Substrate for Sulcata Hatching?

[Buranman87]

Hey all, I'm picking up a Sulcata hatchling on Monday, and I'm setting up its enclosure now. Will a 50/50 mix of sand and sphagnum moss work as a substrate? Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm new here, and am still learning. Like, a lot.

 

[nicoleann2214]

Hey all, I'm picking up a Sulcata hatchling on Monday, and I'm setting up its enclosure now. Will a 50/50 mix of sand and sphagnum moss work as a substrate? Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm new here, and am still learning. Like, a lot.

No to sand and sphagnum. I have a baby sulcata and I use cypress and coco choir, I’ve never had a problem with it and it holds good humidity. Some use orchid bark too.

 

[Buranman87]

No to sand and sphagnum. I have a baby sulcata and I use cypress and coco choir, I’ve never had a problem with it and it holds good humidity. Some use orchid bark too.

Thanks a ton! I'm heading to Petco now to get some coco coir.

 

[nicoleann2214]

Thanks a ton! I'm heading to Petco now to get some coco coir.

No problem! If you have any other questions feel free to ask everyone is always here to help.?

 

[Tom]

Thanks a ton! I'm heading to Petco now to get some coco coir.

I am glad you are here!

First order of business: STOP! DO not go to Petco. Bad products and bad advice.

Second order of business: Do NOT buy that baby, until you read these, and you make sure it is not one of the typical dry started babies. Where are you buying it from? Almost everyone starts them incorrectly and most of them die weeks or months down the road. Read this for what goes wrong when you buy from 99% of the people breeding them:

"Hatchling Failure Syndrome"

I've heard this term for many years and I don't like it. Its a way to excuse our ignorance and failure. I will agree that an occasional hatchling is born that is just not going to make it no matter what anybody does, but MOST of them, if they make it full term and hatch, SHOULD survive and...

tortoiseforum.org

By contrast, and so that you know what you are looking for and what questions to ask, this is how they SHOULD be started:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

Here in CA we can easily get fine grade orchid bark in bulk. This is what you want. Its the best substrate for a sulcata baby. DO NOT use any sand or any type of sphagnum moss. Both are bad and will cause impaction. Further, don't listen to any other advice from whoever told you to use that. This includes the breeder/seller if they are the one that told you. Get your orchid bark cheaply and in bulk from a local nursery. Its also know as "fir bark". Plain fir bark. No other additives.

Next order of business: They need warm humid conditions. Day and night. To do this you need a large closed chamber. Not a tortoise table. And not an open topped tub, sweater box or glass tank. Do you have a closed chamber. Do you have night heat and a thermostat to control it? DON'T bring home a baby tortoise until you have all this sorted out.

Please read this BEFORE you buy a tortoise:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

We seldom get this chance to help people before they've already done everything the wrong way. Please let us help you before you make all the common mistakes.

Questions and comments are welcome.

 

[Buranman87]

I am glad you are here!

First order of business: STOP! DO not go to Petco. Bad products and bad advice.

Second order of business: Do NOT buy that baby, until you read these, and you make sure it is not one of the typical dry started babies. Where are you buying it from? Almost everyone starts them incorrectly and most of them die weeks or months down the road. Read this for what goes wrong when you buy from 99% of the people breeding them:

"Hatchling Failure Syndrome"

I've heard this term for many years and I don't like it. Its a way to excuse our ignorance and failure. I will agree that an occasional hatchling is born that is just not going to make it no matter what anybody does, but MOST of them, if they make it full term and hatch, SHOULD survive and...

tortoiseforum.org

By contrast, and so that you know what you are looking for and what questions to ask, this is how they SHOULD be started:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...

tortoiseforum.org

Here in CA we can easily get fine grade orchid bark in bulk. This is what you want. Its the best substrate for a sulcata baby. DO NOT use any sand or any type of sphagnum moss. Both are bad and will cause impaction. Further, don't listen to any other advice from whoever told you to use that. This includes the breeder/seller if they are the one that told you. Get your orchid bark cheaply and in bulk from a local nursery. Its also know as "fir bark". Plain fir bark. No other additives.

Next order of business: They need warm humid conditions. Day and night. To do this you need a large closed chamber. Not a tortoise table. And not an open topped tub, sweater box or glass tank. Do you have a closed chamber. Do you have night heat and a thermostat to control it? DON'T bring home a baby tortoise until you have all this sorted out.

Please read this BEFORE you buy a tortoise:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

We seldom get this chance to help people before they've already done everything the wrong way. Please let us help you before you make all the common mistakes.

Questions and comments are welcome.

Thanks a ton. Should I contact the breeder to make sure they're housed in the right conditions, or just cancel the sale altogether? Again, thanks for the help!

 

[Tom]

Thanks a ton. Should I contact the breeder to make sure they're housed in the right conditions, or just cancel the sale altogether? Again, thanks for the help!

Up to you. I only know of four breeders doing it correctly. If its not one of those chances of survival are dim. You are taking a gamble if the baby wasn't started correctly and almost no one starts them correctly.