I received an aldabra tortoise from what I believe is a reputable source Wednesday of last week. Unfortunately I believe I was given bad to no care advice on this animal from the source. It is currently housed in a 48 by 24 inch round stock tub(I know way too small). With a Che on each end running on a thermostat. One sits at 80 to 85 degrees and the other is 95 to 100 degrees. In between runs 70 to 75 degrees and there is a 36" t5ho full spectrum lamp. Food and water is available at all times. It is open top but I have ordered a green house that is 4x4 feet and has a raised bed in it. I have also ordered a tarp to wrap over the raised bed sides and act as a floor under the substrate. Current substrate is a mixture of eco earth and cypress mulch. The animal pooped upon arrival but has not since then. I am feeding spring greens and mazuri 5m 21 twice a day and soaking for 30 minutes 1 to 2 times a day. I am concerned that I have not seen it eat or drink outside of some food particles around its mouth one day. It is hiding a lot but seems to be strong and alert after soaking/ removing from enclosure for inspection. Being that it is so new I have no idea what is and isn't normal and what I should be concerned about. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am also unsure if I should move it to the greenhouse when it comes in Friday as this would essentially be a whole new environment. Hopefully a more homgoneously heated one but new none the less. All pictures are within the last 48 hours.
Should I be concerned?
- Thread starter Andy27012
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Alex and the Redfoot
Well-Known Member
Hello!
@dd33 maybe you can help here?
I have no experience with aldabras, but from reading here I suspect there is no drastical difference in raising hatchlings. So a few tweaks can be done:
1. Thermostat probe on the right is a bit too high, it should be couple of inches above the substrate.
2. Hatchlings tend to hide, as they are an easy prey: they need some shady areas and opaque hides.
3. The UVB light might be too close to the surface. What is the height between the lamp and substrate? Every inch counts, just in case.
4. Tortoises typically adapt to changes for about week or so and you guy might be still stressed. I would move him to a new 4x4 enclosure as soon as it's ready: with a larger enclosure it's easier to make temperature and lightning gradients, keep right humidity and provide hides and shade. While it's a change and a new stress, I believe benefits would outweight it.
@dd33 maybe you can help here?
I have no experience with aldabras, but from reading here I suspect there is no drastical difference in raising hatchlings. So a few tweaks can be done:
1. Thermostat probe on the right is a bit too high, it should be couple of inches above the substrate.
2. Hatchlings tend to hide, as they are an easy prey: they need some shady areas and opaque hides.
3. The UVB light might be too close to the surface. What is the height between the lamp and substrate? Every inch counts, just in case.
4. Tortoises typically adapt to changes for about week or so and you guy might be still stressed. I would move him to a new 4x4 enclosure as soon as it's ready: with a larger enclosure it's easier to make temperature and lightning gradients, keep right humidity and provide hides and shade. While it's a change and a new stress, I believe benefits would outweight it.
I will let others advise re care but just to add .....provide hides, low rocks, terracotta or plastic plant base water dish it can sit in. Block end to end vision (this gives enrichment and they explore )when you get your green house set up.
Where do you live and how long do you plan on keeping it indoors? Where did you buy him from?
2x4 is too small but if it is going to be moved outdoors full time in the spring you might be ok until then. If you plan on keeping him indoors longer I would go straight to 4x8 for the next house. It will outgrow this quickly. If you can't keep him outdoors nearly full time it is not going to have a good life and will likely have health issues.
I don't think you need a hot area that is 95 to 100. Just keep the whole enclosure 80-85 overall.
You need to keep the humidity up over 80% at all times. Any pyramiding that starts at this young age will be visible for decades.
Is the t5 bulb a UV bulb? Do you have other visible light sources as well? Depending on the uv output of the bulb you might not want to run it for the entire day.
I would only soak once a day. Ours are very timid and fearful. Soaks are good for them but there is at least some level of stress with being handled and moved to an unfamiliar place multiple times per day.
