sulcata!

[Erik Elvis]

I am trying to raise the temp in the humid hide to low 80's. I just got a radiant panel to stick in there. The hot spot is a tad over 100. I'm still adjusting. in general ambient temps seem to be mid 80's. I do have a CHE near the entrance of the humid hide with the temp controller. the sensor is set inside the hide around 80.

 

[Bee62]

More or less. Didn't want to just call him helmet so switched it up with the German name Helmut. Helmet would have been just as cool though. And if it turns out to be a girl (and I hope it is) I can still live with that name.

If it turns out that Helmut is a girl you can switch his name in "Helmine". This is a very old German name for a girl.

 

[Erik Elvis]

Quick update. Helmuts doing good. Just recently started weighing him 8/8 and as of today has gone up a solid 8-10g. I still need to work on closing his system better. Humid hide has no trouble staying >80% humidity. Open area needs water hand mixed into to substrate every few days to stay above 70%.

 

[Bee62]

Increasing weight is a good sign for health and growing.
How much weight Helmut ?

 

[Erik Elvis]

152-154g now. Was 144g 8/8.

 

[Erik Elvis]

Up to about 172g. So up 30g in a month. Unsure if pyramiding is getting better. Humid hide over 80 all the time with humidity about 90. He won't go in there though. Always sleeps outside in a corner. Switched bedding out from A soil/cypress mixture to just Cyprus and more of it. Seems to hold humidity better.

Also has been less active and eating less last few days. I think I need to get the heat up in the cage. House is staying 5-7 degrees cooler with the drop in outside temps.

 

[Bee62]

Up to about 172g. So up 30g in a month. Unsure if pyramiding is getting better. Humid hide over 80 all the time with humidity about 90. He won't go in there though. Always sleeps outside in a corner. Switched bedding out from A soil/cypress mixture to just Cyprus and more of it. Seems to hold humidity better.

Also has been less active and eating less last few days. I think I need to get the heat up in the cage. House is staying 5-7 degrees cooler with the drop in outside temps.
View attachment 217982

30g in a month is fine ! The pyramiding should stop in the humid conditions, but it needs a lot of time before you can see it.
What are the temps in Helmut`s enclosure actually ?

 

[Erik Elvis]

Well I had to lower the heat lamp a couple inches to get the basking spot over 95. Ambient is 80 or more

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum @Erik Elvis .

Your "Helmut" is simply gorgeous! GOD bless.

 

[Bee62]

Well I had to lower the heat lamp a couple inches to get the basking spot over 95. Ambient is 80 or more

That sounds good. When your night temps never drop under 80 F too it all should be fine for a young sulcata.

 

[Big Charlie]

Up to about 172g. So up 30g in a month. Unsure if pyramiding is getting better. Humid hide over 80 all the time with humidity about 90. He won't go in there though. Always sleeps outside in a corner. Switched bedding out from A soil/cypress mixture to just Cyprus and more of it. Seems to hold humidity better.

Also has been less active and eating less last few days. I think I need to get the heat up in the cage. House is staying 5-7 degrees cooler with the drop in outside temps.
View attachment 217982

Sometimes in order to get him used to using his hide, you have to place him in it. Maybe put it over him when he sleeps so he wakes up inside. That way he learns it is a nice place. It is normal for them to seek a corner for safety. You might put your hide in a corner.

 

[Erik Elvis]

Thanks. It's one of those zoo med tortoise cages so it has the built in hide. I started sticking him in there when I'm home at night. He hasn't figured out yet.

 

[sulcatamommy94]

A fellow Delawarean! Welcome! I like your set up, I'm trying to get different ideas for my own. My baby current has 3 different homes(one inside, one mobile, and one outside). Where did you acquire Helmut and his habitat?

 

[Erik Elvis]

It is good to see another Delawarean on here. The whole set up basically came from amazon. The tent on top is just a plant greenhouse. It works pretty good. Not a set and forget system though. Requires a little effort to keep the humidity up. And with the change in weather I have to mess with the heating again. I just ordered a second thermostat for for main area and the CHE. And will use the other one with the radiant heat panel in the hide. I'm sure he will outgrow this setup within the year and I'll have to build a new one.

I purchased Helmut from turtle source. I initially read good things about them but people have told me it's hit or miss sometimes.

 

[sulcatamommy94]

It is good to see another Delawarean on here. The whole set up basically came from amazon. The tent on top is just a plant greenhouse. It works pretty good. Not a set and forget system though. Requires a little effort to keep the humidity up. And with the change in weather I have to mess with the heating again. I just ordered a second thermostat for for main area and the CHE. And will use the other one with the radiant heat panel in the hide. I'm sure he will outgrow this setup within the year and I'll have to build a new one.

I purchased Helmut from turtle source. I initially read good things about them but people have told me it's hit or miss sometimes.

I was gifted an enclosure that requires a heat panel, but I have no experience with them. What is your experience with them vs basking bulbs? I was thinking about switch my tort over to that enclosure for the winter. I have a feeling that we're going to get hit pretty bad this year because it hasn't been bad the last couple years. Also, what are you feeding your guy?

 

[Erik Elvis]

Well I prefer to use a heat bulb for the basking area. I also have a zoo med T5 fluorescent fixture for UVB. The CHE is for controlling ambient temps throughout the enclosure. What kind of heat panel is it? One you mount on ceiling or one that goes underneath? I have a radiant heat panel that mounts to the ceiling and I like it for the hide. But that's all it's for.

