Box Turtle Hatchling Tank with Substrate

[PJay]

This is my rearing tank for two 8 month old box turtles: Hunter and Wedge. It's a 29 gallon ~ closed chamber aquarium with damp coco coir substrate, a Zoo Med UVB fluorescent bulb (+ a standard aquatic aquarium bulb used for two hours at mid day to increase light intensity and color range) and a CHE on one side moderated by a temperature controller with probe. Current readings in the middle of the tank are 86% humidity and 79 F. I'm planning to replace the current terra cotta water bowl with a bigger version on the cool side, aiming for 1/3 water to 2/3 substrate. They eat a wide variety of foods including black soldier fly larvae, small Canadian night crawlers, small dubia roaches, scrambled eggs with crushed shells and dandelion/mustard greens, and Omega One Juvenile pellets. I really enjoy working with these little guys and they are steadily gaining weight. I'm always looking for ways to improve their environment and diet, please comment with suggestions!

 

[Rover15]

This is my rearing tank for two 8 month old box turtles: Hunter and Wedge. It's a 29 gallon ~ closed chamber aquarium with damp coco coir substrate, a Zoo Med UVB fluorescent bulb (+ a standard aquatic aquarium bulb used for two hours at mid day to increase light intensity and color range) and a CHE on one side moderated by a temperature controller with probe. Current readings in the middle of the tank are 86% humidity and 79 F. I'm planning to replace the current terra cotta water bowl with a bigger version on the cool side, aiming for 1/3 water to 2/3 substrate. They eat a wide variety of foods including black soldier fly larvae, small Canadian night crawlers, small dubia roaches, scrambled eggs with crushed shells and dandelion/mustard greens, and Omega One Juvenile pellets. I really enjoy working with these little guys and they are steadily gaining weight. I'm always looking for ways to improve their environment and diet, please comment with suggestions!
View attachment 237983

Try the water dish on the warm side. I assume the che is in the dome in the tank? Do you have a basking spot or just the CHE?

 

[Len B]

Looks Nice, A couple small terra cotta flower pots (3.5 to 4 inch) on their side buried some in the substrate will give them a place to hide and feel secure. The brown terra cotta bowls like this one work better than the regular terra cotta because the water don't weep through. They are not glazed just more dense and hold water longer.

 

[Eric Phillips]

Looks great PJay....now I like to use tree bark as hides and as a housing of food on the substrate. Rollie’s and worms love the bark just like the turtles. It gives the young ones a place to hide and hunt on their own. I flipped over a piece of bark in my hatchling enclosure to find one of the little ones and there were literally dozens of Rollie’s under the thing. No wonder why it wasn’t hungry for the day

 

[PJay]

Looks Nice, A couple small terra cotta flower pots (3.5 to 4 inch) on their side buried some in the substrate will give them a place to hide and feel secure. The brown terra cotta bowls like this one View attachment 237995 work better than the regular terra cotta because the water don't weep through. They are not glazed just more dense and hold water longer.

I don't recall ever seeing those brown terra cotta saucers in my usual haunts. Where do you get them?

 

[Len B]

I don't recall ever seeing those brown terra cotta saucers in my usual haunts. Where do you get them?

It's been a few years but I found them at walmart and lowes. They were just mixed in with the regular terra cotta pots and bases at the same price.

 

[AJK Aquaria]

I think it looks great.

How do you get them to eat greens? Mix it with the eggs? Thanks

 

[PJay]

I think it looks great.

How do you get them to eat greens? Mix it with the eggs? Thanks

Yes, I chop up the greens and mix them with the eggs before cooking. I also have sprinkled on top of the already cooked eggs before but they don't stick to the eggs as well.

 

[DE42]

Nice! They are a little different than the ones we have here in East TN.

 

[PJay]

Try the water dish on the warm side. I assume the che is in the dome in the tank? Do you have a basking spot or just the CHE?

Yes, the CHE is in the dome and is the only heat source.