Please help my sulcata baby, need advice

Torrtiehibiscus0928

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Mar 26, 2021
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Los Banos
Thanks so much everyone. I been concerned about her poop its not like diarrhea like runny but she's pooping multiple times a day n its alot wetter n soft. N she eats every single substrate ive tried it all she wants to be with me under me or on me all the time she loves her blinkets. When she's done eating which I had feed her she shoves herself as close up to me as possible n passes out.but her poop is worrying me. Is it because she isn't Inher inviromemt? I have her lamp attached to my bed head board n its on 24/7 n she goes under it when she wants but is quick to come hide next to me after a hour or so. If I put her back into her spot I'm terrified of her eating the substrate n shell scratch n pace till I give up n bring her back onto the bed
 

Torrtiehibiscus0928

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Mar 26, 2021
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Los Banos
I'm a bit OCD about it. More than any other species, I see sulcatas and DTs dying from dehydration due to being housed all wrong as hatchings and small babies. People argue with me about this all the time, but not one of them has done it the way I'm saying to do it. If they had, there wouldn't be any arguing. Baby DTs thrive with daily soaks, damp substrate, a humid hide, and being housed mostly indoors.
Thank u for your help can you send me links to the correct bulbs lights etc. So I can buy the correct ones. It'd be easier for me to buy all new stuff stead of trying to figure out what I already have or don't have. Id appreciate it very much
 

Tom

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Thank u for your help can you send me links to the correct bulbs lights etc. So I can buy the correct ones. It'd be easier for me to buy all new stuff stead of trying to figure out what I already have or don't have. Id appreciate it very much
There are four elements to heating and lighting:
  1. Basking bulb. I use 65 watt incandescent floods from the hardware store. Some people will need bigger, or smaller wattage bulbs. Let your thermometer be your guide. I run them on a timer for about 12 hours and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb. You need to check the temp with a thermometer directly under the bulb and get it to around 95-100F (36-37C).
  2. Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT, as long as your house stays above 60F (15-16C) at night.
  3. Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish. Strip or screw-in bulb types are both fine.
  4. UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html Here in our climate, you shouldn't need indoor UV.
 

queen koopa

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Thanks so much everyone. I been concerned about her poop its not like diarrhea like runny but she's pooping multiple times a day n its alot wetter n soft. N she eats every single substrate ive tried it all she wants to be with me under me or on me all the time she loves her blinkets. When she's done eating which I had feed her she shoves herself as close up to me as possible n passes out.but her poop is worrying me. Is it because she isn't Inher inviromemt? I have her lamp attached to my bed head board n its on 24/7 n she goes under it when she wants but is quick to come hide next to me after a hour or so. If I put her back into her spot I'm terrified of her eating the substrate n shell scratch n pace till I give up n bring her back onto the bed
Along with diet, the back and forth is probably causing stress which doesn’t help with obtaining solid poops. How long have you had the tort? When I first got my Sulcata (I know you have a desert) I would take her from her enclosure to another lawn on property, she would eat a bit then do laps. When I brought her back she would literally RUN to her shed and black liquid poop up the place. She got over this, I got her at 5 yrs old not a hatchling. Once you get the enclosure set up right and have the right diet, leave him in there. Scratching at the walls is inevitable right now. He can only harm himself if he flips over, so just make sure theres nothing against the walls of the enclosure or places he can get wedged ??
 

Chefdenoel10

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Thank u for your help can you send me links to the correct bulbs lights etc. So I can buy the correct ones. It'd be easier for me to buy all new stuff stead of trying to figure out what I already have or don't have. Id appreciate it very much

Hi,
I am getting the feeling that she is snuggling with her mommy because she is looking for warmth/ heat.
Like Tom says get her lighting things correct and she may like her night time sleeping box.
Blankets are another form of heat.
That’s why she likes it so much.
But I use a Che or a heat panel now and my baby loves it!
Who knew it was sooo simple?
I certainly didn’t!
I was doing like you did! ?
Best of luck!!
And… UPDATES!!!!
P.s. how’s the new baby doing? ???❤️
 
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