New Star Owner

[JourneyTort]

I will be getting my Stars this week and I have a few questions regarding enclosure. I have read conflicting advice and want to ensure I start off right. My Stars will be around 8 months old. I was planning on doing 1/2 bed a beast and 1/2 sand for substrate with a moist hide. I have read where the main substrate that was used was hay and 1/2-1/2 coir/sand or coir/top soil in their hide area. I really didn't want to use the hay due to mold but I will if this is better for them. What do most Star owners use for substrate? I also have a ceramic heat emitter which I set up to test the temps. I had the heat emitter about 8 inches from the bottom of the enclosure and it did not get above 70 F. Is this a faulty heat emitter or is this normal? What is the name of the device that you plug your heaters into that regulates the temp (i.e. shuts off and on to regulate set temp).

JourneyTort

 

[tortoisenerd]

A rheostat or thermostat. What wattage is the emitter? What's the ambient room temp?

 

[JourneyTort]

The emitter is a Exo Terra 150W. The ambient room temperature at the time was around 68 F. I had the Heat Emitter in a Zoo Med ceramic clamp lamp. I have now bought a exo terra clamp lamp (wire) although I can't see that being the issue. Since I have never used a ceramic heat emitter before I am unsure as to what I should expect in the way of heat but this one isn't cutting it. I have bought a exo terra red heat bulb and I am going to be checking that out today.

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

I much prefer black or red incandescent bulbs over the CHE (ceramic heat emitters). However, to get the most out of your CHE, you need to place it in a ceramic based bell-shaped fixture. The aluminum bell pushes the heat forward, while the wire fixture allows the heat up and out.

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

I would agree that the fixture may be the problem. I also have a 150 watt CHE and can get the temperature up to 10 deg higher than room temp right under it. But I just have the plain fixture with the cage, no hood...it's been working fine for us so far so I haven't changed it.

A CHE is really more for spot heat than heating an enclosure (unless you have the enclosure covered, have a large hood, etc). My little guy will snuggle up under his at night or for naps (he learned where it is). I personally keep mine on all the time for a little extra heat and so he knows it is there. I don't worry about heating the whole enclosure at night since he'll sleep right under it, and the Mega Ray is on during the day.

 

[nrfitchett4]

Most walmarts sell a 250 watt red light. I had to go with more watts than the CHE (160) and it really did the trick. I think it was about $8.00 at walmart. doesn't seem to bother the yoda at all that it is on all night and it makes a good nightlight for my son.

 

[gummybearpoop]

One thing I may add is that I don't keep my hatchlings on substrate that may "clog the digestion system" or cause impaction.
Hatchlings and youngsters are kept on newspaper or paper towels. I have also heard a few star breeders who also use newspaper or paper towels as substrate.

Why take the chance?

Newspaper is cheap and easy to clean, but just not visually appealing. It gives the tortoises something to read! 8P

 

[mlocke4548]

I agree newspaper is the absolute best. Easy to clean no worries about ingestion and it absorbs water and their urine. I use newspaper on the bottom of their enclosure and at one end I shrewd a bunch and put it in a pile so they can burrow. I also have a cracked flower pot that they use as a hide.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Do you find they have a good footing on the newspaper to develop leg muscles? I am curious as I have heard both sides of the argument before about newspaper.

 

[mlocke4548]

I live in Hawaii so it is sunny almost all the time. When I am at home I place them in an outdoor pen that has grass fully grown in. That's how I let them exercise but only when I'm home so I can keep a close eye on them. There are also rocks and several small hides in the outdoor enclosure they also eat the grass.

---

Sorry if I did not answer the newspaper question. Here is the answer I lay the news paper flat in several layers. K find that they walk on it just fine.

 

[JourneyTort]

I have thought really long and hard about the substrate. Both of my Stars like to bury themselves in the substrate at night (they don't use their humid hide I provided for them). They have an area with hay for burrowing in but they very rarely do. I have recently placed a hide in the warm end (it is half a coconut) that I have been spraying down both the substrate and the inside of the coconut to provide them with at least some humidity (I have also been bathing them x2 a day as per the breeder) but they are growing out of that. I am planning on moving them to a bigger enclosure and I am going to provide them with an area for feeding that will be something other than 1/2 -1/2 bed-a-best/sand, I am going to try and locate some aspen bedding and possibly try that (does aspen bedding mold?). For the time being I have been ensuring that they do not eat on the substrate and providing an eating platform which is placed in their enclosure at feeding times.