# Hatchling Setup



## Meg90 (Dec 23, 2008)

Ok, this post is pic heavy...

I have been "nesting" ever since I have decided to get a little Greek hatchling from Danny (who i have already decided to call Anouk which is pronounced basically the way it is written)

Her enclosure is 31" by 13" and 6" deep. The bedding I used is aspen, in case anybody didn't recognize it 

Also, when I was out getting supplies, I came across a little ceramic tortoise that was the perfect size reference. That's the "tort" in some of the pics. I used it as a reference just to let you all know how much room my hatchling will have. The ceramic tort is just over two inches, so I figured it would be just her size 

Ok. Here are the pics:


Full overhead view. The side on the left will be her hot side, and I plan on getting one more hide to make into a humid hide, and put it between the plant in the corner, and the hedge by the water dish. The lower left corner will be where the lamp is pointed at to create her hotspot








Long view from what will be the hot side (those rocks in her waterdish are hot glued into place to serve as a sort of ramp out of her dish):







This pic is supposed to focus on the "grass hide" I made for her. I got a little plot of grass and cut out the middle to make a more natural sort of hide for her (I guess I will have to find out if she uses it to see if it was a decent idea) Size reference is there to show how big it is...







Lastly, I took pictures of some of the plants I put in there. All are attached to rocks to keep them stable. (I don't know what kind of "plants" they are...if anyone else does, it'd be fun to know)










And this is her "hedge" that I made from leftover grass.






Some might be wondering what that "pile" of rocks is. Each stone was hand chosen, and hot glued securely into place to provide not only a cooler surface for my hatchling, but a different texture to experience. (i had alot of time on my hands lol) You can also see in this pic that the sides of her enclosure are covered in black paper, so that she cannot see out.






I am now brainstorming on how to make a stand for her lamp to clamp on to, since attaching it to the side of her enclosure is not an option...If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear em.

What does everybody think? How'd I do?


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## egyptiandan (Dec 23, 2008)

It looks great Meg  Mine are on metal shelves, so I can use a post to clip the light onto.

Danny


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 23, 2008)

You DO have too much time on your hands... that looks really good but I would worry about fumes from the glue? Is that something to worry about? Here's a link to a lamp stand. You might not be able to see it because of you not being a member. So if you can't...It's Zoo-land lamp stand. If you Google it you should be able to find several. I found one at LLReptile also...oops!!! I forgot to say that looks really good!!!


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## Meg90 (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks! It gives me something to do when Nigel is napping and there is nothing on the 13 channels I get on tv (or any new topics here! ) The glue is pretty scentless...plus, it will be sitting until April when its in use, so I think anything will have dissipated by then. Its basically like melting plastic into place...it sets up quickly and then the smell goes away.

I didn't get the link for the lamp stand. I will go the website instead...

I'm glad people think its ok! I just want to make sure its good for her.


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## tortoisenerd (Dec 23, 2008)

I love the Zoo Med lamp stand. Very safe and stable, adjusts in every which way. I have a mercury vapor bulb and heard it's important to keep those steady and just straight down. Expensive, but I don't see any reason it won't last a long time.

I like the enclosure! =)


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## Isa (Dec 23, 2008)

Nice enclosure Meg,
Anouk will have fun discovering her new home


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## Meg90 (Dec 23, 2008)

Whew! Thanks! I was preparing myself to be told to remove stuff etc. That's why i posted this so early...to make sure everything is safe. I tried no to have any climbable items in there too...because i've been learning that if hatchling flip themselves over, and cant get back up, its hard on their little lungs...(plus I learned the hard way w/ Nigel...He still likes to climb up, and fall off, his log)

I'm so excited to get her! My little ceramic tort isn't nearly as cute or interesting as she is!


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## terryo (Dec 23, 2008)

I have the zoo med lamp stand, and it is great. You can adjust it to any height.


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## Meg90 (Dec 23, 2008)

sounds like that's what i will get then! what size should her dome lamp be? (i'll get one from walmart cause i hear they are more reasonable) And should it be ceramic coated, or metal? (I know it needs a ceramic socket)

Does anybody have any suggestions as to what else should be added in her enclosure? I was thinking of adding another vine at the top, just for some more cover (I hear that babies like dense foliage, as that as where they try to be in the wild--is this true) what do you guys think?

Robyn, do you have pics of your enclosures up? I know you've got greek babies!

do you think she'll use that grass hide?


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## Maggie Cummings (Dec 24, 2008)

Meg...let's try it again...I'm sorry, I forgot to give it to you when I was done with the post...my bad!!!

http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php


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## Meg90 (Dec 25, 2008)

Is 26$ a bad price to pay for the lamp stand? that's how much petco is saying they have them for....also, is a scale that weighs in WHOLE grams, a bad idea? Should I find one that weighs all the measurements for grams (like 2.3 grams vs 2 grams)






This is the type of bulb that should be on both of them right?
How big of a dome lamp should each tort have? Nigel right now has a 5.5 in lamp....


