Purchased Sulcata, Built Large Habitat, Need Advice

[Rabbit]

LOL
Tom: We !!!Wish!!! we could fence off that area, it is a community yard! We are moving at the end of the lease into a house! There is family nearby with lots and lots of acreage though if he grows toooo fast. For the time being, he is close to a window to open for the sun to come in and he has his habitat and our house(been rabbit-proofing all day)/community yard for his daily exercise . We are dyeing to plant a yard with green goodies for him though.

Laura: We know! He scurries fast for a turtle! That last picture it is so hard to even see him because he blends in with the dead leaves that are falling to the ground from fall. Didn't the tortoise win the race? .. The bulb was energy effecient too so when it was recommended we couldn't resist. Doesn't help that there was a tortoise on the box

Rob: I noticed that yesterday evening in reading various forum issues. For the time being we have put a shallow amount of water in with his mazuri. He drank some between pellets but hasn't climbed in yet.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

While you are trying to find grasses and weeds for him just get Spring Mix from the produce section, it's packaged in plastic. Then add some kale, and collard and green leaf lettuce and whatever other dark greens look good. You can grow lettuces and scout up weeds and the Spring Mix will be good in the mean time. You can make a small outside pen on your best grass with cinder blocks and with some shade he can spend most of the day outside then you wouldn't need a UVb light at all. He could bask under a 100 watt incandescent bulb. He could graze all day and that would be perfect for him. Why aren't you making an outside pen for him? Cinder blocks are free if you scout Craigs list and about .90 cents at Lowes or Home Depot. An outside pen all day long would be the best for him then just bring him in at night where you'll have a warm humid hide or just a half log to sleep in.
I think Tom wants you to make a humid hide to stop the pyramiding that we see. I hope we have helped you and not confused you too much...

 

[Yvonne G]

Maggie: I think they said that the outside area is a community area, not their own.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Maggie: I think they said that the outside area is a community area, not their own.

Oh geez, I guess I was so busy trying to get that tort outside I missed that....sorry it's too late to edit now...

 

[EKLC]

Glad to see a fellow Gainesville tortoise owner. Now that's its spring the weeds are going crazy, and its perfect for tortoises. I suggest you become an expert in the local weeds, there are a lot of guides online, especially through weed-science departments of universities. I am in an apartment, so I can't have my tort outside all the time, but I take him out each day and he eats grass, dandelions, wonderlawn, pennywort, white clover, lippia, and purslane. Just bring a book or something

 

[RianSeeking]

Wonderful pictures. Great to see a happy tort roaming.

 

[Tom]

Careful not to turn your back when he is outside.. they can go faster then you think and disappear!

Yvonne.. can we as a informed forum tortise owners.. Contact the maker of those bulbs and tell them what is happeneing? report them? Go public? get them to stop selling them???!!

I had that same thought today. I'm putting a call into my friend who is a Petco manager.

I'm not sure which end of this problem will be the most effective to attack. The manufacturers probably have millions in product and tooling set up for this. The big chain stores probably have hundreds of thousands tied up in inventory of these bulbs nationwide. Nobody is going to want to give up all that money, but what a scandal it would be if the news did a story on how their products were blinding and injuring peoples pets.

 

[Rabbit]

EKLC, where do you live in gainesville. I live near the hhgreg store on 34th. ill look up some of those plants and see if i can find any. Thanks.

 

[Rabbit]

Rabbit went out today for about an hour and a half! LOVED it. Would of taken pictures but we have realized it really clutters up the messages. He is loving it though. His house temperatures are about an average of 80 and in the basking its 105. We are getting him his humid box tomorrow! We turtle proofed the entire house and he chased the cat around for about another hour before retreating to his hide-box. LOL
Thanks for all your help!!! I'll keep you updated as he grows

EKLC! We would like to meet with ya so maybe you can point out some of the area weeds.
God bless!

 

[Rabbit]

We bought rabbit a pretty decent sized square trash receptacle. We then hotglued four sponges to the inside of it and spray it regularly. Took him a day to get used to his new box but he is back to burrowing away within his mounds of fir bark within it .. He's been loving his outdoor ventures and really mowing down some weeds/grass. For indoor feedings daily I took some timothy hay and put it through the blender and mashed it all together into the balls of mazuri diet. He is really becoming quite the character. He chases the cat around the house...

 

[Yvonne G]

I s'pose anyone could. I doubt there is only one brand, tho'. Someone would have to take it on as a project, and even though it really, really gripes me, I'm not interested in taking it on.

In a subsequent thread, Balboa has decided to do a study on these bulbs. He is asking for us to send them to him. Send him a PM and get the details.

---

Would of taken pictures but we have realized it really clutters up the messages.

WHAT???????

You've got to be kidding! WE LOVE PICTURES!!! Clutter? Never!

 

[Rabbit]

I s'pose anyone could. I doubt there is only one brand, tho'. Someone would have to take it on as a project, and even though it really, really gripes me, I'm not interested in taking it on.

In a subsequent thread, Balboa has decided to do a study on these bulbs. He is asking for us to send them to him. Send him a PM and get the details.

Petsmart has this policy where they will literally take back anything from anywhere as a return.. A really good return policy.. So since the reptile store didnt do returns it worked out quite nicely. I returned the bulbs and the lamp to petsmart for a store credit. I was able to get the MVB that is suggested by everyone witha new lamp and get 52 cents back ...

 

[Shelly]

The cactus grows fast and easily. Stick a pad in the ground or a pot and in a couple years you'll have a nice big plant that should supply all your needs.

 

[zoogrl]

Welcome to the forum! I don't have a sulcata but did get lots of good info from others on the forum when I got my russian tortoise, looks like everyone is coming to offer advice for you now. Just wanted to say welcome to the forum

 

[Scooter]

EKLC, where do you live in gainesville. I live near the hhgreg store on 34th. ill look up some of those plants and see if i can find any. Thanks.

Welcome to the forum. I grew up in Gainesville, though I am in Jax now.