Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been researching sulcatas for months and I am getting a baby on tuesday and I still dont know what is the right bedding for a baby. A guy at the pet store told me to use Paper towels yet everywhere else says grass hay or sand soil mix. What is the best for a baby? I also need to know is a 100G tank is too big?

Thanks for any help!!

Hi,
A 100gal tank will be a good start but remember the more space the animal has the better. Only trouble you may have is getting the temps and ventalation right. I would not use paper towels as substrate. I suspect the tortoise might injest paper towel.. which is not good. These animals eat anything they suspect might be food.. if it smells or looks right to them... they will take a bite. Hay sounds better, but it may have some drawbacks I can't think of. I keep all my animals outside so I can't tell you a good substrate, I'll leave that to someone who knows. Good luck!

A 100 gallon tank is fine for a little while for a baby. It will eventually get to big to live in a glass aquairum but if you are getting a hatchling it will be fine.

I think generally a sand/soil mixture is used as the substrate indoors. Offer drier areas with hay and a couple hides where it is more humid and the tortoise can decide for itself which it wants to be in and when.

>>A 100 gallon tank is fine for a little while for a baby. It will eventually get to big to live in a glass aquairum but if you are getting a hatchling it will be fine.
>>
>>I think generally a sand/soil mixture is used as the substrate indoors. Offer drier areas with hay and a couple hides where it is more humid and the tortoise can decide for itself which it wants to be in and when.

I put my baby box in a sand substrate.. sand was constantly stuck in baby's eyes. I know some people tout the bed a beast for babies.. but I tried that with my frog. It stuck to his skin so badly I tossed it out. I think if you have a tank as large as 100 gallons Mel's suggestion about giving the baby choices is a good one.
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PHRatz

I put my baby box in a sand substrate.. sand was constantly stuck in baby's eyes. I know some people tout the bed a beast for babies.. but I tried that with my frog. It stuck to his skin so badly I tossed it out. I think if you have a tank as large as 100 gallons Mel's suggestion about giving the baby choices is a good one.
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Sand by itself will stick to animals, but when you mix it with the dirt it tends not to stick. I'm not sure why but it just works.

Another option is spagnum moss the natural form, I keep my hermanni on it and he does great. Put a little layer of organic top soil down underneath and then a few inches of the spagnum moss, the lower layers will stay moist and the upper layers dry. This allows the tortoise to burrow to its desired microclimate/humidity levels.

>>Sand by itself will stick to animals, but when you mix it with the dirt it tends not to stick. I'm not sure why but it just works.
>>

The reason why I tried plain sand is because it's the sand from outside that baby is eventually going to live in full time. BUT ya know outside & in a tank are 2 different things so I guess that's why I had a problem.

>>Another option is spagnum moss the natural form, I keep my hermanni on it and he does great. Put a little layer of organic top soil down underneath and then a few inches of the spagnum moss, the lower layers will stay moist and the upper layers dry. This allows the tortoise to burrow to its desired microclimate/humidity levels.

I've tried damp moss too.. the baby seemed to like it the first day, then every day after that the baby stayed as far away as it could from the moss LOL.
I'll find something that works but for now I'm housing it like the indoor adults- on towels with daily baths & so far so good.
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PHRatz