Cut out the Mazuri 5M21 ASAP and only feed him the LS variety. It is a vastly superior product. Switching from 5M21 to LS can be hard but once they learn to like it they can't get enough. You need to vary the diet as much as possible, the young years are critical for development and you have taken on a huge responsibility. I have seen many giant tortoises started on poor diets with badly disfigured shells, goiter/neck edema, and leg issues that will last for life.
2x4 is too small but if it is going to be moved outdoors full time in the spring you might be ok until then. If you plan on keeping him indoors longer I would go straight to 4x8 for the next house. It will outgrow this quickly. If you can't keep him outdoors nearly full time it is not going to have a good life and will likely have health issues.
I don't think you need a hot area that is 95 to 100. Just keep the whole enclosure 80-85 overall.
You need to keep the humidity up over 80% at all times. Any pyramiding that starts at this young age will be visible for decades.
Is the t5 bulb a UV bulb? Do you have other visible light sources as well? Depending on the uv output of the bulb you might not want to run it for the entire day.
I would only soak once a day. Ours are very timid and fearful. Soaks are good for them but there is at least some level of stress with being handled and moved to an unfamiliar place multiple times per day.
Cut out the Mazuri 5M21 ASAP and only feed him the LS variety. It is a vastly superior product. Switching from 5M21 to LS can be hard but once they learn to like it they can't get enough. You need to vary the diet as much as possible, the young years are critical for development and you have taken on a huge responsibility. I have seen many giant tortoises started on poor diets with badly disfigured shells, goiter/neck edema, and leg issues that will last for life.
Thank you dd33, this is the exact information I was looking for. I will switch to a 4x8 enclosure. I was going to give him some time to grow before placing him outside. I will build a pen this summer and let him roam as Temps allow. I am a school teacher and summers are open for me. Our days typically run 50 to 60 during the winter and 85-95 during the summer. My understanding is they can tolerate Temps down to about 60 once they get past the hatchling stage? Below that they need to be locked in the humid hide? I will switch to the ls asap. I am currently feeding spring mix but plan to mix it up on future trips to the grocery store. I promise I am not a irresponsible pet owner but these guys are hard to find good care on and I was given bad info from the person I purchased from. I am aware that they get large and fast and are a huge responsibility if raised properly and am prepared. I have 2 acres available for him/her to roam. I do not have weeds available right now, do you have suggestions for grocery store items? I have seen the results of them not being raised properly and it is horrific. I do not want to do that to him. I understand he is still settling but the reason I am concerned is because I am pretty sure he ate the second day I had him and he has not eaten since. I say this because he had food matter on his beak. I just want to make sure I am doing everything I can to make sure he is living his best life from his hatching to my death.
You don't have the say the city, but what area do you live in?
We are on the northern edge of what is considered South Florida. We started ours outdoors the day we got them and they have never had an indoor enclosure. I've learned better since, I should have kept them indoors for the first year or so until they weighed around 2kg. Nothing went wrong with them but one of the three didn't turn out with a flawless shell. I don't know if it was genetics or low humidity during the first winter.
The day temperatures you mentioned are fine if it is sunny. They can go out and graze in the 40s on sunny days after a few years. They stay plenty warm if the sun is shining. It was 52 when I woke up this morning and the Aldabras were already out of the house chomping on grass. The big concern is the night time temperatures. We keep our night house heated to 82-85 year round. It takes a lot of dedication to train them to use their house. Making sure he is in at night will be a lifelong chore. Ours go in 99% of the time but they have really been frustrating us for the last couple of weeks.
I am not the best person to make a suggestion for what to feed them from the grocery store. We have always been very lucky to have enough food growing around our property and access to plentiful cactus pads in our area. In the winter months when hibiscus and weeds were sparse we fed a lot of cactus pads and Mazuri a few times a week. By the time they were around 3-4yo they started to eat hay enthusiastically so that makes things easier in the winter.
