Help Me with my Sri Lankan Star Hatchling!

[Blessy]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a Sri Lankan Star Hatchling from a reputable breeder three weeks ago. When I received it, its shell color was shiny, but now it is dull and faded. Please see the picture below and advise! Thank you.

 

[method89]

How are you keeping it? what type of enclosure? lights, heat, substrate? The more info we have, the better the responses can be.

He looks pretty dry to me. Have you been soaking him?

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Read this care sheet...

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Blessy]

We use cypress mulch and organic topsoil as substrate for the tortoise. We also use the ZooMed heat lamp (UVB and UVA) for about 6-7 hours. Additionally, we soak the tortoise everyday, but from the day we bought it, I don’t notice the turtle drinking water. Please see the attached image below of the tortoise’s enclosure. Thank you.

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Organic topsoil is just a jumble of random grass and plants that can have poisonous pesticides in there. Keep the cypress mulch. Turn off that bulb it’s not good for torts. It burns their shells and dehydrates them. Replace it with a T5 fluorescent tube and a CHE bulb.

 

[Blessy]

Thank you. What soil do you recommend? We already checked with the breeder, and the organic topsoil and cypress mulch are fine. The breeder also recommended to use the ZooMed lightbulb for the hatchling. I also placed the light 12 inches above the ground.

 

[method89]

 

[Blessy]

Read this care sheet...

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Thank you so much for the link! I appreciate it.

 

[Blessy]

What kind of substrate should I use? Does mulch and sphagnum peat moss good? or coconut fiber?

 

[Blessy]

View attachment 303763

Organic topsoil is just a jumble of random grass and plants that can have poisonous pesticides in there. Keep the cypress mulch. Turn off that bulb it’s not good for torts. It burns their shells and dehydrates them. Replace it with a T5 fluorescent tube and a CHE bulb.

Thank you for the advice! I already turned off the bulb two days ago and will look at the bulb you recommended.

 

[Minority2]

Thank you. What soil do you recommend? We already checked with the breeder, and the organic topsoil and cypress mulch are fine. The breeder also recommended to use the ZooMed lightbulb for the hatchling. I also placed the light 12 inches above the ground.

The breeder's advice is incorrect. Makes you wonder what else said breeder is doing wrong including his or her breeding practices.

Organic topsoil is not safe. Cypress mulch is fine but not as good as the two top choices which is coco coir and orchid bark. Some people refuse to use cypress mulch because it stinks and the negative environmental impact it comes with buying and supporting the use of this product.

Purchase a regular incandescent flood styled bulb (not-pet branded) to use in your basking fixture. 65 watt is a good wattage to start with. You can get away with using a lower wattage bulb if you have a closed chamber enclosure.

You're most likely going to need an additional heating source at night which is also covered in the care sheet others have provided. Read the entire thing and follow it's guidelines. It should tell you at minimum 95% of everything you'll need to make your enclosure the safest it can be for your new hatchling.

 

[Tom]

What kind of substrate should I use? Does mulch and sphagnum peat moss good? or coconut fiber?

Peat moss is not good.

All of this info is in that care sheet. Give it a read, and then come back with all your questions. Most of what you'll ask is answered in the care sheet.

The tortoise looks like that because of the soil substrate. Soil stains them sometimes. Just one more reason to not use it. After you change the substrate, use a soft tooth brush to gently clean the shell during the next soak. If that doesn't get it off, you'll have to let it wear off in time.

 

[Blessy]

The breeder's advice is incorrect. Makes you wonder what else said breeder is doing wrong including his or her breeding practices.

Organic topsoil is not safe. Cypress mulch is fine but not as good as the two top choices which is coco coir and orchid bark. Some people refuse to use cypress mulch because it stinks and the negative environmental impact it comes with buying and supporting the use of this product.

Purchase a regular incandescent flood styled bulb (not-pet branded) to use in your basking fixture. 65 watt is a good wattage to start with. You can get away with using a lower wattage bulb if you have a closed chamber enclosure.

You're most likely going to need an additional heating source at night which is also covered in the care sheet others have provided. Read the entire thing and follow it's guidelines. It should tell you at minimum 95% of everything you'll need to make your enclosure the safest it can be for your new

Peat moss is not good.

All of this info is in that care sheet. Give it a read, and then come back with all your questions. Most of what you'll ask is answered in the care sheet.

The tortoise looks like that because of the soil substrate. Soil stains them sometimes. Just one more reason to not use it. After you change the substrate, use a soft tooth brush to gently clean the shell during the next soak. If that doesn't get it off, you'll have to let it wear off in time.

Thank you so much for your information! I'll change the substrate to coco fiber or orchid bark.

 

[Blessy]

Peat moss is not good.

All of this info is in that care sheet. Give it a read, and then come back with all your questions. Most of what you'll ask is answered in the care sheet.

The tortoise looks like that because of the soil substrate. Soil stains them sometimes. Just one more reason to not use it. After you change the substrate, use a soft tooth brush to gently clean the shell during the next soak. If that doesn't get it off, you'll have to let it wear off in time.

I just want to confirm whether I should use small or medium orchid bark for the hatchling. Do I need to mix the orchid bark with other materials, or is orchid bark enough? May I also know what brand of orchard bark you recommend? Thank you.

 

[Tom]

I just want to confirm whether I should use small or medium orchid bark for the hatchling. Do I need to mix the orchid bark with other materials, or is orchid bark enough? May I also know what brand of orchard bark you recommend? Thank you.

Fine grade orchid bark all by itself. Dampen it if needed. No other materials.

I get mine in bulk from local nurseries. What part of CA are you in? If Santa Clarita isn't too far, I've got a great source up here. $12 for 2.0 cubic ft. As opposed to $20 for a quarter of that in the pet store.

 

[William Lee Kohler]

Is this orchid bark stuff non slivery? And how fine compared to coconut fibre?

 

[KT1]

Hi all - I have a new baby leopard tort. I have been reading the forum for a bit...I thought I read on here that the "mosses" were good--is that from an outdated post? I just read Tom's care sheet (thank you!) and am going to make some changes. Is thre a link/diredtions you can supply for making a covered enclosure? Right now my little guy is in a big plastic stock tank.
Thanks so much!
Katie

 

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Hi all - I have a new baby leopard tort. I have been reading the forum for a bit...I thought I read on here that the "mosses" were good--is that from an outdated post? I just read Tom's care sheet (thank you!) and am going to make some changes. Is thre a link/diredtions you can supply for making a covered enclosure? Right now my little guy is in a big plastic stock tank.
Thanks so much!
Katie

Mosses are an impaction risk, I wouldn’t buy it.

 

[Blessy]

Fine grade orchid bark all by itself. Dampen it if needed. No other materials.

I get mine in bulk from local nurseries. What part of CA are you in? If Santa Clarita isn't too far, I've got a great source up here. $12 for 2.0 cubic ft. As opposed to $20 for a quarter of that in the pet store.
View attachment 303945

Great! Thank you very much for the information and the picture! I will try to get the same orchid bark like yours. I am in Southern California.

 

[Blessy]

Fine grade orchid bark all by itself. Dampen it if needed. No other materials.

I get mine in bulk from local nurseries. What part of CA are you in? If Santa Clarita isn't too far, I've got a great source up here. $12 for 2.0 cubic ft. As opposed to $20 for a quarter of that in the pet store.
View attachment 303945

Sorry, is it an organic one? Should I get the organic bark for the tortoise? Thank you!