kbroadway2
Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2014
- Messages
- 47
Hi!
I have a four day old captive bred EBT hatchling in an indoor enclosure made of a sweater box with coconut coir and sphagnum moss with a paint tray for water and several hides. I also use a heat/uvb light placed 12 inches from the substrate. I keep the light on for 12 hours per day (it's on a timer) because it is a little too chilly to put him outside. I know it takes a little while for them to start eating. The yolk sac is barely visible. I suspect it had been under the substrate for a couple of days before he appeared in the enclosure. I'm offering meal worms set inside a small amount of canned box turtle food in a daily basis. I'm not seeing any of the food gone. I've read that they may take 1 to 4 weeks to start eating. Should I be offering food every day and placing him in front of it? Or should I do it every other day or so? My temperature is 85 degrees under the lamp and 75 on the cooler side. I'm doing all I can, including reading every single resource I could find about hatchling box turtles, to make sure this baby is healthy.
Should I supplement his diet with d3 supplements or is the light enough for now? On days where its in the mid to high 70's I can take him outside for a little while. I do have reptical calcium powder to sprinkle on the meal worms when he starts eating. I've also found an exotic pet veterinarian for a check up when he gets a little bigger. Right now he's a little bigger than a quarter. I have other critters (3 hermit crabs) whose needs are very similar to the turtle, except dietary needs, so I'm pretty experienced at keeping temperature and humidity levels stable.
Is there anything I am missing when taking care of this little guy?
I have a four day old captive bred EBT hatchling in an indoor enclosure made of a sweater box with coconut coir and sphagnum moss with a paint tray for water and several hides. I also use a heat/uvb light placed 12 inches from the substrate. I keep the light on for 12 hours per day (it's on a timer) because it is a little too chilly to put him outside. I know it takes a little while for them to start eating. The yolk sac is barely visible. I suspect it had been under the substrate for a couple of days before he appeared in the enclosure. I'm offering meal worms set inside a small amount of canned box turtle food in a daily basis. I'm not seeing any of the food gone. I've read that they may take 1 to 4 weeks to start eating. Should I be offering food every day and placing him in front of it? Or should I do it every other day or so? My temperature is 85 degrees under the lamp and 75 on the cooler side. I'm doing all I can, including reading every single resource I could find about hatchling box turtles, to make sure this baby is healthy.
Should I supplement his diet with d3 supplements or is the light enough for now? On days where its in the mid to high 70's I can take him outside for a little while. I do have reptical calcium powder to sprinkle on the meal worms when he starts eating. I've also found an exotic pet veterinarian for a check up when he gets a little bigger. Right now he's a little bigger than a quarter. I have other critters (3 hermit crabs) whose needs are very similar to the turtle, except dietary needs, so I'm pretty experienced at keeping temperature and humidity levels stable.
Is there anything I am missing when taking care of this little guy?