Finding a good source for cactus pads will help. Most of the food suggestions made on this forum for other tortoise species should be fine. Same goes for the suggestions on this forum for foods to avoid. I would stay away from any kale, mushrooms, carrots, and any kind of fruit ever, even as a treat. Use mazuri or cactus for a treat intead.
We are on the northern edge of what is considered South Florida. We started ours outdoors the day we got them and they have never had an indoor enclosure. I've learned better since, I should have kept them indoors for the first year or so until they weighed around 2kg. Nothing went wrong with them but one of the three didn't turn out with a flawless shell. I don't know if it was genetics or low humidity during the first winter.
The day temperatures you mentioned are fine if it is sunny. They can go out and graze in the 40s on sunny days after a few years. They stay plenty warm if the sun is shining. It was 52 when I woke up this morning and the Aldabras were already out of the house chomping on grass. The big concern is the night time temperatures. We keep our night house heated to 82-85 year round. It takes a lot of dedication to train them to use their house. Making sure he is in at night will be a lifelong chore. Ours go in 99% of the time but they have really been frustrating us for the last couple of weeks.
I am not the best person to make a suggestion for what to feed them from the grocery store. We have always been very lucky to have enough food growing around our property and access to plentiful cactus pads in our area. In the winter months when hibiscus and weeds were sparse we fed a lot of cactus pads and Mazuri a few times a week. By the time they were around 3-4yo they started to eat hay enthusiastically so that makes things easier in the winter.
Finding a good source for cactus pads will help. Most of the food suggestions made on this forum for other tortoise species should be fine. Same goes for the suggestions on this forum for foods to avoid. I would stay away from any kale, mushrooms, carrots, and any kind of fruit ever, even as a treat. Use mazuri or cactus for a treat intead.
I purchased him from cameron lamb exotics.
How much does your guy weigh now? Was it produced in Florida or imported? (ours were imported so we don't know exactly when they hatched).
In my post above I was talking about the temperature tolerance of slightly older animals, not hatchlings. 60s and sunny would probably be fine for a little one if you are home to observe it. You can keep an eye on the temperature of the carapace with a temp gun. I don't know if they would "enjoy" being moved outside for the day then back inside. Every time we would move our group of three around they would shutdown and not move then seem scared and want to get back to an area they were familiar with. I am not sure if that behavior is specific to our group. Perhaps you are seeing something similar with your guy in his new enclosure.
The new 4x8 foot enclosure needs to be a warm humid closed chamber. It should not drop below 80 degrees at any time for a baby. This will be near impossible with an open topped enclosure. That is like trying to heat your house in winter with no roof on it. That sort of open topped tub only works if you are in the tropics where it is 80-90 degrees all day every day and super humid.
The UV tube should only run for a few hours mid day, and you need LED strips or screw-in type bulbs for ambient lighting the rest of the day time.
You will need to house it indoors in winter where you are. @dd33 is in FL and it is significantly warmer there most of the year. Yes the adults and larger juveniles can tolerate lower temps for a bit if it is sunny, but it seldom stay that cool for very long in South FL. Your climate is very different.
The majority of your tortoises food should be grass and weeds. Mulberry leaves, grape leaves and rose of Sharon or hibiscus leaves are all good too.
If you must use grocery store foods, as most of us do in winter, add amendments to make them better. Romaine is a great delivery vehicle for soaked horse hay pellets, Herbal Hay, ZooMed Flower Topper, and a wide assortment of dried leaves from Will at Kapidolofarms.com. Favor endive and escarole. Add in cilantro, arugula, Italian dandelion, and many more for variety, but add calcium, fiber and variety to all of these grocery store foods.
The UV tube should only run for a few hours mid day, and you need LED strips or screw-in type bulbs for ambient lighting the rest of the day time.
You will need to house it indoors in winter where you are. @dd33 is in FL and it is significantly warmer there most of the year. Yes the adults and larger juveniles can tolerate lower temps for a bit if it is sunny, but it seldom stay that cool for very long in South FL. Your climate is very different.
