Hatchling Readiness Check!

[herpgal88]

Hey all! Tamil my Sri Lankan Star tortoise will be here on Wednesday <3 Just doing a final double-check to make sure I have everything set up for the little one. The top is solid, and I can certainly cover some of the venting on the back if humidity becomes a concern. I've also hung up the Arcadia UVB since this pic was taken. Thinking I'll need to put a CHE in for nighttime heat. Just have to do a bit more toying with the tank (three sockets, 2 plugs, so I need to figure out which to isolate and remove from the timer).

Also... where the heck are y'all finding flood bulbs? Literally all I can find in stores are the spot bulbs.

 

[wellington]

Looks good. You will likely have to cover some vents, but see how it goes
i usually search Amazon for incandescent flood bulbs
I believe basking bulbs are okay too, @Tom can verify that

 

[Tom]

Looks good, but you definitely need night heat set on a thermostat. Stars like it hot. Dropping below 80 at night is risky. Daytime ambient in the whole enclosure should get up to the low 90s, and the basking area around 100. They make thermostats that can be set for different temps day and night. I'd do 82 over night and 88-90 for day time. If the basking lamp and UV tube are already keeping it warm enough, then the thermostat will keep the CHE off.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Arcadia Golden Sun and Flukers are some brand names you could look for.

 

[herpgal88]

Looks good, but you definitely need night heat set on a thermostat. Stars like it hot. Dropping below 80 at night is risky. Daytime ambient in the whole enclosure should get up to the low 90s, and the basking area around 100. They make thermostats that can be set for different temps day and night. I'd do 82 over night and 88-90 for day time. If the basking lamp and UV tube are already keeping it warm enough, then the thermostat will keep the CHE off.

This tank actually has 2 thermostats built in. I’m going to see about removing the CHE thermostat from the timer so it will click on and off as needed 24/7. Which I don’t imagine will be on much during the day, but likely at night. When I woke up this morning, ambient was about 86 in the tank. Would you nudge that up a bit still?

 

[Tom]

When I woke up this morning, ambient was about 86 in the tank. Would you nudge that up a bit still?

No. I like 80-82 overnight and 90ish during the day for ambient temps for stars.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

This tank actually has 2 thermostats built in. I’m going to see about removing the CHE thermostat from the timer so it will click on and off as needed 24/7. Which I don’t imagine will be on much during the day, but likely at night. When I woke up this morning, ambient was about 86 in the tank. Would you nudge that up a bit still?

Looking and sounding good! Yeah definitely take the ceramic off a timer, the thermostat will keep it off if it’s not needed. You’ll definitely need one for night time for this species

 

[herpgal88]

Looking and sounding good! Yeah definitely take the ceramic off a timer, the thermostat will keep it off if it’s not needed. You’ll definitely need one for night time for this species

I figured it out and everything is set up ^_^ I left the daytime setup running last night just to see what it looked like and equalized out at. Will put one of my smart thermostats in tonight and run it like it will be when Tamil is home, because it records the temps by hour and has alarms for too-low through the app. Fingers crossed I'll get it dialed in!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I figured it out and everything is set up ^_^ I left the daytime setup running last night just to see what it looked like and equalized out at. Will put one of my smart thermostats in tonight and run it like it will be when Tamil is home, because it records the temps by hour and has alarms for too-low through the app. Fingers crossed I'll get it dialed in!

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing this set up, you’re giving your new baby a fabulous start! Would love to see pictures when you get the little one

 

[herpgal88]

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing this set up, you’re giving your new baby a fabulous start! Would love to see pictures when you get the little one

Tamil’s here!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Congratulations!!absolutely adorable

 

[herpgal88]

Congratulations!!absolutely adorable

Thank you! Was in the tank all of 5 minutes before getting stuck I joked that Tamil thought they were still on the plane

 

[herpgal88]

Didn't want to start a new thread for a simple question, so hopefully some folks see this and chime in

How soon is too soon to go into a big enclosure? I'm working on a reptile room expansion project and am thinking I'll grab Tamil's 8' tank sooner than later (next few months) as I need some other tanks and only want to pay the freight shipping once if I can help it. I'm still debating on the 30" depth with another upgrade in the future, or the 48" depth (mostly because of the shipping expense. also... how do you clean a 48" deep tank? I'm SHORT, okay? I have T-rex arms)

Regardless... would Tamil simply get lost in so much space? She's ALL OVER her 30" x 22" enclosure and pretty active. They do offer dividers for that size tank, so I could just grab the divider and then set up half of it (4' x 2.5'), and expand when she's a bit bigger.

