So I have one sulcata hatchling that is and has been pretty lethargic. Im worried that she’s not going to survive. In fact I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but they all seem to be growing extremely slow and two are not doing well compared to the leopards.. the Leopards where 2-3 months old when I got them so they had a good head start. They are in the same exact enclosures in the same room with the same diet. They don’t live together. Just the same build. One sulcata has been doing great but even she hasn’t grown much. Two haven’t grown at all and one has been becoming less active. One of those two has almost stopped eating or moving and is softer than the others. Can I fix this or did this one just fail.. was it because of me? If it does end up not making it what should I do? because then I’ll have only two should I buy another baby?
my care
3ft x 9ft enclosure
basking bulb over rock platform hottest temperature in basking spot 101 surrounded by 100-95.
humidity 80-100 rh
Daytime ambient temperature ranges from 88-91
Nighttime ambient temperature ranges from 82-86
Uvb long tube new replacement because the old one was past the date at the distance on the instructions. It’s too cold for them to go outside and has been since the end of September or beginning of October.
Orchid bark substrate
Humid hide
Diet mulberry leaves, grasses, weeds, Mazuri, spring mix when other stuff isn’t available with hay pellets on top
Cuttlebone
calcium weekly
Water bowl with clean water daily
Soaking daily but it might not always be for 30 full minutes
I already fixed the uvb light so that it hangs above (not at an angle) and put it at the right distance.
The sulcatas are from Tom so I know that they don’t have hatchling failure syndrome.
I used the same soaking tub for the sulcatas and leopards on accident like one or two times (but it was different water and they where not together.. two leopards are from gijoux from the forum and the first leopard is from somewhere in Florida. She is the oldest and doing great but I have no idea where she is from. I got her from a friend who couldn’t care for her anymore. All the leopards are together and they are doing great.
The sulcatas
So I wanted to ask you if it was possible that the one hatchling that is doing really bad has some sort of hatch defect or internal issues. Because that one has always been less active (not like this) she has always slept more then the others but I thought that hatchlings slept a lot so I didn’t take it as a bad sign.. s this because of something I did? I have them in this new enclosure which I honestly can’t see any issues with but when I first got them I had them in a modified tote, and I didn’t have a hot spot. That’s when one of my sulcatas got a respiratory infection. Tom said the basking bulb was needed.. I fixed that but they where like that for a few weeks (2-3) in the beginning. I believe that may be why the sulcatas have been growing slow. The humidity and temperature in the old tote enclosure where perfect and after I modified the basking bulb the one with the ri seemed to start getting better. Then I moved them to the larger enclosure. I also just realized that the one that had a respiratory illness is not the one that is failing now. I checked my weight and health log which has pictures of the scute pattern and the one who had a respiratory illness is still a little inactive but he’s eating and walking around and his shell isn’t soft. He was the other one I said I thought wasn’t doing well.. Then the last hatchling is solid and he eats- drinks and walks all over the place.
Sulcatas
1) Little Chip - is the one that is soft, not eating eyes closed, no discharge or anything. Skin dry and flaky, no yellow spots. Completely inactive at this point. He has been the least active out of all of the sulcatas but I thought at first it was because the babies sleep a lot. I think I am going to lose this one.
2- Dozer - is the one who had a respiratory infection in the beginning before he moved to the large enclosure. (Due to not having a hot spot) His eyes are still a little puffy and he rubs them on occasion. But his eyes are open and he seems to be improving a lot.He’s slightly softer but not “mushy” eats and drinks, moves (slightly less active still)
3- Little foot is active, eating drinking and very solid shell but his growth is slow (I think it’s slow but I’ve never even had hatchlings reach this age in my care so I may be wrong) she is also two days younger than the first two.
Could they be ill from the cross contamination with their bath tub. Or is this because I had them without a hotspot when I first got them? Could the one that hasn’t been active from the beginning have a internal issue or a defect? Could it be because my uvb was old and I needed a new one? What do I do if I end up losing one and only have two? Why am I still failing?!? Maybe I should just stop getting tortoises.. ?
my care
3ft x 9ft enclosure
basking bulb over rock platform hottest temperature in basking spot 101 surrounded by 100-95.
humidity 80-100 rh
Daytime ambient temperature ranges from 88-91
Nighttime ambient temperature ranges from 82-86
Uvb long tube new replacement because the old one was past the date at the distance on the instructions. It’s too cold for them to go outside and has been since the end of September or beginning of October.
Orchid bark substrate
Humid hide
Diet mulberry leaves, grasses, weeds, Mazuri, spring mix when other stuff isn’t available with hay pellets on top
Cuttlebone
calcium weekly
Water bowl with clean water daily
Soaking daily but it might not always be for 30 full minutes
I already fixed the uvb light so that it hangs above (not at an angle) and put it at the right distance.
The sulcatas are from Tom so I know that they don’t have hatchling failure syndrome.
I used the same soaking tub for the sulcatas and leopards on accident like one or two times (but it was different water and they where not together.. two leopards are from gijoux from the forum and the first leopard is from somewhere in Florida. She is the oldest and doing great but I have no idea where she is from. I got her from a friend who couldn’t care for her anymore. All the leopards are together and they are doing great.
The sulcatas
So I wanted to ask you if it was possible that the one hatchling that is doing really bad has some sort of hatch defect or internal issues. Because that one has always been less active (not like this) she has always slept more then the others but I thought that hatchlings slept a lot so I didn’t take it as a bad sign.. s this because of something I did? I have them in this new enclosure which I honestly can’t see any issues with but when I first got them I had them in a modified tote, and I didn’t have a hot spot. That’s when one of my sulcatas got a respiratory infection. Tom said the basking bulb was needed.. I fixed that but they where like that for a few weeks (2-3) in the beginning. I believe that may be why the sulcatas have been growing slow. The humidity and temperature in the old tote enclosure where perfect and after I modified the basking bulb the one with the ri seemed to start getting better. Then I moved them to the larger enclosure. I also just realized that the one that had a respiratory illness is not the one that is failing now. I checked my weight and health log which has pictures of the scute pattern and the one who had a respiratory illness is still a little inactive but he’s eating and walking around and his shell isn’t soft. He was the other one I said I thought wasn’t doing well.. Then the last hatchling is solid and he eats- drinks and walks all over the place.
Sulcatas
1) Little Chip - is the one that is soft, not eating eyes closed, no discharge or anything. Skin dry and flaky, no yellow spots. Completely inactive at this point. He has been the least active out of all of the sulcatas but I thought at first it was because the babies sleep a lot. I think I am going to lose this one.
2- Dozer - is the one who had a respiratory infection in the beginning before he moved to the large enclosure. (Due to not having a hot spot) His eyes are still a little puffy and he rubs them on occasion. But his eyes are open and he seems to be improving a lot.He’s slightly softer but not “mushy” eats and drinks, moves (slightly less active still)
3- Little foot is active, eating drinking and very solid shell but his growth is slow (I think it’s slow but I’ve never even had hatchlings reach this age in my care so I may be wrong) she is also two days younger than the first two.
Could they be ill from the cross contamination with their bath tub. Or is this because I had them without a hotspot when I first got them? Could the one that hasn’t been active from the beginning have a internal issue or a defect? Could it be because my uvb was old and I needed a new one? What do I do if I end up losing one and only have two? Why am I still failing?!? Maybe I should just stop getting tortoises.. ?