The majority of your tortoises food should be grass and weeds. Mulberry leaves, grape leaves and rose of Sharon or hibiscus leaves are all good too.
If you must use grocery store foods, as most of us do in winter, add amendments to make them better. Romaine is a great delivery vehicle for soaked horse hay pellets, Herbal Hay, ZooMed Flower Topper, and a wide assortment of dried leaves from Will at Kapidolofarms.com. Favor endive and escarole. Add in cilantro, arugula, Italian dandelion, and many more for variety, but add calcium, fiber and variety to all of these grocery store foods.
@Tom is right about the climate challenge you will face. There are far worse places than Charlotte to try to raise an Aldabra but it isn't going to be easy. They can come out and graze and stay warm enough in pretty low temperatures but it is not natural and not without risk.
I suspect that you would need to build a rather significant indoor enclosure/barn for him after a few years so it can get some exercise in the winter months.
I suspect that you would need to build a rather significant indoor enclosure/barn for him after a few years so it can get some exercise in the winter months.
That is a good idea and something I will start researching now as I'm sure he will grow more quickly then I expect! As far as lighting goes it is 5.0 not 10.0. When everything comes in tomorrow I will hang a spotlight to help heat the enclosure in addition to the Ches and the kane heating mat I am running. Hopefully this will keep him warm enough and the humidity I think will take care of itself once it's enclosed. If not water is easy to find. I was not provided an initial weight but I will check tonight to get a base line. He was sold as us bred and is too small to get through customs. I do not have a hatch date. I believe he may have been bought for resale from the actual breeder.
Just a few helpful points for you:
1. 5.0 bulbs produce almost no UV at all. Whatever bulb you use, verify the UV output at tortoise level with a Solarmeter 6.5. During warmer weather when the tortoise is spending time outside with access to real direct sunshine, indoor UV is necessary. They store the D3 that they create with the UVB, so they do not need high levels of UV all day every day. They can go weeks with no UV at all with no ill effect, as long as they are getting UV before and after the "dry" spell.
2. Use a flood lamp, not a spot. Spots, MVBs, and halogens will all cause pyramiding.
3. You are correct that the humidity will be easy to maintain once it is all enclosed.
Good luck with your new giant!
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So who sold the tortoise to you? There is no reason to keep it a secret and protect someone who may be doing harm to the cheloniophile community at large (and possibly to tortoises as well).
It always mystifies me when people allude to sellers actually or possibly doing them wrong and then fail to name them. That does no one any good. Naming the culprits can help other people to avoid having bad experiences.
He said who but it was accidentally inserted into a quote instead of the post. He said Cameron Lamb.
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OK, thanks. Guess I missed that one by not expanding the quote. That last statement isn't in the original post from which the quote came, though. How does that happen?
Maybe it was edited out by the OP before he quoted it again?
Last edited:
The cursor was within the quoted text when they typed their response. I moved it outside of the quote.
I do not have pictures right now but I can get them. I switched things up and can already see he/she is more active and overall more vibrant than before. Peyton is in a 4x3 greenhouse till I can find a 4x8 greenhouse that will work for me. It is heated by two 100 watt ches down low and a 160 watt che up higher in the middle of enclosure. This keeps the temps 82 to 85 degrees. The ches in conjunction with the kane heat Mat I am running are all regulated by a herpstat 4. Moisture is condensing on the walls of the greenhouse and I can feel the humidity everytime I open the door so I believe it is at least 80 percent. It is lit by a single t5ho 10.0 flourescent. Peyton is kept on a mixture of eco earth and cypress mulch. Peyton is having bms once to twice a week, they are if anything a little dry. I am feeding mazuri ls twice a week and mixed greens the rest of the week. (Bok choy. Mustard greens, spring mix, the dreaded iceberg lettuce ( only till I am happy with moisture in poops.)). I am seeing much less lethargy and a much stronger response to being held. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS THREAD!!!! Your comments have been valuable and probably life saving for one aldabra tortoise!
