Opinions on this grassland tort starter kit?

Brit G

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Thank you to everyone who shared their insights and experience. I'll avoid the mercury vapor and buy a T5 HO 10.0 Reprising strip lightlight like I have for my beardie.

I just purchased this enclosure:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055FSKPW/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

To emulate the setup that this member created, because it seems perfect for my living situation right now:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chamber-leopard-edition.109634/

I'll be starting to grow grasses in it from that seed mix once it comes in.
 

Robber

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Hi Tom....yup, special care and attention absolutely need to be paid when forcing growth of a baby in any captive set up....not disagreement there....however, with special care and attention MVBs are still a perfect and effective choice for most species.....
KIMG0932.JPG
While I have not raised hundreds of babies, I did raise these two and a third of the same age from 40 grams in a MVB setup and it seemed to work great for me. http://therobber.tripod.com/KIMG0932.JPG
 
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Robber

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Your pic didn't show up
I dont know why it's displaying upside down but if you click the link it shows right side up. Here's another pic of the three together:
KIMG0872.JPG
.
 
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wellington

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I dont know why it's displaying upside down but if you click the link it shows right side up.
It's showing now and it is right side up, weird that it didn't show the first time and showing upside down for you.
Anyway, they are beautiful
 

Robber

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It's showing now and it is right side up, weird that it didn't show the first time and showing upside down for you.
Anyway, they are beautiful
They were raised up in a 2 ft tall stock tank with cypress bedding, MVB daytime, dark bulb/CHE at night, clear plastic over enclosure - not super high humidity. With a very warm hot side of the enclosure(105 at times, with a low 80s cool side), they didn't spend much time directly under it, so maybe that is why I did not have any pyramiding issues.
 
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wellington

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They were raised up in a 2 ft tall stock tank with cypress bedding, MVB daytime, dark bulb/CHE at night, clear plastic over enclosure - not super high humidity. With a very warm hot side of the enclosure(105 at times, with a low 80s cool side), they didn't spend much time directly under it, so maybe that is why I did not have any pyramiding issues.
Thinking that maybe genetics can play a part too. Also maybe the color. Yours are very light. Most are darker. Dark atttacts the light more. I know of the 4 hatchling siblings I hatched about 7 months ago. One was black while the others were lite, not as lite as yours, more typical leopard coloring. The black one, which is still mostly black is the most pyramided. They are closed chamber high 80%+ humidity with Che and mvb.
 

Robber

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Thinking that maybe genetics can play a part too. Also maybe the color. Yours are very light. Most are darker. Dark atttacts the light more. I know of the 4 hatchling siblings I hatched about 7 months ago. One was black while the others were lite, not as lite as yours, more typical leopard coloring. The black one, which is still mostly black is the most pyramided. They are closed chamber high 80%+ humidity with Che and mvb.
Hmm, that is surprising, but it just shows that it is affected by a combination of things, so you can't really point to one thing as the cause. There may indeed be some individual variation as you mentioned, too, whether color, genetics,etc. While the dark color attracting more heat intuitively makes sense, we have both seen plenty of light colored pyramided examples. Again - multiple factors.
 

SheLLife

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Hey Brit G. I actually bought the grassland starter kit from tortoise supply and a 40 gallon breeder tank. I bought a few odds and ends separately like a flukers lamp because I'm using seperate heat and uv. I have had my hatchling since January and they are perfect! I was very happy with the kit. N I studied everything tortoise for many many months before spending any money. I know how frustrating and stressful with a bit of enjoyance it is. Lol. The lamp did blow a couple bulbs until I put the cheaper uv only light in it. Think the heat was too much. But I could have gotten a faulty one. It's been fine for a very long time now. Hope this helps. So excited for you!!!
 

SheLLife

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Oh I just saw what you bought! SOOO jealous! Definitely wish I had seen this half a year ago. Too cool! Maybe I'll use one outside! So thank YOU!
 

TylerStewart

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I have a group of baby Egyptian tortoises that are as smooth as a tennis ball, and similar size, that have had nothing but MVB for their heat, light, and UVB since they were 1 inch long. We routinely raise babies under MVB bulbs, and routinely get perfectly smooth babies under them. A 100W MVB bulb is no more dehydrating than any other 100W bulb, you just have to set them at the right height to accomplish the temperature you want at tortoise-level. We keep hot spots below 100 degrees for babies. If it's a little too hot, just raise the bulb an inch or three and check again. It's really not rocket science. We will have 150+ tortoises of various sizes and ages at the Reptile Super Show in Pomona CA in a few weeks on display and for sale, and there won't be a pyramided tortoise on the table, if anyone wants to see for themselves.

The link that was posted at the top was for a grassland tortoise kit, meant for warmer-climate tortoises. For a redfoot or elongated, we have a separate kit with less intense lighting. We raise almost all the sulcatas, leopards, stars, egyptians and testudo under mercury vapor bulbs. All the forest-y stuff is raised under Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 bulbs with smaller wattage bulbs for heat, or CHEs for heat. I maintain that they do well this way.
 
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