So many thoughts.

 

[Tom]

Didn't want to start a new thread for a simple question, so hopefully some folks see this and chime in

How soon is too soon to go into a big enclosure? I'm working on a reptile room expansion project and am thinking I'll grab Tamil's 8' tank sooner than later (next few months) as I need some other tanks and only want to pay the freight shipping once if I can help it. I'm still debating on the 30" depth with another upgrade in the future, or the 48" depth (mostly because of the shipping expense. also... how do you clean a 48" deep tank? I'm SHORT, okay? I have T-rex arms)

Regardless... would Tamil simply get lost in so much space? She's ALL OVER her 30" x 22" enclosure and pretty active. They do offer dividers for that size tank, so I could just grab the divider and then set up half of it (4' x 2.5'), and expand when she's a bit bigger.

So many thoughts.

Funny you asked this today... I just expanded the enclosure for my baby stars yesterday. But I have 30 of them at the moment.

30x22 is pretty small, so I'd go bigger sooner. How big? No one ever looks at a new enclosure for a tortoise and wishes it was a little smaller. Everyone always wishes it was a little bigger. Just go big. Use a step stool to reach the back when needed which won't be often. You will be soaking daily and they poop and pee in the soak. Water and food bowls will be up front for convenience. It will be a rare occasion when you need to reach the back of the enclosure. My mom is 4'10" and I bought her some rubber edged salad tongs to reach the babies in the back. Worked great.

Dividing it in half is a great idea for a little one.

I'd go 4x8 feet if you don't want to have to get another one I a couple of years. Or get the 8'x36" Smart Enclosure from @Markw84 They are the best enclosures made.

 

[herpgal88]

Funny you asked this today... I just expanded the enclosure for my baby stars yesterday. But I have 30 of them at the moment.

30x22 is pretty small, so I'd go bigger sooner. How big? No one ever looks at a new enclosure for a tortoise and wishes it was a little smaller. Everyone always wishes it was a little bigger. Just go big. Use a step stool to reach the back when needed which won't be often. You will be soaking daily and they poop and pee in the soak. Water and food bowls will be up front for convenience. It will be a rare occasion when you need to reach the back of the enclosure. My mom is 4'10" and I bought her some rubber edged salad tongs to reach the babies in the back. Worked great.

Dividing it in half is a great idea for a little one.

I'd go 4x8 feet if you don't want to have to get another one I a couple of years. Or get the 8'x36" Smart Enclosure from @Markw84 They are the best enclosures made.

Oh, didn't realize it was too small. A lot of people said a 40 breeder was just fine for a hatchling, which is 648 sq inches, and her tank is 660 sq inches, so I was thinking that would be okay for a little bit.

Found the AP 8' x 36" tank, so maybe I'll just do that. Mark's are a little out of my price range and I think his shipping cost was like 2x what AP was offering for my zip code (probably based on where the two folks are located). Goal will be to have that ordered by Christmas That would put her in her new tank by the time she's 7-9 months old if their lead times are still accurate.

 

[zovick]

Oh, didn't realize it was too small. A lot of people said a 40 breeder was just fine for a hatchling, which is 648 sq inches, and her tank is 660 sq inches, so I was thinking that would be okay for a little bit.

Found the AP 8' x 36" tank, so maybe I'll just do that. Mark's are a little out of my price range and I think his shipping cost was like 2x what AP was offering for my zip code (probably based on where the two folks are located). Goal will be to have that ordered by Christmas That would put her in her new tank by the time she's 7-9 months old if their lead times are still accurate.

