First Boxie Hatchlings, am I doing ok?

[locolou]

Hello, Just set up my Aquarium for my 4 hatchlings box turtles. I used Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate. A Hide and 5.5 Lamp Dome with 50 watt blue bulb, that came with tank. I need to know if this Substrate is ok, and the wattage of the bulb is enough, or should use lower watt. When I put Babies in tank, one is walking around, one went into Hide, The other 2 burrowed. The temp is 79, humidity is 20% almost at Moderate range.
Please anyone Chime in and let me know I'm doing ok? I'm use to my Adult Boxies. Never had hatchings!
Thank You in advance..

 

[lismar79]

Is the light a uvb bulb? How far from the ground up? Coco coir is fine for substrate. Will hold the moisture for sure. Do you have a basking area for them 85-90 degrees?

 

[Moozillion]

It would be good to know several temps: the basking spot, the warm end and the cool end. They need a range if temperatures they can choose from to use for regulating their body temperatures.

 

[locolou]

Is the light a uvb bulb? How far from the ground up? Coco coir is fine for substrate. Will hold the moisture for sure. Do you have a basking area for them 85-90 degrees?

It is 12 ins from bottom of tank to the top. The light sits on the cover screen.
The temp is 78 on the cool side. I have a temp and humidity gauge inside tank.
The bulb came with the dome lite. It states on box, it is a day blue incandescent 50 watt bulb, is that bulb ok?

 

[locolou]

It would be good to know several temps: the basking spot, the warm end and the cool end. They need a range if temperatures they can choose from to use for regulating their body temperatures.

Thanks Moozillion, temp is 78 and humidity is in Moderate area. That sound about right?

 

[terryo]

For hatchlings I use a long tube 5.0 UVB light and a 60 wt. heat emitter that's on 24/7. This way I can shut off the light at night and they will still get the heat. I usually keep the temp. in the low 80's for the hatchlings all through the vivarium. I keep everything moist as they need a lot of warm wet humidity. Hatchlings dehydrate very fast and will die. But if it's wet, with low temperature, they will get sick. When I feed them I put a little tub with some water in and put it right in their vivarium so it stays warm. Lots of leaf litter to dig into and plants to hold in the humidity. I throw in a bunch of pill bugs for them to hunt in the leaf litter. In the woods, you never see any hatchlings. They are usually buried in leaf litter and eat any little bug they see in there. In my turtle garden I never take in any eggs, and don't usually find any babies until they are a year old or older. Everyone does things differently, but this is just how I do it.....not written in stone. Good luck with your babies. Box turtle babies are the cutiest!

 

[Moozillion]

Hi, locolou- please forget my post- I don't keep box turtles. if I kept box turtles, I would follow what terryo suggests. Seriously.

 

[lismar79]

It is 12 ins from bottom of tank to the top. The light sits on the cover screen.
The temp is 78 on the cool side. I have a temp and humidity gauge inside tank.
The bulb came with the dome lite. It states on box, it is a day blue incandescent 50 watt bulb, is that bulb ok?

That bulb does not sound like a uvb bulb which you will need. Is it a coil shape bulb? Those have been known to cause eye issues.....

 

[locolou]

That bulb does not sound like a uvb bulb which you will need. Is it a coil shape bulb? Those have been known to cause eye issues.....

The bulb I have is shaped like a regular house bulb. I will get a UVB bulb tomorrow.
Thank You!!!!!

 

[locolou]

For hatchlings I use a long tube 5.0 UVB light and a 60 wt. heat emitter that's on 24/7. This way I can shut off the light at night and they will still get the heat. I usually keep the temp. in the low 80's for the hatchlings all through the vivarium. I keep everything moist as they need a lot of warm wet humidity. Hatchlings dehydrate very fast and will die. But if it's wet, with low temperature, they will get sick. When I feed them I put a little tub with some water in and put it right in their vivarium so it stays warm. Lots of leaf litter to dig into and plants to hold in the humidity. I throw in a bunch of pill bugs for them to hunt in the leaf litter. In the woods, you never see any hatchlings. They are usually buried in leaf litter and eat any little bug they see in there. In my turtle garden I never take in any eggs, and don't usually find any babies until they are a year old or older. Everyone does things differently, but this is just how I do it.....not written in stone. Good luck with your babies. Box turtle babies are the cutiest!

