How do you keep your Stars?

[grasstrees]

It would be interesting to see how other people house their stars.

This is how I keep mine.

I have joined a three foot and a four foot vivarium together to make an 'L' shaped vivarium. At one end is a ceramic heater connected to a thermotat. Directly below the thermostat is around 87F and the other end doesn't fall below 70F, so there is a gradual gradient in temperature and the stars move to their preferred location within the vivarium. At night the thermostat drops the temperature by 15F, but it never falls below 70F even at the cool end because at the other end of the ceramic heater is a red night light so I can view them at night.

There is a 90cm fluorescent tube (30w) [10uvb] and at either end of the fluorescent tube are two coiled repti-glow with output of 10uvb each. The tank is quite bright, not well reflected in the photos, but they have the option to go to the dimmer half and there are lots of bark pieces that they can hide under. All lights are controlled by timers. Lights come on at 7am and are switched off at 7pm. The thermostat has a light sensor kicks in when it is dark enough.

I have two cuttlefish which I added very recently and they enjoy nibbling this. Food is put out daily dusted with vits and calcium. There is also a dish of water where they regularly drink and deficate!

The substrate is top soil mixed with sand. However recently bought a block from a pet shop where you add water and added this. It is then dressed with bark. The shadier end has drigrass and they like to hide in this

I am happy to receive comments or constructive criticism. Will not get offended. And would be delighted to see some of other people's set ups. Thank you.

Oh and yes I need to decorate as I had to remove a shelf from the wall.

Ian

[sarah]

Now thats a viv i like. Most people say vivarium and think of a large tortoise in a small viv. I like yours because of the shape and space. However are those new ones already living with your adult male?
Stars need higher temps than say hermanns, iberas etc

Here is my set up
My garage is heated so could be argued a giant viv, i have fans in my garage to circulate air.

[grasstrees]

Thanks Sarah.
Do you think my temperatures are too low?
Yes I'm afraid they are in with the others . I know they should be isolated but took the seller at their word that they were healthy and had no ailments.
The vivarium house one male and three female (as well as the two smaller unsexed ones I bought last week). They are not fully grown and I may add another three foot vivarium to the left as they grow.

[grasstrees]

PS The shag (bird in photo) was found dead on Anglesey and stuffed. Not to everybody's taste I'm sure. The stuffed Jay was a gift but had not been killed to be stuffed!

[sarah]

Originally Posted by grasstrees

Thanks Sarah.
Do you think my temperatures are too low?
Yes I'm afraid they are in with the others . I know they should be isolated but took the seller at their word that they were healthy and had no ailments.
The vivarium house one male and three female (as well as the two smaller unsexed ones I bought last week). They are not fully grown and I may add another three foot vivarium to the left as they grow.

Hiya
Thats your choice, But stars are so well known for getting stressed easy and getting RNS quickly. I yours show any signs of RNS i would seperate asap, this is why there are hardly any breeders around- just a bit of advise.

My night time temps do not drop below 20c they did at the end of the summer and my older one got a little snotty, i upped the temps and its all gone.
Day temps mine are at 25-27c in cool end and 33c in warm.

[grasstrees]

Thanks Sarah

Your Night time temp doesn't drop below 20C (that's 68F) and mine would be 21C (70F) so we are close there.
Day time 25-27C (68-77F) and 33C (91F) in warm and mine are 30.5C (87F) at the warm end.

We are quite close. I may up the warm end a little to match yours.

I need to think in celsius!!!

Thanks for feedback x

[sarah]

No problems and keep us updated.

[janeL]

I have to say I am really interested in keeping Stars. But does it ever get hot enough in this country for them to have a wonder outside for more than a couple of hours? I wouldnt' want torts that could never know the joy of shuffling about in a huge enclosure in the real sunshine.

How would you keep the temps high enough in a table... would ceramic bulbs work do you think?

[Zoomer]

That is another very good set up for your tort's Ian

[grasstrees]

Thanks 'Zoomer'
I rarely let mine outside unless it's very sunny. Perhaps Sarah can answer your question as she keeps hers on a table. I've just been up to check mine and they were all huddled under the ceramic lamp and the thermosat had changed to night time mode and it was 75F and falling. They gravitate towards the heat.
I may move mine to the greenhouse over the summer.