Burmese Star Setup and Heat/Humidity/Light

[PrinceH4H4T4]

How is my setup so far? I do plan on adding some potted live plants (Boston fern or spider plants) just to add some extra shade. Other wise here’s what I’ve got so far. All tips are welcome. Just want to make sure everything is perfect as can be, before I bring a Burmese home.

The daytime heat is supplied above the slate by a 45w incandescent flood bulb (12hour cycle). Surface temps of the rock is ~105°F and the shell height probe temp is ~ 98°F.

Ambient temperature and humidity are tracked by 3 acurite outdoor sensors. One near the hot spot, one in the opposite corner (cool side near food and water dish). And a temporary one under the hide. They are currently reading:
Daytime (peak temperatures w/ corresponding humidity at that temperature)

• Hot side: 97°F and 79% humidity
• Cool side: 93°F and 90% humidity
• Hide box: 89°F and 85% humidity

These “peak” temperatures are taken around 7:30-8:00pm after the light has been on all day. The temperatures start lower (hot side at 93°, cool side at 82 around 7:30-8:00am) and slowly work their way up to the temperatures posted above.
Nighttime (lowest temperature w/corresponding humidity at that temperature)

• Hot side: 79°F and 89% humidity
• Cool side: 79°F and 91% humidity
• Hide box: 80°F and 88% humidity

Night time heat is supplied by a radiant heat panel. It is controlled by a thermostat set to 85°, which give temperatures at the substrate level of 79-80°.

The enclosure itself is 3’x3’x2’ and filled with 4-5” of Reptichip (compressed coconut chips) and topped with orchard bark.

There is an Arcadia t5ho uvb bulb running along the right side of the enclosure. Which gives me UVI (taken with solar meter 6.5) of 2.5-3.5 directly under it and drops to 0 on the other side of the enclosure. This is also on a 12 hour cycle. And there are some 6500k LED bars for ambient light/plant growth.

I think my only real concern is that the cool side gets up to 93°. Not sure if that is too hot for a little guy.

All tips/tricks/advice is very welcome!
Thanks in advance!

@Tom

 

[wellington]

Thread 'Introduction To The Burmese Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/introduction-to-the-burmese-star-tortoise.199007/

 

[wellington]

Thread 'The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181504/

 

[PrinceH4H4T4]

How is my setup so far? I do plan on adding some potted live plants (Boston fern or spider plants) just to add some extra shade. Other wise here’s what I’ve got so far. All tips are welcome. Just want to make sure everything is perfect as can be, before I bring a Burmese home.

The daytime heat is supplied above the slate by a 45w incandescent flood bulb (12hour cycle). Surface temps of the rock is ~105°F and the shell height probe temp is ~ 98°F.

Ambient temperature and humidity are tracked by 3 acurite outdoor sensors. One near the hot spot, one in the opposite corner (cool side near food and water dish). And a temporary one under the hide. They are currently reading:
Daytime (peak temperatures w/ corresponding humidity at that temperature)

• Hot side: 97°F and 79% humidity
• Cool side: 93°F and 90% humidity
• Hide box: 89°F and 85% humidity

Nighttime (lowest temperature w/corresponding humidity at that temperature)

• Hot side: 79°F and 89% humidity
• Cool side: 79°F and 91% humidity
• Hide box: 80°F and 88% humidity

Night time heat is supplied by a radiant heat panel. It is controlled by a thermostat set to 85°, which give temperatures at the substrate level of 79-80°.

The enclosure itself is 3’x3’x2’ and filled with 4-5” of Reptichip (compressed coconut chips) and topped with orchard bark.

There is an Arcadia t5ho uvb bulb running along the right side of the enclosure. Which gives me UVI (taken with solar meter 6.5) of 2.5-3.5 directly under it and drops to 0 on the other side of the enclosure. This is also on a 12 hour cycle. And there are some 6500k LED bars for ambient light/plant growth.

All tips/tricks/advice is very welcome!
Thanks in advance!

@Tom

Thread 'Introduction To The Burmese Star Tortoise' https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/introduction-to-the-burmese-star-tortoise.199007/

Thank you for the links. I have read both of these posts a few times already, a great source!

 

[Tom]

How is my setup so far? I do plan on adding some potted live plants (Boston fern or spider plants) just to add some extra shade. Other wise here’s what I’ve got so far. All tips are welcome. Just want to make sure everything is perfect as can be, before I bring a Burmese home.

The daytime heat is supplied above the slate by a 45w incandescent flood bulb (12hour cycle). Surface temps of the rock is ~105°F and the shell height probe temp is ~ 98°F.