Mark's enclosures come with everything you need --- lights, fixtures, thermostats, etc. The A/P ones don't, so you should think about the fact that you will need to add a bunch of items which may end up increasing the entry price for the A/P unit more than you think, plus you will have to mount everything yourself whereas Mark's are all set to go.

Another point regarding the enclosure size. The 4' x 8' is the best, but you will spend LOTS of time looking for a baby star in that much space. I would recommend dividing it in half for 18-24 months to make it easier to find your baby. Take it from one who has spent (or wasted perhaps???) MANY hours looking for baby tortoises in 4' by 8', 8' by 8' and 8' by 16' pens.

 

[herpgal88]

Mark's enclosures come with everything you need --- lights, fixtures, thermostats, etc. The A/P ones don't, so you should think about the fact that you will need to add a bunch of items which may end up increasing the entry price for the A/P unit more than you think, plus you will have to mount everything yourself whereas Mark's are all set to go.

Another point regarding the enclosure size. The 4' x 8' is the best, but you will spend LOTS of time looking for a baby star in that much space. I would recommend dividing it in half for 18-24 months to make it easier to find your baby. Take it from one who has spent (or wasted perhaps???) MANY hours looking for baby tortoises in 4' by 8', 8' by 8' and 8' by 16' pens.

Yeah, $800 just to ship a single enclosure from Mark to me was a bit much to stomach, and I won't spend -that- much in light mounts/bulb cages, etc (I actually need 2 enclosures round about that size--the other will be permanently divided in half--so that's figuring into my concerns. Shipping both together from AP is $447). I still haven't entirely written off trying to make my own PVC tank(s). I'll have to see what tools or clamps I'd need to buy and do the whole cost/benefit analysis. I work in a flooring shop and can borrow equipment on the weekends, so that might help. Mostly not sure what kind of blade/saw I need, but I know the "how to" thread exists so I'll check that out again.

Tamil is a character. She sleeps in the coolest spot available at night. In a corner. With nothing in it (there was something in it, but she kept wedging herself between that and the wall so I pulled it away to give her the track she clearly wanted). Just digs herself into the coolest, driest available spot and plunks down. -shrug- Her night time heat is slightly off-center in the tank, favoring the normally cooler, more humid side. She goes as far from that as she can get. A touch worrisome, but I figure she knows what she needs. It's my job to provide the gradients, hers to use them. It's still 78 at the 'coolest' spot per my temp gun. Her hidey home that she refuses to use is a balmy 82-83 ^_^

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Yeah, $800 just to ship a single enclosure from Mark to me was a bit much to stomach, and I won't spend -that- much in light mounts/bulb cages, etc (I actually need 2 enclosures round about that size--the other will be permanently divided in half--so that's figuring into my concerns. Shipping both together from AP is $447). I still haven't entirely written off trying to make my own PVC tank(s). I'll have to see what tools or clamps I'd need to buy and do the whole cost/benefit analysis. I work in a flooring shop and can borrow equipment on the weekends, so that might help. Mostly not sure what kind of blade/saw I need, but I know the "how to" thread exists so I'll check that out again.

Tamil is a character. She sleeps in the coolest spot available at night. In a corner. With nothing in it (there was something in it, but she kept wedging herself between that and the wall so I pulled it away to give her the track she clearly wanted). Just digs herself into the coolest, driest available spot and plunks down. -shrug- Her night time heat is slightly off-center in the tank, favoring the normally cooler, more humid side. She goes as far from that as she can get. A touch worrisome, but I figure she knows what she needs. It's my job to provide the gradients, hers to use them. It's still 78 at the 'coolest' spot per my temp gun. Her hidey home that she refuses to use is a balmy 82-83 ^_^

If you plan to build your own PVC enclosure this would be, probably, cheaper (for me it's around 150$ in raw materials for a 4x2x2 plus a few hours of work). For a 8x4x2 enclosure it would be around 450-500$.

If you were looking at Sterant's thread about DIY enclosures - that design needs some adjustment for 8' long enclosures (floor/ceiling support ribs) and, maybe, a small overhaul of the front panel to allow deeper substrate (and avoid substrate falling out between the glass and plastic panel).

