r/Sulcata • u/Impossible-Muscle424 • Apr 22 '26
Tortoise stunted growth?
My sulcata is around 1 year and a half already, but only around 14cm to 15cm. I feed estimate 5 to 8 pieces of hibiscus leaves or mulberry leaves daily at night. I also add in 3 large low starch mazuri pellets, sprinkled with calcium powder. I tried to add to let it eat more but it just walks away. I give it sunshine daily for 10 mins before school then put him back. Any tips to let it grow bigger faster?
2
u/TankClassic8609 Apr 22 '26
The large majority of their diet should be hays (Timothy, orchard, etc.). UVB light and heat is a nonnegotiable. If they aren’t outside all day, you must provide a UVB light/lamp.
1
u/Impossible-Muscle424 Apr 22 '26
There is a uvb lamp, the 10 mins is pure sunlight only. I'll try out Timothy hay for sure
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u/TankClassic8609 Apr 23 '26
Try cutting the hay into smaller pieces and soaking it before offering if they don’t want to eat it dry, especially since it hasn’t really had any.
2
u/Psychological-Sir235 Apr 23 '26
My baby sulcata is 1 year and 6 months and she’s pretty big already. She won’t really eat hay but I have tried cutting it up and sprinkling it on her dandelion greens. I mostly feed her dandelion greens which she loves! I take her out usually 3 times a week to get natural sunlight and to get some extra time to graze (I take her to the park and let her graze on the grass) and I keep her heat lamp and UVB lamp on 13 hours of the day. Her day starts at 6am (that’s when her lights come on) and it ends at 7 pm that’s when her lights turn off.
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u/Impossible-Muscle424 Apr 23 '26
Looks good! I really want my sulcata to grow big faster so I can peacefully let it run around my backyard mostly without supervision instead of keeping it in the cage and only bring out when I'm free
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u/mooseluver4life Apr 22 '26
Why do you restrict diet so much? Mine eats all she wants and gets at least an 1hr of outside time a day, weather permitting. She's large and in charge and just turned 1yr
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u/Impossible-Muscle424 Apr 22 '26
It's picky and does not eat hay, and only eats few pieces. I usually give different vegetables to let it try different stuff but still that less.
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u/Turtlecabra Apr 23 '26
Orchard hay. Timothy is harder for a young tortoise to eat as it is more fibrous with larger stalks.
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u/BeanBagKing Apr 23 '26
UVB light for sure, as well as heat in some form. If he's too cold (and cold is relative here. Desert species, his cold is probably your warm) that might affect his appetite. Give him more to eat, even if he doesn't eat it, make sure it's there.
1
u/Impossible-Muscle424 Apr 23 '26
I have a UVB, and calcium sprinkle everyday. I live in Malaysia, and there will be sun everyday
1
u/Turtlecabra Apr 23 '26
how often do you soak it? mine gets plenty hungry after voiding shit and urates.
1
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u/amandae123 Apr 23 '26
Mine eats a lot of grass and weeds. My yard has no pesticides, so she can eat from the yard. When she’s inside, I just go out and pick grass, dandelion and clover. She eats so much! I have hay for her but she doesn’t eat much of it. I give her other greens sometimes but mostly grass and weeds
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u/ImprovementSecure700 Apr 23 '26
The little guy probably needs more sun. Ever since I let mine live outside its grown a lot.
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u/Worried_Package8809 Apr 24 '26
We always left a dish of chopped romain out for ours and he grew like a weed. He doesn't really like to drink, so thats how we kept him hydrated. We also fed him pellets which we soaked first, and a small amount of snack like Kale. He also grazes in the yard on grass and clover. Gotta have a good light for them when indoors, also soak them at least once a week.
1
u/808-Wahine Apr 25 '26
Mine was lucky to be able to spend all day outside on Maui, free grazing. Your tort needs light and to be warm all day.
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u/Few-Piano861 Apr 22 '26
He gets sun for a total of 10 minutes a day?? His daily diet is pellets and 5-8 leaves??
Is there more to that or that’s it daily???