Ambient temperature and humidity are tracked by 3 acurite outdoor sensors. One near the hot spot, one in the opposite corner (cool side near food and water dish). And a temporary one under the hide. They are currently reading:
Daytime (peak temperatures w/ corresponding humidity at that temperature)

• Hot side: 97°F and 79% humidity
• Cool side: 93°F and 90% humidity
• Hide box: 89°F and 85% humidity

These “peak” temperatures are taken around 7:30-8:00pm after the light has been on all day. The temperatures start lower (hot side at 93°, cool side at 82 around 7:30-8:00am) and slowly work their way up to the temperatures posted above.
Nighttime (lowest temperature w/corresponding humidity at that temperature)

• Hot side: 79°F and 89% humidity
• Cool side: 79°F and 91% humidity
• Hide box: 80°F and 88% humidity

Night time heat is supplied by a radiant heat panel. It is controlled by a thermostat set to 85°, which give temperatures at the substrate level of 79-80°.

The enclosure itself is 3’x3’x2’ and filled with 4-5” of Reptichip (compressed coconut chips) and topped with orchard bark.

There is an Arcadia t5ho uvb bulb running along the right side of the enclosure. Which gives me UVI (taken with solar meter 6.5) of 2.5-3.5 directly under it and drops to 0 on the other side of the enclosure. This is also on a 12 hour cycle. And there are some 6500k LED bars for ambient light/plant growth.

I think my only real concern is that the cool side gets up to 93°. Not sure if that is too hot for a little guy.

All tips/tricks/advice is very welcome!
Thanks in advance!

@Tom

Your temperatures sound great. Stars like it hot, so that daytime high is great. Just watch it as summer and warmer room temperatures approach. Your thermostat should keep it where you want it. I like them to cool at night, and 79 with that wonderful daytime high should work out great!

I only see three things that I would tweak a little, and these are minor points:
1. I like daytime to be 12.5 to 13 hours for tropical species. 12 hours is certainly fine, but I go just a little more.
2. I only run the UV for about 3 hours mid day. Out in the wild, there is no UVB in the morning or late afternoon hours. UV starts late morning and peaks mid day, then slowly drops off to zero by late afternoon. Go check this out with your meter! Its fun! Having full UV all day from sunrise to sunset is not something they would encounter in the wild ever, and there is no need for it in our captive care. They only need about 15 minutes of UV a couple few times a week to get done what they need to get done. Strong UV for several hours every day will allow your tortoise to produce all the D3 it could ever need, and you will never see any hint of MBD. Again, if you leave set for 12 hours every day and the tortoise has plenty of "shade", I don't think it will do any harm. An added benefit of running it only a few hours a day is that the bulbs will last years instead of months. Literally. Some of my Arcadia 12% HO tubes are 3 years old and still making strong UVB.
3. I don't like coco chips for tortoises. Smaller tortoises have a tough time walking on them. Larger tortoises are likely to accidentally ingest too many chunks while eating. I've tried it, and I don't like it. I love coco chips for some lizards (I'm looking at you blue tongue skinks...) and for most snake species, but not for tortoises. Even though you have covered it with orchid bark, I think it will eventually work its way to the surface. As expensive as substrate is, I hate to waste it and chuck it, but this is something I'd keep an eye on. Do you have other reptiles? Since no tortoise has touched this substrate, you could bag it up and use it for something else, and then replace it with straight orchid bark. It may work out okay, but based on what I have seen of it, I wouldn't use it for a baby star.

Very well done. I give you an A! With the addition of your potted plants, you will move to an A+. An option that I like for potted plants is to hang them from the ceiling. This allows the leaves to drape over and give the torties shade and cover, but doesn't use up any precious floor space. Another tip I like is to clip branches of mulberry, grape vine, lavatera, hibiscus, or other tortoise food plants, and drop those around the enclosure. It gives little tortoises places to hide and explore, and more to nibble on. I replace the branches as needed every other day or so. Also, start growing your own potted spineless opuntia cactus and grass plots. You cactus pots can be outside in full sun in the summer, and they go dormant in winter, but you can bring them in and put them near a south facing window.

 

[PrinceH4H4T4]

Your temperatures sound great. Stars like it hot, so that daytime high is great. Just watch it as summer and warmer room temperatures approach. Your thermostat should keep it where you want it. I like them to cool at night, and 79 with that wonderful daytime high should work out great!

I only see three things that I would tweak a little, and these are minor points:
1. I like daytime to be 12.5 to 13 hours for tropical species. 12 hours is certainly fine, but I go just a little more.
2. I only run the UV for about 3 hours mid day. Out in the wild, there is no UVB in the morning or late afternoon hours. UV starts late morning and peaks mid day, then slowly drops off to zero by late afternoon. Go check this out with your meter! Its fun! Having full UV all day from sunrise to sunset is not something they would encounter in the wild ever, and there is no need for it in our captive care. They only need about 15 minutes of UV a couple few times a week to get done what they need to get done. Strong UV for several hours every day will allow your tortoise to produce all the D3 it could ever need, and you will never see any hint of MBD. Again, if you leave set for 12 hours every day and the tortoise has plenty of "shade", I don't think it will do any harm. An added benefit of running it only a few hours a day is that the bulbs will last years instead of months. Literally. Some of my Arcadia 12% HO tubes are 3 years old and still making strong UVB.
3. I don't like coco chips for tortoises. Smaller tortoises have a tough time walking on them. Larger tortoises are likely to accidentally ingest too many chunks while eating. I've tried it, and I don't like it. I love coco chips for some lizards (I'm looking at you blue tongue skinks...) and for most snake species, but not for tortoises. Even though you have covered it with orchid bark, I think it will eventually work its way to the surface. As expensive as substrate is, I hate to waste it and chuck it, but this is something I'd keep an eye on. Do you have other reptiles? Since no tortoise has touched this substrate, you could bag it up and use it for something else, and then replace it with straight orchid bark. It may work out okay, but based on what I have seen of it, I wouldn't use it for a baby star.

