Weight gain

[sullygirl85]

So I have been monitoring my littles one weight gains over the past week and a half well two weeks now that I have owned her and I'm a little worried. I have the tank set up as you all specified with a thermostat and timer and highs in the low 90s basking spot around 102 and the lower end tapers to 80 the humidity level stays in the 80s-90s and I have been feeding her grass from outside, mazuri pellets cactus and spring mix. She was initially 38 grams and by the beginning of this week she was 41/42 grams and now she is the same at the end of the week.... Am I doing something wrong here? I have been reading and reading about weight gain and I know they are all different but aren't they suppose to gain something in the week? All your help is very much appreciated thank you

 

[keepergale]

Relax it is a tortoise.
You probably can't see meaningful weight gains by taking its weight anymore than once a week. A good drink or poop can jump its weight up or down more than you might think. As long as the weight trend is up you are doing fine.

 

[sullygirl85]

Relax it is a tortoise.
You probably can't see meaningful weight gains by taking its weight anymore than once a week. A good drink or poop can jump its weight up or down more than you might think. As long as the weight trend is up you are doing fine.

I know... I just get a little scared because I purchased her online from someone that I was told might have not started her out right and made her more susceptible to that hatching fatality syndrome that Tom was talking about. So i just really want to make sure she's coming along as she should

 

[Blakem]

I understand why you'd be worried! It'll be fine though. Glad you have the forum unlike many others.

 

[Careym13]

I would not worry, you are doing just fine. A few grams in that time period is still good weight gain. If you weigh the tort less often you won't stress out as much about a few gram difference here and there....trust me, I used to be the same way

 

[sullygirl85]

Thank you so much! Yes I am very happy that I have this forum. Its nice that when I am freaking out I can calm down by asking you all a simple questions . You guys are great! Thank you for your encouraging words of wisdom

 

[DawnH]

I would not worry. The lack of fluctuation could be as simple as poop. She might not have pooped before last week's weigh in or she might have before this week's weigh in.


I think our torts like to keep us on our toes!

 

[sullygirl85]

I would not worry. The lack of fluctuation could be as simple as poop. She might not have pooped before last week's weigh in or she might have before this week's weigh in.


I think our torts like to keep us on our toes!

This is true! She poops like two to three times a day. Although today while she was out in the yard I noticed that clear snot bubbles were coming out of her nose... Not sure what to do about this?! Seems like every time I think I have it all figured out something else happens

 

[Tom]

What is your overnight low?

What equipment re you using to maintain that?

 

[sullygirl85]

What is your overnight low?

What equipment re you using to maintain that?

I have a 100 Watt CHE that is centered in the middle of the 75 gallon tank, I have the Thermostat prong located on the colder side of the tank that does not allow it to get under 80 degrees but since I noticed this I raised the temp to about 83/84 thinking maybe she might be too cold with the high humidity?

 

[Tom]

They can take a couple of weeks just to settle in, so the lack of growth doesn't bother me yet. If the lack of growth continues for another month, then I would begin to suspect BFS (Breeder Failure Syndrome).

The nose bubble worry me. Keep temps warm and keep an eye out. To be safe, I would bump night temps up to no lower than 85-86 for a couple of weeks. Be sure to continue daily soaks with warmer temps.

 

[sullygirl85]

They can take a couple of weeks just to settle in, so the lack of growth doesn't bother me yet. If the lack of growth continues for another month, then I would begin to suspect BFS (Breeder Failure Syndrome).

The nose bubble worry me. Keep temps warm and keep an eye out. To be safe, I would bump night temps up to no lower than 85-86 for a couple of weeks. Be sure to continue daily soaks with warmer temps.

Ok I will definitely bump the temp up in the tank to 85-86 that is not an issue what so ever! I just adjusted the thermostat as soon as I read this. While bathing her, since she is so small. Do you have a trick to keeping the water warm for an extended period of time. I make sure that the water is 95 but it seems to cool super quickly with her enjoying her bath lol. I'm hoping that is not what is causing it.

