possible sick one-please give me your input/advise!

[spiderlord247]

Hi. I'm asking to please, please give me some insite on my two little leopard t's. I don't know if I'm over-Concerned in fear of doing something wrong or if there's really something wronge. But if you could please take a second and give me your opinion that would be extremely helpful. i trust you guys over everyone iv used.

My names Eric and I had gotten 2 baby leopard tortoises. I had done tons of research prior to getting them, but I'm worried I'm doing something wrong. There eating great, I'm doing mostly the "zoomed grassland tortoise" food soaked for a bit, and they will eat it and every other day or so I give them some spring mix sprinkled with d3, because they devour it. I soak them every other day and I see them drink while there in there as well as the bowl of water in the enclosure. Enclosure is a 30g black tub from the farm supoly store, it's about 18" tall.


My concern is that they take a long time to open there eyes when they wake up. If I pick them up they will keep them closed while I look at them and even when I put them down they still take a few minutes to open them. I'm concerned that there not getting the UVB from the lights because the bulbs are almost 18" away from them. The temps are good, 70-85 all around with a basking around 108. in the daytime I have a mercury vapor bulb and it's fairly new,and a 18'' froresent uvb on the other side, at night it switches to a red heat light and the cage goes down to 65-80 deg.

When they do open their eyes witch Is usually after I put them into the water dish, there eyes look dark and clear they look good. But I guess I just don't want to overlook anything, iv had many other reptiles before, just not tortoises. also when i got them, one has a tall dark brown shell and looks very good, but the other ones shell is lighter brown and it shaped good gut the carapace's schutes are not growing in the middle, but on the outsides of each. so the exact opposite of pyrimiding. and his plastron is the same way on him. where the seems are its taller than the middle. but the other one is going good. im not sure if its common in the lighter ones or what. but i would be most appreciative of your guys experties on it if theres something missing or not.

So if you could please give me a second of your time and give me your insite on what you think could be the factor and if you think there's a problem or not. Thankyou very much. iv attached some photos to hopefully try and give you a better idea of whats going on. i can take more if you need them. thankyou very much, i really appreciate it. the darker larger one has started to be less active now in the past few days, but the little lighter colored one is doing great, very active, eats well and opens eyes right way and is allert, while the darker one takes a few minutes sometimes not at all opening his eyes. ill get his head wet just to see if there too dry to open, and he eventually and reluctantly opens them but only for a minute, then its right back to closed, and he will wonder blindly around the tub till he is content with his location. ill keep checking up on him many times throught the day, and he will move locations alot, usually where ever his little buddy is at, but im worried about the lack of awareness.

husbandry: there on a 50/50 substrate of play sand and coco fiber. mercury vapor uvb bulb for day as well as a 10.0 power floresent light and a red heat light durring the night. theres a water dish in the tub that they go into throught the day because the deficate in it, as well as soaking them everyother day and they drink their as well. they eat a rotation of everyother day getting either the zoomed grasslang tortoise soaked one day, then spring mix with calcium d3 on it the next. and whenever they look hungry, i put in some kale or cactus pad mush.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Eric:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

I think you're overdoing it on the UV lighting. The MVB is all you really need. If you want more light at the other end, a plain bulb would be ok.

Babies sometimes do take a bit to open their eyes. It sounds like you have everything under control. As long as they're eating it should be ok.

 

[ascott]

Welcome to the forum

I agree that you may have too much overall uvb exposure....either rotate the use of each uvb source...like leave the MVB on for part of the day and then shut it down and turn on the long tube uvb along with the red heat lamp ....or if you are going to leave on both..then simply add a bunch of silk plants really offering a thick plant/shade umbrella to allow them the option of getting out of the uvb when they have had enough....also the temps you share here for night have a really big jump from 65-80° I think if I were you I would bring the over all night temp to no lower than 80 until your little one evens out.....also I am always suspect when two tortoise are in ideally the same environment and one thrives and one does not so much ...I would keep an eye on the behavior of the two to make sure there is not some mental bullying going on.....I know "traditionally " leopards don't bully...but my belief is although they are leopards they are tortoise first.....

 

[Greg T]

I don't believe you have a real problem here either. As long as they are eating, drinking and active, juts keep doing what you are doing. You coudl cut back the light some - perhaps it is a bit bright for them which may be a reaosn to keep their eyes closed. They look good now, so continue with soaks and don't be afraid to offer them more greens if you think they are hungry during the day. They will eat a lot more than most people expect.

Keep us updated on their progress.

 

[wellington]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding-II-The-Leopards
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

Have you read the two threads above yet. Please read. Both are good for leopards. Also what is your humidity level? I didn't see it in your post. Try to get 80% humidity and temps not lower than 80 degrees day and night with 90-100 basking. I also agree, too much light. I also would change your red bulb for a CHE, so they get some total darkness at night, just my opinion. I also thought that the d3 vitamin was only suppose to be given two times a week. Maybe someone can correct me on this if I am wrong. Too much d3 is not good either

 

[DesertGrandma]

Hi Eric. I would be a little concerned about closed eyes. It might be nothing, but it might be the sand in the substrate causing an eye irritation, or it might be eye dryness. When my baby leopard wants to get out of the light/heat, he pulls his head into his shell or goes into a hide. Have never seen him go around with his eyes closed. The fact that he opens his eyes when he is in the water would indicate to me that his eyes are too dry or irritated. I don't believe it is normal to have closed eyes unless they are sleeping. That would indicate to me that the eyes are irritated from either the sand substrate or dryness from too much dry heat. I would soak each of them every day in warm water for 20 minutes, and consider changing the substate to eliminate the sand.

 

[Neal]

I think your lighting is good for baby leopards. I assume you're using the florescent tube type of lighting with your MVB? As long as there are good hiding places for them I would consider your lighting ideal. The lows of 65 are about as low as I would go without any humidity. What level humidity do you keep your enclosure at?

I would not recommend anything below 80 degrees if you keep the humidity high. If the humidity is low, I would recommend bumping the cooler side up about 10 degrees and see if you notice any changes in how fast they open their eyes.