As far as food I think he may have been fed exclusively mazuri when I got him. I feed him a mix of hay and mushed up mazuri now with a little calcium once a week. He took to it no problem. Occasionally I'll throw a hibiscus leaf or flower in there. I haven't really messed with greens or any fruit yet.

 

[sulcatamommy94]

Well I prefer to use a heat bulb for the basking area. I also have a zoo med T5 fluorescent fixture for UVB. The CHE is for controlling ambient temps throughout the enclosure. What kind of heat panel is it? One you mount on ceiling or one that goes underneath? I have a radiant heat panel that mounts to the ceiling and I like it for the hide. But that's all it's for.

As far as food I think he may have been fed exclusively mazuri when I got him. I feed him a mix of hay and mushed up mazuri now with a little calcium once a week. He took to it no problem. Occasionally I'll throw a hibiscus leaf or flower in there. I haven't really messed with greens or any fruit yet.

The enclosure has a spot in the ceiling to mount the heat panel. Is there a specific brand that you use? I have a heat mat that stays under his enclosure now because he likes to sleep on his rock but it has to be warm or he paces the perimeter on and off all night. (Very picky!) So I'm trying to figure out how I'd be able to do that in this enclosure.

My tort has been eating mainly grass, spring mix, kale, and romaine lettuce. I've noticed a lot of people on here saying a whole bunch of different things that I can't seem to find anywhere. I bought the Zoo Med grassland tortoise food. Is mazuri similar?

Sorry I'm asking so many questions! All my experience is from red eared sliders, box turtles, and geckos!

 

[Erik Elvis]

I honestly can't remember what brand the heat panel was. I think I ordered it off amazon but I may have ordered it from another site. I'm pretty sure the one I ordered was on amazon and may have been the only brand available.

And no problem asking questions. I'm new at this too and just read around this forum a lot. I bought some of that grassland tortoise diet but haven't tried it yet. People don't seem too excited about it. There's 2 kinds of Mazuri. Regular and LS. I'm not sure which one I have as it was sent with the tortoise. I'd have to look into it further when I need to buy more. The consensus on mazuri is good.

 

[Tom]

I was gifted an enclosure that requires a heat panel, but I have no experience with them. What is your experience with them vs basking bulbs? I was thinking about switch my tort over to that enclosure for the winter. I have a feeling that we're going to get hit pretty bad this year because it hasn't been bad the last couple years. Also, what are you feeding your guy?

A couple of points to explain:

• No enclosure "requires" a heat panel. You can use whatever you want to heat the enclosure.
• Heat panels and basking bulbs do two different things. Its not one or the other. You need both. Basking bulbs create a warm/hot area of about 95-100 degrees for them to move in and out of to keep their body up at "operating temperature" and warmer than ambient. This simulates the sun when they are indoors. The panel, when used with a thermostat, will keep the entire ambient temp in the whole enclosure from dropping below a certain point. In this case, for a sulcata, that point would be no lower than 80 day or night. Heat panels are great for this. I buy mine here: http://www.reptilebasics.com/80-watt-radiant-heat-panel

I have a heat mat that stays under his enclosure now because he likes to sleep on his rock but it has to be warm or he paces the perimeter on and off all night. (Very picky!) So I'm trying to figure out how I'd be able to do that in this enclosure.

Heat mats should not be used for tortoise or turtles. The likelihood of a burn is high.

Read these for how to house and heat them:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

My tort has been eating mainly grass, spring mix, kale, and romaine lettuce. I've noticed a lot of people on here saying a whole bunch of different things that I can't seem to find anywhere. I bought the Zoo Med grassland tortoise food. Is mazuri similar?

Grass is good. Spring mix and kale are okay once in a while. I'd skip the romaine.

If you must use grocery store foods, favor endive and escarole heavily. Also look for "chicory" and "dandelions". Some store will carry "nopales" which are opuntia cactus pads. These are great tortoise food. Use lots of other things like the kale or collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, cilantro, carrot tops, bok choy, etc… for variety.

ZooMed Grassland food is different than Mazuri. The Grassland food is good to mix in with your grocery store greens to add in some fiber and variety. Just soak a pellet to two and mix it all in. Mazuri is its own food and its a good supplement to make sure your tortoise is getting all the nutrition it need. Mazuri can be fed by itself of mixed in with greens, but soak it either way until its mushy.

Many of the best foods are free and you just have to find them or grow them. Grape vine leaves, mulberry leaves, hostas, rose of sharon, and a whole host of good weeds and flowers are probably growing all around you in the warmer months. Over winter you can grow your own indoors from seed, or do your best with grocery store produce and amendments like the ZooMed food. Here is an explanation and a list of good foods:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Be aware that any plants grown at a nursery are not intended for consumption and are likely full of toxic systemic pesticides to keep the bugs off of them and make them look pretty as they go to market.

Keep the questions coming, but start your own thread so we don't take over Erik's thread. We are all here to talk tortoises.

 

[Erik Elvis]

Helmut’s officially in the 200g club. I started weighing him beginning of August. So has grown about 30g a month. Tried to get an official picture but he wasn’t cooperating inside. Kept turning away and the weathers crappy outside. Even shined his shell with coconut oil and cleaned his face off!