 

[Tom]

Do you have a trick to keeping the water warm for an extended period of time.

Soak her in her closed chamber, under a heat lamp, put a lid on the soak chamber, half in the sun, on a human heating pad with the lid on the tub, etc...

You just have to watch it very carefully so you don't cook or chill your baby. Even on a 100 degree day, my water chills to around 80 in the shade due to evaporative cooling. I sometimes put the soak containers half way in the sun, but I do it where the amount of shade increases as the minutes pass, not the other way around. I keep pushing the bins a little more in or out of the sun every few minutes depending on water temps and outside air temps.

 

[sullygirl85]

@Tom So just put her in a normal soak tub with like my back heating pad underneath and the lid (it does need some holes right?) on top and then in the sun. Got it. I have just been putting her in a tub in water that is 95 degrees and by my computer as i work and it gets very chilly very fast. She did blow those bubbles right after she got out of the water dish i had for her outside so idk if that matters, but it was mucusy in my opinion. When i wiped it away it wiped away like snot.

 

[sullygirl85]

Soak her in her closed chamber, under a heat lamp, put a lid on the soak chamber, half in the sun, on a human heating pad with the lid on the tub, etc...

You just have to watch it very carefully so you don't cook or chill your baby. Even on a 100 degree day, my water chills to around 80 in the shade due to evaporative cooling. I sometimes put the soak containers half way in the sun, but I do it where the amount of shade increases as the minutes pass, not the other way around. I keep pushing the bins a little more in or out of the sun every few minutes depending on water temps and outside air temps.

Ok So, I did that this morning, I put her in a covered container with my heat pad for my back on medium under her and it maintained a level of about 92 degrees in there for twenty five minutes so thank you for the idea It worked out fantastically! I haven't noticed anymore of the snot bubbles in her nose which is odd, I'm not sure if maybe she had something lodged in there? Could that be a possiblity? But on the safe side I will leave the tank a little warmer, it cannot hurt her can it? I also put plexiglass on the top to finish it off and completely enclose the tank, so now its maintaining a humidity level of about 87-90% even throughout the day with in the 90s during the day and i didn't let it dip below 86 at night So hopefully this will help the little one feel better as of right now mid day its at 89% humidity and 90 degrees in the hot end and 84 degrees in the cooler end.

 

[Tom]

Just check the temps early and often. You don't want him to overheat in the soak either. Sounds like you got it right.

 

[sullygirl85]

Just check the temps early and often. You don't want him to overheat in the soak either. Sounds like you got it right.

Will do, thank you so much for all your help. I greatly appreciate it

 

[AzAngel]

You are doing a great job Sullygirl. Dont worry about the weight just yet. He will take off before you know it. Just keep doing what you are doing. I went away for vacation this last week and when I got back Bowser had gained 10 grams... His tortoise sitter must have been feeding him lots of the Metzuri tabs. He is spoiled rotten

 

[sullygirl85]

You are doing a great job Sullygirl. Dont worry about the weight just yet. He will take off before you know it. Just keep doing what you are doing. I went away for vacation this last week and when I got back Bowser had gained 10 grams... His tortoise sitter must have been feeding him lots of the Metzuri tabs. He is spoiled rotten

Thank you so much!! I'm trying!! I did the plexiglass as suggested and I am loving it! The humidity level stays at the minimum in the 80s percentage wise and I am amazed thank you everyone for your help and encouragement

 

[sullygirl85]

UPDATE:

Idk what is going with this little one. I haven't noticed anymore of the snot bubbles coming from her nose anymore, I am still keeping the temps in the tank up. I got the plexiglass installed as stated, but now she is not eating anything. Yesterday was Mazuri day and she did eat some of that, but she is sleeping I am going to 80% of the day and today she didn't touch any of her food. AT ALL. Idk what is going on. I am leaving it in the tank but I know her and she will not eat it throughout the day. I will see if she will tonight but I don't think she will. Even yesterday when I took her out, she is always so adventurous during our outside times, and she just laid there and fell asleep, didn't even make a move for the clovers like she normally does. Ugh Idk what to do...