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## egyptiandan (Dec 26, 2008)

Thats the bulb Meg  I would think you'd need at least a 10" dome for the bulb.
I never went with very fine scales, just one that does whole grams should be fine. They get big pretty quick and you don't need the fine when they are over 1,000g 

Danny


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## tortoisenerd (Dec 27, 2008)

$26 for the lamp stand sounds about right. You might be able to get it as low as $20 if you shop around, but then you'd have to pay for shipping. Unless you have a big online order you could place and get free shipping (usually over $75-100), I'd get it at Petco. Hate that store personally though!

I like the Mega Ray MVB myself because the research shows the UVB output is higher.

I agree on the 10" dome.


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## jobeanator (Dec 28, 2008)

would that be the only bulb you'd need for lighting and heat for your tortoise?


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## tortoisenerd (Dec 28, 2008)

jobeanator-The Mercury Vapor Bulbs can usually be used as the only light/heat/UVB. Some people need extra heat as they only provide spot heat, and some people may need extra light if it's a large enclosure and/or their species likes high light.


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## Meg90 (Dec 29, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments everybody! Here is a final pic of the enclosure:

I added a few more plants around the edges, just so that it wasn't so "open"...with the sides of the box being as low as they are, I didn't want her to feel too exposed. But I am officially ending construction on this habitat (plant wise lol). So this is how it should look when she moves in! 

I was thinking of adding another hide in the form of a small terracotta pot, half buried into the substrate, but I think I will wait until April to pick one up, so I can get one the right size for her. The lower left side will still be her hot spot, that's why it looks a little barren. I will probably put the terracotta pot into the lower left corner area if I do get one....


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## Kristina (Dec 29, 2008)

All of your beautiful fake plants are making me pine for spring, so that I can get outside and build the most awesomest tortoise garden ever!!!

So that my Sulcatas can promptly destroy it, of course!

Kristina


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## Meg90 (Dec 29, 2008)

Oh do I know it! I've got a corner of the yard all picked out for Nigel come spring. I keep looking at all the darn snow here and fuming. Its driving me nuts, even though I know its alittle early for spring fever....I've already got bricks I think too, and two out of the four sides are stockade fencing, so I only need to add an L on new brick to enclose it...

I'm hoping He'll be a little easier on the plant life, since he's not a real big guy. Anouk will have a baby pen built for her, but will only be out with supervision. I don't trust the birds with her tiny size...(just normal birds, starlings and whatever---Nigel should be fine! )


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## Isa (Dec 30, 2008)

Really nice enclosure Meg.
Anouk will be a very happy tortoise in there


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## Kristina (Dec 30, 2008)

Meg90 said:


> Oh do I know it! I've got a corner of the yard all picked out for Nigel come spring. I keep looking at all the darn snow here and fuming. Its driving me nuts, even though I know its alittle early for spring fever....I've already got bricks I think too, and two out of the four sides are stockade fencing, so I only need to add an L on new brick to enclose it...
> 
> I'm hoping He'll be a little easier on the plant life, since he's not a real big guy. Anouk will have a baby pen built for her, but will only be out with supervision. I don't trust the birds with her tiny size...(just normal birds, starlings and whatever---Nigel should be fine! )



I can garuantee that your little dude will be a lot easier on the plantlife and landscaping than my 13" girl will. I won't be surprised if she is even bigger come time to go outside, she is gaining weight like crazy. I think it is a combo of the temps and the food. She's a moose!

Not to mention they haven't been outside before, so they are probably going to go a little nuts 

Kristina


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## Meg90 (Jan 18, 2009)

I really wanted a new set of shelves for my bday (which is today, but did stuff for it last night)

And my mom bought me some! I was very happy! LOL (I even put them together all by myself. And its sturdy! it was fun I guess, and not very hard. Only took about 20 mins)

But anyways, it gave me an excuse to put Anouk's enclosure back on display...I had it covered and under the bed to help with all the pining ...But since I put it up last night, I have had fun visualizing her in there! 

I made one teensy little update to her housing...by taking the black paper off of the front side. The glass is frosted enough, and there are so many plants and visual barriers on the front side, I don't think I will have a problem. If I do see stress behavior, I will put it back up....But I like the looks of it off.

Here is my set of shelves: (I'm buying lamp stands with the rest of my birthday monies too lol, and new bulbs for everybody) The painting peeking in the top corner is an original done by myself...







And after seeing this pic, I am going to bump up the depth of her substrate (will be doing that now) I just wanted to get a pic up, before all the hassle of removing every piece of furniture in there, and adding more aspen!


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## Isa (Jan 18, 2009)

HAPPY B-DAY MEG 
Really nice shelves .


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## terryo (Jan 18, 2009)

Before you buy any lighting be sure to read this and take precautions. I don't remember if any one mentioned this before but if they did just ignore this post.
Everything really looks great. I love the shelving too.

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm


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## Meg90 (Jan 18, 2009)

Thanks Terry! Its setup about three feet to the right of my computer, so it will be a joy to be able to be on here, and still see her!