You can skip cutting the panels on your own if you provide a cut list at the shop where you buy plastic sheets (I use the CutList Optimizer website to sketch and plan cut lists). If you plan to build two enclosures with non-standard sizes make a single cut list for both at the same time (this way less sheets area is wasted).

Mark's enclosures are more expensive and harder to ship because he makes double walled, double-glazed boxes (so it's twice more plastic and weight). But such design makes it cheaper and easier to control ambient temperature (less an issue in a reptile room). Also, his boxes are 4x3x3 - more height is important to position the lights properly (2' is tad too low with solid top enclosures).

 

[herpgal88]

If you plan to build your own PVC enclosure this would be, probably, cheaper (for me it's around 150$ in raw materials for a 4x2x2 plus a few hours of work). For a 8x4x2 enclosure it would be around 450-500$.

If you were looking at Sterant's thread about DIY enclosures - that design needs some adjustment for 8' long enclosures (floor/ceiling support ribs) and, maybe, a small overhaul of the front panel to allow deeper substrate (and avoid substrate falling out between the glass and plastic panel).

You can skip cutting the panels on your own if you provide a cut list at the shop where you buy plastic sheets (I use the CutList Optimizer website to sketch and plan cut lists). If you plan to build two enclosures with non-standard sizes make a single cut list for both at the same time (this way less sheets area is wasted).

Mark's enclosures are more expensive and harder to ship because he makes double walled, double-glazed boxes (so it's twice more plastic and weight). But such design makes it cheaper and easier to control ambient temperature (less an issue in a reptile room). Also, his boxes are 4x3x3 - more height is important to position the lights properly (2' is tad too low with solid top enclosures).

Cut list optimizer sounds like it's gonna be my new best friend. Thank you so much!

And yeah, not knocking Mark's enclosures at all. Just trying to balance budget and timing and practicality. I'll play some with height, too. Might split the difference and go for 30" height, as I'll be stacking enclosures on top of this one.

And yeah, for the 8 x 4 x 2.5, I think it would be cheaper still to make my own. Even going through AP, the tanks are $800 + shipping. Splitting that into two for the two planned tanks, that's still like $1,025 a tank if I buy vs making them. And I got hubby to sign off on helping me, so even better <3 I live on the eastern seaboard, so I have decently high humidity in the first place, so probably easier for me to be single walled vs double compared to some locales. Her existing tank is expanded PVC I think, at a half-inch thickness, and holds humidity decently well even with a lot of venting that I plan to cover up tonight. I'll monitor that for a bit and make sure I'm happy before I start on her adult tank ^_^ I can always upgrade to 3/4", too (which was honestly kinda the plan anyway with the scale of the tank)

Now I just gotta source and price the PVC, lmao

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Cut list optimizer sounds like it's gonna be my new best friend. Thank you so much!

And yeah, not knocking Mark's enclosures at all. Just trying to balance budget and timing and practicality. I'll play some with height, too. Might split the difference and go for 30" height, as I'll be stacking enclosures on top of this one.

And yeah, for the 8 x 4 x 2.5, I think it would be cheaper still to make my own. Even going through AP, the tanks are $800 + shipping. Splitting that into two for the two planned tanks, that's still like $1,025 a tank if I buy vs making them. And I got hubby to sign off on helping me, so even better <3 I live on the eastern seaboard, so I have decently high humidity in the first place, so probably easier for me to be single walled vs double compared to some locales. Her existing tank is expanded PVC I think, at a half-inch thickness, and holds humidity decently well even with a lot of venting that I plan to cover up tonight. I'll monitor that for a bit and make sure I'm happy before I start on her adult tank ^_^ I can always upgrade to 3/4", too (which was honestly kinda the plan anyway with the scale of the tank)

Now I just gotta source and price the PVC, lmao

I would not use 3/4" PVC... It bends just like 1/2" but heavy as hell. My experience is limited, though. For better thermal insulation I would opt for removable XPS or EPS insulation panels.