# Basking bulb location



## Nebula (Jul 4, 2018)

Hi ,
I m new to this [emoji217] passion, i have 24"×30" tub filled with soil , planted grass, and basking bulb hight is 24" from Soil, is it ok or i need to make some changes, please suggest [emoji1317],Thanks in advance


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## Tom (Jul 4, 2018)

You are off to a good start and doing better than most. Here are the changes I would make:

Use a flood bulb from the hardware store instead of the reptile marketed spot bulb. "Intense" basking heat not good for tortoises. It will cause pyramiding.
The mounting height of your basking bulb will need to be determined by your thermometer.
A MUCH bigger enclosure is needed.
Any enclosure with an open top is going to make it impossible to maintain heat and humidity.
I would not use bought in a bag soil under any reptile. I don't know how it works in India, but here there is no way to know what composted material was used to make the soil.
The grass looks nice, but it will soon be tamped, eaten, or dead from lack of sunlight. To grow most plants indoors you need special lighting.
I don't see a water bowl or food bowl, or a flat basking rock, or a humid hide, or any hide.
These threads are labeled for sulcatas and leopards but care for stars is exactly the same:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-star-tortoise.159167/


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## Nebula (Jul 4, 2018)

Water bowl is der and instead of food bowl using stone (Rough) read somewhere that they need to feed on rough surface


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## Nebula (Jul 4, 2018)

And keeping his tub(incloser) outside whenever it is possible least a 8 hours in a week


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## Nebula (Jul 4, 2018)

And current temp is 74°F


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## Tom (Jul 4, 2018)

Nebula said:


> Water bowl is der and instead of food bowl using stone (Rough) read somewhere that they need to feed on rough surface


If there is a water bowl there, it is too small. They need something large and shallow that they can climb in and out of.

I've never understood why people say the flat rock thing for eating. I've never done that and I've not had any beak problems in several decades of keeping turtles and tortoises. In fact I've had a few rescues with bad beaks, and the bad beaks fixed themselves in my care with me doing nothing. Their beak doesn't really rub on the rock while they eat anyway. I prefer a food bowl to try to contain the food a bit and keep it out of the substrate. I use terra cotta saucers for this purpose.

You will need a much larger tub to fit the correct sized water and food bowls in there and still have walking room.


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## Tom (Jul 4, 2018)

Nebula said:


> And keeping his tub(incloser) outside whenever it is possible least a 8 hours in a week


Too much outside time isn't good for little ones. Use caution. They do better inside with stable monsoon type conditions. No more than an hour or two in a day is my recommendation. 8 hours spread out over the course of a week sounds excellent.


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## Tom (Jul 4, 2018)

Nebula said:


> And current temp is 74°F


This is too cool. Ambient temp should not drop blew 80 (26C) for this species. Basking temp should be near 100 (37C).


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## Wolfpackin (Jul 7, 2018)

You will also need to add a UVB bulb if the tortoise does not get outside sun frequently.


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## Nebula (Jul 7, 2018)

Wolfpackin said:


> You will also need to add a UVB bulb if the tortoise does not get outside sun frequently.


Petshop owner told me this is UVB


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jul 7, 2018)

Nebula said:


> Petshop owner told me this is UVB


No that's not a uvb lamp that's basking only. If you take your tort outside for few hours a week you really don't need uvb lamp though.


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## Nebula (Jul 7, 2018)

Ohhhh it's not possible for least 2 month's now , it's manson time


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## Tom (Jul 22, 2018)

Nebula said:


> Ohhhh it's not possible for least 2 month's now , it's manson time


Is there no sun ever during monsoon season?

In your part of India, what is the typical outside ambient humidity during the dry season, and what is it during monsoon season?


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## Nebula (Jul 23, 2018)

Tom said:


> Is there no sun ever during monsoon season?
> 
> In your part of India, what is the typical outside ambient humidity during the dry season, and what is it during monsoon season?


Now in monsoon Humidity is 80 to 90 but don't have data of dry and winter, will check with local weather office


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