For lighting I am planning on getting two 100 watt self ballasted reptile UV bulbs (reptileuv.com)...(they were backordered, which is why I haven't gotten them yet) I've heard that they have the best UV output. I have not heard any bad reviews on them...I know that Kate (tortoisenerd) recommended them to me too. She uses one on her russian hatching...


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## Yvonne G (Jan 18, 2009)

Happy Birthday, Meg!!! Hope it was a great day for you.

Yvonne


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## tortoisenerd (Jan 18, 2009)

Terry-Thanks for that article. It's quite scary with what can happen with the wrong type of bulb! I've heard of this happening way too often on several message boards. 

Meg-Cool shelves! Storage under the habitat comes in handy. Lifting up my little guy's tort table from the floor where it ended up at first got it warmer as well. I've already filled up most of my cabinet since I have a 45 lb bag of aspen in there (2 more in the garage), extra Mega Ray bulb, bathtub cat pan, pots and seeds I want to start, calcium, TNT, Mazuri, timothy hay, thermometers, humidity gage, pooper scooper, aspen scooper, gram scale, etc. Glad we bought the thing or else I have no idea where all Trevor's accessories would have gone! I love having Trevor in the middle of the house because we check on him any time we go between the kitchen and living room.

The only bad things I've ever heard about Mega Ray bulbs is that 1) they are expensive (price has gone down and considering less fixtures and long life it's actually a good deal now), and 2) that the bulbs are very strong...some people believe it could be too much, but it actually just more accurately mimics nature. If you compare the output of traditional bulbs vs. Mega Ray vs. natural sun, the traditional bulbs are actually several times lower in output of UVB, and the Mega Ray is very close to midday sun. They may indeed be too strong for some species though, so some research is recommended! I think the personal accounts of how someone had an animal that wasn't very active but suddenly got better with the Mega Ray is really cool.

Happy Birthday!


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 18, 2009)

Hey Meg...Happy Berfday!!!


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## galvinkaos (Jan 18, 2009)

looks good. Anouk should be very happy. and Happy Bday!

Dawna


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## Meg90 (Mar 27, 2009)

I've done some rearranging....her setup is on a coffee table like Nigel's is now....The bulb was visible to me and my bf when she was so high up, which was a headache, literally, and also, I like that at the new, lower height, I will be able to see her more easily.

Only a few more weeks till she's home....

















annnnd just for fun, here is my newest critter. A creamy yellow male crested gecko. I was thinking about making a thread for him too...


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## BigBiscuit (Mar 27, 2009)

I haven't seen too many geckos, but that one is awfully cute.

I really like your table that you put the new enclosure on.


Evan


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## tortoisenerd (Mar 27, 2009)

I love how aesthetically pleasing Anouk's enclosure is...I bet she'll love it! The countdown begins.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 27, 2009)

Meg: Its good to see you back posting. I love what you did with your habitat and I'm sure the little one is going to love it too.

Yvonne


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## terryo (Mar 27, 2009)

Hurry and post some pic's when you get her..him...so exciting!


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## Meg90 (Mar 27, 2009)

I am so excited! I almost had her this week Tuesday, but at the last minute, the weather turned on us.  so Danny and I didn't chance it....It would kill me if something happened to her!

I added a clay pot today, and I think I might make two out of the three hides in there humid, just in case...pyramiding in something that really is stressing me out....I worry about it constantly and she's not even here yet!

I'm interested to see if she uses that plot of grass in the corner to hide in. If not, I'm going to take it out so she has more space, but I hope she uses it, that would be neat!

Thanks for the compliments everybody, I love that its like a little garden in there.......


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## Isa (Mar 28, 2009)

Wow Meg, you must be so excited  I am sure she is going to love her new home!


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## jdub (Apr 11, 2009)

I was wondering how do you keep your humidity up? I've experimented with hay which gives the best results in cleanliness but on the other hand it gets kind of dry. I just placed in a 70/30 bed a beast along with play sand and the tortoises seem like they might like it? Not exactly sure what all the pacing around is about. But it definitely seemed like they were more comfortable with the hay. Any advice? Current humidity floats around 30% not sure if that's too low for a sulcata.

Thanks,
Jason


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## Maggie Cummings (Apr 11, 2009)

Sorry that we've hijacked Meg's hatchling thread...

Hey Jason, 30% humidity is too low for Sulcata. It needs to be around 70 to 80%. Humidity is crucial in preventing pyramiding. They needs lots of exercise, UVB lighting, a varied diet and high humidity. All of those have to be in place to raise a healthy tort. 
In changing from hay to eco earth your Sulcata notice that something is different. All of a sudden their home is not recognized by them, so they will need some time to adjust, but they will so don't fret about it. Changing away from the hay as a substrate is an excellent thing to do.

Meg, you hatchling set up is beautiful and you are quite talented...I could never create something that good...


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## Meg90 (Apr 11, 2009)

aww thanks! She might be here on tuesday, so I will see if she likes it! I'm make sure to post pics....I am VERY excited that the big day is almost here!


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## murdocjunior (Aug 2, 2009)

That's a cool setup


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