Thank Yu for all that info, I have been misting inside the tank so soil top stays moist.
I have been seeing Dad n Mom mating all the time for 4 yrs, never no babies. When I came across the first hatching, I got all excited. There are many birds in my neighbors tree. They drink sometimes from my Boxies water, so I didn't want them to get the babies and yes they are so cute. I have pine needles in my turtles outside pen, would it be ok to put some in the hatchings tank, since they were under some dirt and pine needles when hatched. That's where I found the other 3, just under the pine needles coming out. Thank Yu again !!

 

[locolou]

Hi, locolou- please forget my post- I don't keep box turtles. if I kept box turtles, I would follow what terryo suggests. Seriously.

Ok, thank you !!!

 

[terryo]

When I hibernate I always cover the spot where they dig in with pine hay. I search in the woods for dead pine threes. I never use hides for the babies vivariums, only leaf litter with some pine hay on top, so I'm thinking it would be fine. If you want to see some great set ups for hatchlings and their care with plenty of pictures, this is my favorite site.

http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/raisingbabyturtles.htm

 

[locolou]

When I hibernate I always cover the spot where they dig in with pine hay. I search in the woods for dead pine threes. I never use hides for the babies vivariums, only leaf litter with some pine hay on top, so I'm thinking it would be fine. If you want to see some great set ups for hatchlings and their care with plenty of pictures, this is my favorite site.

http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/raisingbabyturtles.htm

I so thank you !

 

[locolou]

Hi Everyone,
My 4 hatchings are still doing great. They love their meal worms....I put 6 in their water dish I put them in to soak and swim and they started eating them right away. They eat cat food too, I roll it into little balls so they grab them easier. Should I be feeding them everyday now?
I put a UV basking bulb over the tank, but it doesn't keep temp around 80, and Humidity goes to "Desert" not to "Moderate humidity" like the other blue bulb that came with the Reptile tank. It gives out bright light but goes to 75 degrees alot. I have the screen top on it, that came with tank and then I put the domed light on top of screen (which screen never gets hot with either bulb.) Appreciate any input !!

 

[locolou]

Need to add, that I bought a water dish at Petco, perfect fit for all 4, but after I soak them in warm water and feed them, I put them back in tank, they are so active during soak time, then they burrow when put back in tank, and don't see them anymore until I take them out to soak. I keep tank soil mister 3 times a day, the new bulb even dries up the water dish with temp being lower. Is this normal for the 4 babies, to stay burrowed when not in tank?

 

[TortMomma]

I just use a UBV hood no heat lamp. My reptile room stays fairly warm and in the past I've noticed my hatchling doesn't appreciate the extra light or heat, and becomes less active.

 

[locolou]

I just use a UBV hood no heat lamp. My reptile room stays fairly warm and in the past I've noticed my hatchling doesn't appreciate the extra light or heat, and becomes less active.

Ah-ha......Think that is why they stay burrowed, this new light is very much brighter than the 50 watt blue bulb. Thanks so much for your input TortMomma.

 

[terryo]

I would not worry about them not being active during the day. My little Gulf Coast that I keep inside comes out to eat (I also feed her in a large water dish) She eats like crazy, running after the worms and pellets and then goes right back into the moss and leaf litter. I never see her until the next time when I take her out to eat and soak. Even the one's outside, will come out in the morning and roam around to eat and soak, and then go hide someplace during the day and then come out again in the late afternoon to eat and soak again. I rarely see them during the day when the sun is high. The hatchlings and young ones rarely come out from hiding during the day, and do not need too much light.

 

[locolou]

I would not worry about them not being active during the day. My little Gulf Coast that I keep inside comes out to eat (I also feed her in a large water dish) She eats like crazy, running after the worms and pellets and then goes right back into the moss and leaf litter. I never see her until the next time when I take her out to eat and soak. Even the one's outside, will come out in the morning and roam around to eat and soak, and then go hide someplace during the day and then come out again in the late afternoon to eat and soak again. I rarely see them during the day when the sun is high. The hatchlings and young ones rarely come out from hiding during the day, and do not need too much light.

What type of moss do yu use?

 

[terryo]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HQZ2JQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I use this moss for hatchlings and smaller box turtles and for my Cherry Heads when they were little. I wet it with hot water and squeeze it out and fluff it up and put it on one side of the vigvarium. Then I stick a silk plant over it, and that's were they dig under. This is a 40 gal breeder...very plain, for a little Gulf Coast that's inside for the Winter. She's really tiny so I like this set up since it's easy to find her.