[split] Calling on indian star owners residing in INDIA... meh1911

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meh1911

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Hi guys! I'm quite new to posting here, but have read up quite a bit on here about raising Stars. I have a 3-inch long Star tortoise (he's called Girdhari) that one of my roommates found in a park here in Mumai. We've built him a 5-foot long wood tank with a UV bulb, a hiding place, a basking rock, a small soaking pool, and a mixture of soil and small rocks for substrate. We feed it coriander leaves, cucumber, fenugreek leaves, hibiscus about once a week, and grass. I make it a point to wash everything before feeding and the little guy gets to float in lukewarm water once every day for 15-20 minutes.

Now, I share an apartment with three other guys, and we really want to take care of Girdhari. However, we don't have a balcony or a large enough window to place the little guy on for basking, and the place doesn't really get much sun. Although he's somewhat active, has no abnormalities as far as I can tell from my research on the Internet, and loves the food, I'm worried about the lack of sunlight. Will a UV light be enough? Should I also install an incandescent bulb? What about the humidity? Should I spray the substrate with some water everyday?

I should also mention that all of us work and so can spare time only during the mornings and the evenings. I make sure to leave more than enough food and water before I leave and place the tank in a spot that gets about 1-3 hours of sunlight in the middle of the day.

Also, some white lines have developed on his shell. I can't say if this is normal in growing Stars, and I couldn't find much information about that either. I've attached pictures taken after a short bath. Will add some better ones shot in the day.

Thanks,
meh1911
 

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shanu303

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you've got a real stunner.... and those lines are new growth lines(most probably).....UV Bulb would do but it should be safe for reptiles i.e it should not be compact bulb rather it should be tube UV.... and for the heat source you can use incandescent bulb.... and humidity if you can bring it up artificially using device then well and good..... but if not then you can just spray the shell twice to thrice a day.... and make sure the temps are always high if you use high humidity..........and again what an amazing star you've got :)
 

meh1911

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shanu303 said:
you've got a real stunner.... and those lines are new growth lines(most probably).....UV Bulb would do but it should be safe for reptiles i.e it should not be compact bulb rather it should be tube UV.... and for the heat source you can use incandescent bulb.... and humidity if you can bring it up artificially using device then well and good..... but if not then you can just spray the shell twice to thrice a day.... and make sure the temps are always high if you use high humidity..........and again what an amazing star you've got :)

Thanks! I'll do all of that. What would be good for the substrate? Right now its just some dirt and soil. Should I get some small stones to add some variety?
 

shanu303

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yes you can get some small stones but make sure they aren't small enough..... and soil and dirt will just be fine.... as long as you keep it damp and the temps are high.....
 

meh1911

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Hey! Thanks a lot for all that useful information. The little guy is fairly active now and chomps down enthusiastically on all the food. :) And yes, he really is pretty!
 
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