Nopainnohaines
New Member
Hi everyone, I'm hoping that someone here can help me. Yesterday, I picked up my hatchling Indian Star. What I had set up in his enclosure prior to his arrival was a 100W ZooMed MVB on a ZooMed light stand. As of now, he's in a ZooMed Tortoise House until he gets larger. To compensate for the open enclosure, I put a tarp halfway across the top & also put in a closed bowl of water to keep humidity at 80%.
When I went and picked him up from breeder, he recommended that I use a Ceramic Heat Emitter & a fluorescent UVB tube for only an hour a day. So, I went to the store and purchased a 60W ZooMed CHE & have a UVB fixture with desert species UVB. 10.0 I believe. I am now confused. I own Bearded Dragons & an Uromastyx & they need UVB & heat for at least 12 hours a day, even when babies. It doesn't sound right that a reptile would only need 1 hour of UVB a day, especially a growing hatchling. What also doesn't make sense to me is the part about the Ceramic Heat Emitter. Don't tortoises need some source of light to see? How would they be on any type of cycle? For example, when it's day time & when it's night time.
Do any of you have any experience with hatchling Indian Stars? What lighting did you use to ensure they stay healthy? I'm really hoping someone out there can shed some light for me and make this a lot clearer on where I should go from here. I'm sitting here in front of his enclosure a nervous wreck because I'm not sure what to do. I am a new tortoise owner & I want my new friend to continue to be as healthy as can be
Down below I will attach some pictures of what I'm working with and his present enclosure.
Thank you in advance for any advice & also for taking the time to read this!
When I went and picked him up from breeder, he recommended that I use a Ceramic Heat Emitter & a fluorescent UVB tube for only an hour a day. So, I went to the store and purchased a 60W ZooMed CHE & have a UVB fixture with desert species UVB. 10.0 I believe. I am now confused. I own Bearded Dragons & an Uromastyx & they need UVB & heat for at least 12 hours a day, even when babies. It doesn't sound right that a reptile would only need 1 hour of UVB a day, especially a growing hatchling. What also doesn't make sense to me is the part about the Ceramic Heat Emitter. Don't tortoises need some source of light to see? How would they be on any type of cycle? For example, when it's day time & when it's night time.
Do any of you have any experience with hatchling Indian Stars? What lighting did you use to ensure they stay healthy? I'm really hoping someone out there can shed some light for me and make this a lot clearer on where I should go from here. I'm sitting here in front of his enclosure a nervous wreck because I'm not sure what to do. I am a new tortoise owner & I want my new friend to continue to be as healthy as can be
Down below I will attach some pictures of what I'm working with and his present enclosure.
Thank you in advance for any advice & also for taking the time to read this!