Very well done. I give you an A! With the addition of your potted plants, you will move to an A+. An option that I like for potted plants is to hang them from the ceiling. This allows the leaves to drape over and give the torties shade and cover, but doesn't use up any precious floor space. Another tip I like is to clip branches of mulberry, grape vine, lavatera, hibiscus, or other tortoise food plants, and drop those around the enclosure. It gives little tortoises places to hide and explore, and more to nibble on. I replace the branches as needed every other day or so. Also, start growing your own potted spineless opuntia cactus and grass plots. You cactus pots can be outside in full sun in the summer, and they go dormant in winter, but you can bring them in and put them near a south facing window.

View attachment 354529

Amazing, really appreciate the advice! I do have other critters, which is why I had the coco chip in the first place. I can reuse it elsewhere!

 

[PrinceH4H4T4]

Your temperatures sound great. Stars like it hot, so that daytime high is great. Just watch it as summer and warmer room temperatures approach. Your thermostat should keep it where you want it. I like them to cool at night, and 79 with that wonderful daytime high should work out great!

I only see three things that I would tweak a little, and these are minor points:
1. I like daytime to be 12.5 to 13 hours for tropical species. 12 hours is certainly fine, but I go just a little more.
2. I only run the UV for about 3 hours mid day. Out in the wild, there is no UVB in the morning or late afternoon hours. UV starts late morning and peaks mid day, then slowly drops off to zero by late afternoon. Go check this out with your meter! Its fun! Having full UV all day from sunrise to sunset is not something they would encounter in the wild ever, and there is no need for it in our captive care. They only need about 15 minutes of UV a couple few times a week to get done what they need to get done. Strong UV for several hours every day will allow your tortoise to produce all the D3 it could ever need, and you will never see any hint of MBD. Again, if you leave set for 12 hours every day and the tortoise has plenty of "shade", I don't think it will do any harm. An added benefit of running it only a few hours a day is that the bulbs will last years instead of months. Literally. Some of my Arcadia 12% HO tubes are 3 years old and still making strong UVB.
3. I don't like coco chips for tortoises. Smaller tortoises have a tough time walking on them. Larger tortoises are likely to accidentally ingest too many chunks while eating. I've tried it, and I don't like it. I love coco chips for some lizards (I'm looking at you blue tongue skinks...) and for most snake species, but not for tortoises. Even though you have covered it with orchid bark, I think it will eventually work its way to the surface. As expensive as substrate is, I hate to waste it and chuck it, but this is something I'd keep an eye on. Do you have other reptiles? Since no tortoise has touched this substrate, you could bag it up and use it for something else, and then replace it with straight orchid bark. It may work out okay, but based on what I have seen of it, I wouldn't use it for a baby star.

Very well done. I give you an A! With the addition of your potted plants, you will move to an A+. An option that I like for potted plants is to hang them from the ceiling. This allows the leaves to drape over and give the torties shade and cover, but doesn't use up any precious floor space. Another tip I like is to clip branches of mulberry, grape vine, lavatera, hibiscus, or other tortoise food plants, and drop those around the enclosure. It gives little tortoises places to hide and explore, and more to nibble on. I replace the branches as needed every other day or so. Also, start growing your own potted spineless opuntia cactus and grass plots. You cactus pots can be outside in full sun in the summer, and they go dormant in winter, but you can bring them in and put them near a south facing window.

View attachment 354529

The airflow has been reduced a little bit and here are the new temperatures for peak heat daytime. Are these still suitable? I just worry that the cool side is only a few degrees cooler than the hot side…

The third temperature on the bottoms is the temp under the hide.

The night temps are the same. The daytime temps rise from ~80° to these in the image over about 4hours and then level off at these temperatures. So it won’t get any hotter, but it will be at these temps for 8 hours before cooling down.

Do I need to make the cool side cooler… somehow?

 

[Tom]

The airflow has been reduced a little bit and here are the new temperatures for peak heat daytime. Are these still suitable? I just worry that the cool side is only a few degrees cooler than the hot side…

The third temperature on the bottoms is the temp under the hide.

The night temps are the same. The daytime temps rise from ~80° to these in the image over about 4hours and then level off at these temperatures. So it won’t get any hotter, but it will be at these temps for 8 hours before cooling down.

Do I need to make the cool side cooler… somehow?

Those temps are fine, but I'd drop it about three degrees all around. Its okay if the whole enclosure is 90 during the day and 80 at night. My indoor stars still bask when it is 93 degrees ambient.