Re: A Couple more ?'s for Marissa and everyone else

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Posted by Marissa on April 17, 2000 at 16:30:25:

In Reply to: A Couple more ?'s for Marissa and everyone else posted by Chad on April 17, 2000 at 12:44:19:

Hey Chad, glad to hear you are doing a pen...it's the best way. If you want some tips or a look at my own pen, just write me privately and let me know.

Now for your questions...

Yard grass is fine but tortoise graze mix is 100% better. Go to www.turtlecafe.net and order a bag of African tortoise graze mix. It's like $7 and you can plant that in trays to swap out and even plant some in your yard in an area you don't spray or fertilize and clip from that too for the summers.

Okay, I know every care sheet is conflicting. My own care sheet's info comes from personal experience and info directly from the Board of the Tortoise Trust UK and USA. It's also been through a peer review for correctness. I'd say 90F for a basking area is okay, 80F for the cool end is too hot. Try to get it down to low 70's to allow for a temperature gradient and thermoregulation. Sulcata's do best at about 77F with a basking spot at 86-90F and a cool zone to chill out in. Hatchling sulcatas supposedly like it even cooler than adults. What do you use for heating? If you were using a fishtank and are now building a pen, temperatures will be much easier for you to maintain properly...

Soak daily or every other day. Some soak daily and some a tad less...every day would be fine, every other day fine too...

Hiding in the box is normal behavior...not to worry. Just make sure the hide box is in the cool end of the pen....

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: Hey Chad, glad to hear you are doing a pen...it's the best way. If you want some tips or a look at my own pen, just write me privately and let me know. : Now for your questions... : Yard grass is fine but tortoise graze mix is 100% better. Go to www.turtlecafe.net and order a bag of African tortoise graze mix. It's like $7 and you can plant that in trays to swap out and even plant some in your yard in an area you don't spray or fertilize and clip from that too for the summers. : Okay, I know every care sheet is conflicting. My own care sheet's info comes from personal experience and info directly from the Board of the Tortoise Trust UK and USA. It's also been through a peer review for correctness. I'd say 90F for a basking area is okay, 80F for the cool end is too hot. Try to get it down to low 70's to allow for a temperature gradient and thermoregulation. Sulcata's do best at about 77F with a basking spot at 86-90F and a cool zone to chill out in. Hatchling sulcatas supposedly like it even cooler than adults. What do you use for heating? If you were using a fishtank and are now building a pen, temperatures will be much easier for you to maintain properly... : Soak daily or every other day. Some soak daily and some a tad less...every day would be fine, every other day fine too... : Hiding in the box is normal behavior...not to worry. Just make sure the hide box is in the cool end of the pen....

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