Our Indian Star Hatchlings: Husbandry, development and pryamiding.

[Matt__uk]

Hello!

I just wanted to quiz the forum on the development and growth of our hatchling stars and to just check that we are on track for some healthy torts, and if not to try to identify where we can make improvements.

We have had them since the 21st April 2012 and they seem to have settled well. This is their weight gain from April - June:



Their start weigh in was the largest (Chewie) was 57 grams and the smaller (Yoda) was 46 grams. At last weigh in on the 8th of July the largest (Chewie) was 71 grams and the smaller (Yoda) was 59 grams. I think their weight gain is ok?

We keep them in a tort table with 4 hides, 2 in the dry cool room temperature end (typically about 17-20 degrees perhaps?) and 2 in the hot end, one of which is a humid hide.

There is a fake plant, 2 real spider plants and 1 Aloe vera - none of which they try to eat.

The basking spot is 33 - 35 deg and the humidity in the humid hide (the hide on the left, under the log hide there is a plastic hide) is 80% after a spray fading to about 65% - 75% by evening and about 60% the next morning. The humid hide stays at a fairly constant 26 deg.

We have a reasonably large water bowl for them.

Substrate is earth / top soil with a fair amount of orchid bark.

Here is their enclosure:





Our schedule for them is:

SAT / SUN: Morning soak for 15 mins, light spray whole table, heavy spray warm end. Tip water bowl out under CHE. Feed them & clean water bowl and give fresh water. Nutrabol suppliment.

MON / WED / FRI: Light spray whole table, heavy spray warm end. Tip water bowl out under CHE. Feed them & clean water bowl and give fresh water.

TUE / THU: Morning soak for 15 mins, light spray whole table, heavy spray warm end. Tip water bowl out under CHE. Feed them & clean water bowl and give fresh water. Calcium suppliment.


We feed them on:

Grass grown from seed - they dont eat this
Mixture of weeds grown in garden
Occasional Opuntia
Occasional rose petels
Occasional carrot peal
Topped up with salad

I notice that they tend to eat a bit less when we supplement with nutritional, I guess they are not as keen on the taste?

So I suppose the point of my post now - I am concerned that their shells are not growing as well as they should be.

Here are some pics from the 1st week after we collected them:

Chewie (4th May 2012):


Both together (21st April 2012):


These two pics are the best that I have from the 1st week or so that show their shell.

Here are some pics taken after their soak today:





So some questions for experienced start tort keepers:

1) Is our enclosure OK? If not how can we improve it?
2) Is our schedule OK? And again if not where can we improve?
3) Diet - we have some grass pellets on order which we are going to start using. Whats the best way of getting them to eat these and the best way to include it in our feed schedule? At the moment I am thinking 2 or 3 days a week with pellets only until I know they are eating them?
4) Pyramiding. Is it bad? When we collected them we were told that they had started developing some pyramiding, so I think the grow was not perfect when we got them on the 21st, but I am worried its getting worse. Does it look bad? Is it getting far worse? What are we missing that is causing this?

Sorry for the long post and the mass of questions, we just really want to get their care spot on correct so they have a healthy life.

[Matt__uk]

Oh the star bucks card is just for a size reference.

Here they are chowing down after their pics today:

[Torterra]

They look perfect for their age. And both growing really well. Thank you very much for all that husbandry info, will be a great reference guide for future Stars owners.
Keep what you are doing and dont change anything. They love the routine and you will be rewarded with two perfect Indian Stars in few years time.
As I can see, they will pyramid as they grow, it actually may be a natural defence to help them to right themselves up when they turn upside down. They will become smoother and less 'corrugated' as they grow bigger.
I know people may say I already have 'pyramiding' stars to advise other keepers. But I can tell they are very healthy and active, and a joy to watch. Also my male matured really early, only 1 year 6 months he started to pay attention to my females (naughty).

[TillyTortoise]

Hi Matt, your stars are looking great I think you have an ideal setup. It's great to see how yours are doing, seen as I have clutch mates of yours.

You're far better at keeping records than me, although seeing your post prompted me to weigh mine. The smallest is 54g and the biggest 67g.

Here are a few pictures of my 2 taken just now.




Not sure about the pyramiding, this isn't an easy species to grow smoothly.

[Matt__uk]

Originally Posted by Torterra

They look perfect for their age. And both growing really well. Thank you very much for all that husbandry info, will be a great reference guide for future Stars owners.
Keep what you are doing and dont change anything. They love the routine and you will be rewarded with two perfect Indian Stars in few years time.
As I can see, they will pyramid as they grow, it actually may be a natural defence to help them to right themselves up when they turn upside down. They will become smoother and less 'corrugated' as they grow bigger.
I know people may say I already have 'pyramiding' stars to advise other keepers. But I can tell they are very healthy and active, and a joy to watch. Also my male matured really early, only 1 year 6 months he started to pay attention to my females (naughty).

Thank you

I was just starting to get worried about it as from what I know the husbandry was pretty much spot on.

Originally Posted by TillyTortoise

Hi Matt, your stars are looking great I think you have an ideal setup. It's great to see how yours are doing, seen as I have clutch mates of yours.

You're far better at keeping records than me, although seeing your post prompted me to weigh mine. The smallest is 54g and the biggest 67g.

Here are a few pictures of my 2 taken just now. [snip]

Not sure about the pyramiding, this isn't an easy species to grow smoothly.

they are looking fantastic

They do seem smoother than our two though. Have you got them on a table or in a vivarium?

Or do you have any other differences in your husbandry compared to ours?

[TillyTortoise]

Originally Posted by Matt__uk

Thank you

I was just starting to get worried about it as from what I know the husbandry was pretty much spot on.




they are looking fantastic

They do seem smoother than our two though. Have you got them on a table or in a vivarium?

Or do you have any other differences in your husbandry compared to ours?

I keep them in a table, here it is.


I bath them every other day for 15 mins.
Feeding: A large part of their diet is the Mazuri pellets. 2-3 times a week.
Other days they either get weeds.
You can see they have a humid hide, set at 30c.

[Matt__uk]

thank you,

Its good to see the differences between our set ups.

Is the humid hide the only hide you have in there for them? Also how do you heat it to 30 degrees?

I wonder if I would do better to reduce the number of hides in our set up and change our humid hide a little.

I will go get a pic of it now...

[TillyTortoise]

Originally Posted by Matt__uk

thank you,

Its good to see the differences between our set ups.

Is the humid hide the only hide you have in there for them? Also how do you heat it to 30 degrees?

Yes, you can see the Komodo cypress terrain in there (brown stuff). That's where they dig and hide. I keep it slightly moist.

I have a CHE over the humid hide, its on 24/7.

[Matt__uk]

Originally Posted by TillyTortoise

Yes, you can see the Komodo cypress terrain in there (brown stuff). That's where they dig and hide. I keep it slightly moist.

I have a CHE over the humid hide, its on 24/7.

Hmm OK.

I think it maybe does a better job than mine because its entirely plastic.

Here is what we have:





Its one of those rodent hides that I have taken a saw too and trimmed right down. we only use the bottom of it and have burred it in the soil.

Then inside it I have used some spagum moss, covered that in some earth and some orchid bark, then placed the log hide over the top.

We too have a CHE over it, but the temps rarely go over 26 deg - I suppose due to the thickness of the the logs.

[Matt__uk]

Have had a move about now.

Will post new pics tomorrow - but got a plastic rub style box with a hole cut in it for the main hide now.