Newbie in everything :(

[Irwin4530]

BEAUTIFUL BABY!!!
Congratulations on a lovely tortoise!
I agree with what everyone has said about the betting it is no good!! Coconut or is a type of bedding like peat moss or dirt..... I will try to get a picture for you, It comes in a hard brick and you soak it in water so it expands... It will hold a lot of moisture and give your little one a place to dig!

A "terra cotta" saucer is just a clay saucer to hold water. The glazed ones are best....for a hiding place you can use a log or pot turned over.

What type if bulb do you have?

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This is a three pack of coco coir (compressed coconut fiber)

 

[jhongsen]

ah irwin , thx for the photo of coconut coir i really help me out to look for it
uhmm for the bulb

this is the box of the bulb.. it say 60 watt , the seller told me that this is good enough for meter and i think it is a UV bulb because the colour

 

[theelectraco]

Those bulbs do not provide any UVB.

 

[jhongsen]

Those bulbs do not provide any UVB.

hi mr electraco
it doesn't provide UVB?! for real?
should i change it? if yes how many watt should i use?

 

[theelectraco]

You can either add a tube UVB or get a Powersun or other mercury vapor bulb. Keep in mind the bulb wattage has to be supported by the wattage limit of the fixture.

 

[jhongsen]

You can either add a tube UVB or get a Powersun or other mercury vapor bulb. Keep in mind the bulb wattage has to be supported by the wattage limit of the fixture.

so in other word i should add an UVB bulb, or could i just change my current bulb with an UVB bulb , so i just use one bulb

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i already soak meter with warm water for 10 minutes but unfortunately it was raining so i could let him walk around in the sun


i already made a dungeon for him and it seems that he like it

 

[theelectraco]

Yes, you can either use your current bulb, and add a separate UVB bulb, or you can replace your curren bulb with a mercury vapor bulb (mvb) which will give you light, heat, and UVB. I would also recommend switching to a substrate that holds humidity better like coco coir or a soil type substrate. It would be a shame for such a beautiful tortoise to start pyramiding from lack of humidity.

 

[jhongsen]

Yes, you can either use your current bulb, and add a separate UVB bulb, or you can replace your curren bulb with a mercury vapor bulb (mvb) which will give you light, heat, and UVB. I would also recommend switching to a substrate that holds humidity better like coco coir or a soil type substrate. It would be a shame for such a beautiful tortoise to start pyramiding from lack of humidity.

yes i agree with that , this substrate is the only thing that sold on exhibition yesterday , i'm going to look out for coco coir today and replacing the bulb with mvb just like you recommend

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i already search for coconut coir, so is this coconut coir? i can't read what it is... , people call it coconut powder tiles

 

[jhongsen]

i already change the substrate with some coconut powder tile (that's what they say) and i already buy a new shelter for him




according to electraco , i already put an UVA bulb together, and i still lack the place for meter to drink and to eat... hope tonight i could find some

 

[LeopardTortLover]

You've made fantastic changes already, its so much better! While your waiting to get a permanent water dish, could you bury the water bowl you have into the substrate more? So your tortoise doesn't struggle to get in it? He should be able to just walk across it and not struggle getting out. The one you have he could flip over in so please just keep an eye on him or change it to something flat.
And that's a much better bulb. They need to be changed every six months as the UV wears out. A place to eat doesn't have to be a bowl. Do you know bathroom wall tiles? Or slate? You can use a piece of that. Make sure the rough side is facing upwards. These materials will grind the beak down as they eat so you won't need to do it yourself.

 

[jhongsen]

every six month okay noted, just use that tile? that just great i could get it by night



i don't know what is meter doing down there but should i put more substrate? so he could dig out more and completely buried him self

 

[Redari]

He is such a cutie!! You've done great so far I have a baby star too, named Kitten.

You can moisten the coconut fiber you are using with a spray bottle, or just pour some water in there. They grow better when it's humid. He has such a nice smooth shell, hopefully you can keep him growing that way. You are very lucky!

 

[Irwin4530]

Looking great he is a lucky tortoise to have such a good owner!! The bedding looks good..... I would add more if he seems to want to dig....plus it will help with humidity!!

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This is what
I use for water....

 

[jhongsen]

He is such a cutie!! You've done great so far I have a baby star too, named Kitten.

You can moisten the coconut fiber you are using with a spray bottle, or just pour some water in there. They grow better when it's humid. He has such a nice smooth shell, hopefully you can keep him growing that way. You are very lucky!

thanks redari , so i just need to spray the substrate with water once a day? , yes i will do my best to raise him

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Looking great he is a lucky tortoise to have such a good owner!! The bedding looks good..... I would add more if he seems to want to dig....plus it will help with humidity!!

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This is what
I use for water....

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hmmm more substrate means more humid? alright i will add more while meter is soaking him self in another

 

[jhongsen]

meter has already been soak for 10 minutes , and i already put more substrate.
thx for everyone who help me giving important advice for me to raise meter i couldn't do it without you guys

 

[Redari]

I usually mist mine two or three times a day, but I have cypress which is a dryer type of substrate so it doesn't hold the water as well. I have some moss in one end that holds the water better.

 

[jhongsen]

alright , I think I get the idea about keeping the humidity

by the way , i got some problem about the lighting, currently i'm using 2 kind of bulb , one is UVA bulb and the other one is a day light spot lamp . but according to this link

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-15040.html

it says that i don't need a UVA bulb.. but get a MVP bulb or using an incandescent bulb plus with an UVB bulb
could someone help me to translate it to an easier word to me?

 

[LeopardTortLover]

That is just saying that if your tortoise gets regular sun, you won't need a UV bulb in the indoor enclosure. UV lighting prevents metabolic bone disease, or pyramiding. Incandescent lighting/your spot bulb doesn't provide UV lighting but your other one does. Basically though, the bulbs you have are fine and if your tortoise isn't getting sun at least a few times a week, you will need your UV bulb. Your spot bulb just provides heat and light.

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By the way, are you aware of your temperatures? Do you have thermometers and a hygrometer to measure humidity? You'll need to get these if not. You should have a cool side, a warm side, a basking spot, and the night time temp should be pretty warm too. I'm not sure what the temps should be for your species, so just check on the Indian Star section. Temps are vital to know as it could mean the difference between life and death for your baby. So keep an eye on them

 

[jhongsen]

By the way, are you aware of your temperatures? Do you have thermometers and a hygrometer to measure humidity? You'll need to get these if not. You should have a cool side, a warm side, a basking spot, and the night time temp should be pretty warm too. I'm not sure what the temps should be for your species, so just check on the Indian Star section. Temps are vital to know as it could mean the difference between life and death for your baby. So keep an eye on them

whoa that's pretty new for me , in one place i should provide 4 spot and 4 different tempt? hmm.. that's what i call challenge , i'll try post a tread in the indian star section , ah the thermometers and hygrometer i just notice it this afternoon but i don't have the time to buy it , maybe tomorrow i'll check it at ace hardware

 

[LeopardTortLover]

Ideally, you need a bigger enclosure, a longer one. So that you can make a gradient (low to high) of your temperatures. For example, mine go from 27oC to 39oC and then the basking spot is 42oC and my night temp is 24-27oC
My UV bulb creates my daytime heat at one end of the enclosure and my ceramic heat emitter (CHE) which doesn't produce light provides my night time heat. It is important your enclosure is quiet and dark and warm at night. Hope this helps.