Eastern Box questions..

[Cre8ruckas]

So what's the best setup for a baby eastern box, i been reading a bunch of different stuff since ive found this forum and im getting a little confused and just want to make sure im not doing something wrong.

Right now i currently have

10gallon aquarium
cypress mulch substrate about 4inches deep,
Little hide box
water dish
food dish
75w zoomed basking lamp

ive read should be 86ish degrees, and humid but havent read anything about a basking spot.... just courious.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your best bet is to look at Terryo's threads on box turtles. She also has an eastern baby and her habitats are some of the prettiest I've seen. Here's one:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-EASTERN-BOX-ENCLOSURES?pid=208133#pid208133

 

[terryo]

Baby Eastern Box turtles stay under leaf litter and hardly ever come out. They will eat small insects that they find under there. So...low light, high warm humidity is the way to go for a little hatchling. The most important thing is to keep him well hydrated, as they will dry out and die if they're not hydrated. If you can't find any dried leaves, just get a bunch of moss (I love carolinapetsupply's moss as it's very soft and has no junk in it) put it on one side of your tank, wet it with hot water, squeeze it out and fluff it up. For good low light I use a long tube 5.0 light. It's hard with a 10 gal, as it will dry out fast if you don't keep wetting the moss. It also has to be kept warm. They love to dig in a hide. What are you feeding him?

 

[Cre8ruckas]

right now it's eating veggies, shrimp, worms, etc. but not too interested in dandelion or other weeds/grasses or greens lol.

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so no basking light?

 

[terryo]

They don't like bright lights, but they do need a heat source, when they're that little, but I don't know how you would do that with only a 10 gal tank. Veggies? Wow! I've never had a hatchling eat veggies. That's great. How old is he and can you post some pictures so we can see him?

 

[Cre8ruckas]

imma try to get some pix with my cell phone. Yes veggies, but it eats the veggies better when there just steamed! lol.

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dont know age, someone found it outside in the city and it's only 27-30degrees here so they took it in. Im in philly so it's noooo place for a turtle! lol.

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i have pix on facebook also if your on facebook by any chance...lol

 

[terryo]

imma try to get some pix with my cell phone. Yes veggies, but it eats the veggies better when there just steamed! lol.

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dont know age, someone found it outside in the city and it's only 27-30degrees here so they took it in. Im in philly so it's noooo place for a turtle! lol.

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i have pix on facebook also if your on facebook by any chance...lol

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I'm on face book....Terry O'Connell....look for me, NY.

 

[Cre8ruckas]

think i just sent you a friend request, mines John Bolli philadelphia. You can look me up from my email [email protected]

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[Xilonen]

Aww, that's about the size of my 3-toed! Here's what I've got for her, if it helps:

There's a black light that sits above the rock she's on which I removed for the picture. From what I've read, boxies are not inclined to bask, but Crash will spend maybe a half hour to an hour a day warming up under the black light.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Love your set up, Laura!

 

[Xilonen]

Thanks, Kimber!

 

[terryo]

Laura, I love that little set up. It's perfect. The duckweed is so great. Even if you don't see him, I bet he takes some bite's of it. It's just great! I would cover half of it with plexiglass or something just to hold in the heat and humidity.

 

[Xilonen]

Laura, I love that little set up. It's perfect. The duckweed is so great. Even if you don't see him, I bet he takes some bite's of it. It's just great! I would cover half of it with plexiglass or something just to hold in the heat and humidity.

Thanks, Terry. I need to pick up more duckweed - some of it gets washed down the drain every time I wash out the little pond and right now she's out. When it's in there I'm constantly finding her with bits of it stuck to her head.

It stays nice and humid in the habitat, though. I water the plants every other day or so, and mist as needed. She gets a swim at least every other day. I'm amazed at what a strong swimmer she is! Where she stays buried most of the time is always nice and moist for her. Since I live in the rainiest corner of the nation, humidity isn't a huge problem. Come summer, I'll have to figure out a way to keep the humidity in, but so far it hasn't been an issue since I got her in Sept. Thanks for the input!

 

[Cre8ruckas]

thats nice. what kind of light is in the pic that it's sitting under?

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whered you get that little pond/bowl thingy?

 

[Xilonen]

thats nice. what kind of light is in the pic that it's sitting under?

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whered you get that little pond/bowl thingy?

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It's an Exo-Terra UVB 5.0 bulb. The pond-thing came with her from her previous home, but I've seen them at Petco/Petsmart. A terra cotta plant tray works just as well and is way cheaper.

 

[Cre8ruckas]

cool, thanks!

 

[Xilonen]

No prob - I've got more pics up on FB if you want to add me. www.facebook.com/xilonen

 

[Cre8ruckas]

cool just sent a request

 

[Cre8ruckas]

ok, so update: What's up with my little boxie, I NEVER see him! lol. I have to dig him out of the substrate just to feed him. He has about 4-5in of Jungle mix substrate and he borrowed or should i say Buried 24/7 and we have to tear the whole tank apart everyday just to find him and feed him...ugh....

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forgot to mention, his substrate is always drenched! is this ok and normal? Temps are about 73-75degrees

 

[terryo]

Stop watering it and let it dry out a bit or you will end up with mud. I posted on your other thread about putting a piece of bark or two layers of flat slate to seperate the moss end of the viv, so you can find him better.