New with two babies!

[Mangito]

Hi, my name is Mangito and I live in Southern Arizona. I am now the proud owner of two Sulcata babies, Torty and Koopa, both around 3 weeks old. I'm so excited to be a new mommy and very anxious about health and care.

These babies came upon us kinda suddenly, so I've had to do what I can with what I have/can afford.. A good sized bird cage, with green felt like bottom (from petsmart) a 75 watt infrared heat lamp/uvb lamp, a dark hide place with moist sphagnum moss inside (planning to buy a heating pad to keep it warm), daily 15-20 minute soaks... I've been feeding them romaine, peas, carrots.. I think that's what the lady before mostly fed them because they won't really touch the hay stuff...

I have so many plans and so many worries and questions... The first is my main concern right now. Last night I was reading a tortoise blog about a Sulcata who was diagnosed with Metabolic Bone Disease.. She posted a video of the "tremors" that is a symptom of the disease... It looks exactly like something my babies do... Now they don't have the other symptoms... They have a good appetite and they're pretty active... We take them out everyday for love and exercise...

Could it be MBD? Should I give them some calcium supplements?

My second most prevalent worry is the "hot" and "cool" spots... Will they be okay if they fall asleep and spend all night in them?

 

[tortadise]

Welcome!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. First the carpet, replace that with coconut coir or cypress mulch. The water dish should be bigger and buried level with the substrate. A clay plant saucer works best. The mercury vapor bulbs and ceramic heat imeitters work best for their uvb and heat. The temps should be 95+ for basking area, 80 all over day and night with a 80% humidity. Read Toms threads below in my post and follow them and you should have a nice healthy smooth sulcatas. The diet also needs some improving. Grass, weeds, flowers, cactus, leaves, check out the tortoisetable.org for edible plants etc. Also from the grocery store items like spring mix, endive, radicchio, mustard and and collard greens can be added. Mazuri tortoise diet is a great pellet food to soak and add into a wide variety diet. If you can get them outside every day for some natural sun light, you won't need the artificial UVB.

 

[IBeenEasy]

hey mangito welcome, the torts are beautiful!
i own an elongated tort...im not a vet but i can give you my opinion. if you are talking about the little shaking or hard breathing or bobbing that it looks like the tort is doing.. i dont think that is a serious issue.. i noticed my tort does that while waking up, and if the enclosure gets cool (meaning when my family has the a/c on blast) . once my tort warms up, she stops her bobbing.. but i wouldn't describe those actions as tremors so we might be talking about different symptoms and problems.. and for the hot and cold sides...as long as you have the correct temps.. and enough space..the tort will find its fav spot and temp...some cool nights they might sleep closer to the basking spot..some hot nights they might sleep far away from the basking light...and as long as your using your heating lights correctly..they can sleep under them with no problem, they will move if they are uncomfortable.. but make sure the tort cant hit or touch the heat lights or pads because those can burn pretty bad

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum!

The bird cage isn't a good idea. You need to have about 3 or 4 inches of substrate on the bottom, and substrate would just fall out of the bars on the cage. You can pick up a large plastic tote pretty cheap at a home improvement store.

Baby sulcatas hatch out during the monsoon season, when it's quite wet and there is a lot for them to eat. So your carpet isn't going to give them the wet they need to grow smooth shells.

Sulcatas won't eat hay until they're about 3 or 4 years old, if then. You can give them dark, leafy greens from the store, and then add some weeds from the yard (if you don't spray your yard with insecticides/herbicides).

 

[Mangito]

Can i get the mustard greens and collards, etc at Frys food? I have never bought these out even thought of them and we don't really have health stores nearby..

I know, the bird cage is temporary until I can get something better.. Or figure out a way to keep the substrate in.

The tremors... At first I thought they were just scared, unsure of they wanted to come out of their shell or not.. But they do it in their sleep too. I will try to post a video later.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Mangeto welcome to the TFO !

 

[Mangito]

if you are talking about the little shaking or hard breathing or bobbing that it looks like the tort is doing..

http://static.photobucket.com/playe...46/Mangito420/20130725_105856_zps7936be9a.mp4

I mean this... It doesn't usually do it this much though... I've been sprinkling a tiny pinch full of Rep-Cal onto their peas and carrots the past few days... Just in case. B

 

[Mangito]

Hello and Welcome. First the carpet, replace that with coconut coir or cypress mulch. The water dish should be bigger and buried level with the substrate. A clay plant saucer works best. The mercury vapor bulbs and ceramic heat imeitters work best for their uvb and heat. The temps should be 95+ for basking area, 80 all over day and night with a 80% humidity. Read Toms threads below in my post and follow them and you should have a nice healthy smooth sulcatas. The diet also needs some improving. Grass, weeds, flowers, cactus, leaves, check out the tortoisetable.org for edible plants etc. Also from the grocery store items like spring mix, endive, radicchio, mustard and and collard greens can be added. Mazuri tortoise diet is a great pellet food to soak and add into a wide variety diet. If you can get them outside every day for some natural sun light, you won't need the artificial UVB.

Is this slightly better for the moisture, etc? Using organic sphagnum moss as substrate. I can't afford much at the moment. Can I get the greens at Frys food? What about the weeds and flowers?

 

[Mangito]

I think i finally have this habitat almost perfect... 80% humidity 99 degree basking spot, 85 degree cooling spot, room for them to move around plus 15 minutes daily soaks...

I just bought kale, mustard greens, bok choy, on top of the romaine, peas and carrots... Torty started eating them right up, but Koopa didn't seem very interested...

I checked their plastron, and I don't know if it's just me but it does seem slightly softer on both, so I gave them both a pea sprinkled with Rep-Cal.. they love the peas.

Anyone have any suggestions on how I can do better?


Me and my step daughter watching our babies as they soak in the sun

 

[Jlant85]

OMG that is the coolest hide i'v ever seen! WHERE DID YOU GET IT!

 

[dwright27]

Welcome to the group! I'm pretty new as well so I don't have much advice for you yet, but there is such a wealth of knowledge on here I'm sure you'll get everything figured out soon. Your babies are adorable!

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome...You can also use plain dirt. I know its hard to find here in arizona, but it will do. Do you have grass in your yard? I buy some of my stuff at frys also. What you got is good. Sounds like everything else is good. There is no need to spend the money to purchase a mvb...a uva/uvb will work. You can also get a che (ceramic heat emitter) they run about $15 -$20 on ebay. Or amazon they last longer. This puts out heat without light. Vs. A mvb that will need to be replaced every 6 months. Not trying to start anything. Just giving you a conservative approach. Read the posts below my signature there are ideas on what to feed and the tortoise library has lots of great info on sulcatas. Where south az. Are you?

 

[Mangito]

OMG that is the coolest hide i'v ever seen! WHERE DID YOU GET IT!

Petsmart

---

Welcome to the group! I'm pretty new as well so I don't have much advice for you yet, but there is such a wealth of knowledge on here I'm sure you'll get everything figured out soon. Your babies are adorable!

thank you!

 

[Tom]

Anyone have any suggestions on how I can do better?

You've gotten mostly good advice above. Here are a few things to answer your question:
1. Sulcatas hatch into the rainy season. It is very hot, humid and there are puddles and marshes all over. You cannot simulate that in a wire enclosure, unless the whole room is maintained at 80 degrees and 80% humidity all the time. The damp substrate, daily soaks, and hiding area will all help, but the air is going to be too dry. Your tortoises might not pyramid horribly, but they will pyramid some. Best case would be to build a closed chamber. If that is not an option you can get large plastic tubs at the hardware store for $15-20. Glass aquariums work great too, despite what some websites and book say. Remember that they are recommending to keep them like they are from the desert. They aren't. Glass tanks and tall sided tubs are actually best for the very reasons they say they are bad.
2. If your tortoises are getting regular sunshine outside, you do not need any artificial UV bulbs indoors. Be careful that they don't over heat outside. It happens quickly, and we see it here far too often.
3. Pairs are not a good idea. One will always be dominant, and the other is forced to live in its territory with no escape. This is not good, and one of them will suffer for it. They do much better in groups or by themselves. Pairs are just too personal. I recommend you make two habitats and let them each live in peace.
4. Your diet needs immediate improvement. Carrots are too high in sugars and just not appropriate as a staple. A little mixed in once in a while is fine, but not a lot every day. Same with peas. Their main diet should be grasses and weeds. If you can't find those, then the previously recommended spring mix, endive, escarole, and other leafy greens will do. Try to also add mulberry, hibiscus and grape leaves. As long as there is no chemicals in it, you can trim grass from friends and neighbors houses and mix it in with the other foods. Your babies will probably ignore it at first, since they probably haven't seen it, but keep mixing it in. Eventually that will be their main food.

There is a lot more info if you'll click on the links in my signature. I'm glad you found us and I hope we can help.