Indian Star Tortoise Set Up

Description

Indian star tortoises are one of the most beautiful species of tortoise available today, and with this setup you can keep your new pet happy and healthy. We have used our extensive product knowledge and years of experience with different tortoise species to put together a habitat kit that will work for both you and your new pet. By using the following items we have created a setup that is almost fully automated, leaving you more time to enjoy looking after your new pet.

We have used a large deep vivarium for this habitat as, unlike Mediterranean species of tortoise, Indian stars are tropical and appreciate an overall higher temperature, especially at night. Not only does this size of vivarium give a really good temperature gradient, it also holds the heat well which allows for a slow, gentle temperature drop at night. Because tortoises are intelligent and active, it’s important to make sure that their home has plenty of things for them to scramble around, under and over, and this vivarium provides enough space to make their home more interesting.

In order to regulate their temperature your tortoise needs an area to bask in, and this halogen bulb provides a very high quality light and heat whilst using 15% less power than its incandescent competitors, and will easily reach the 35 to 40°C basking temperature that your tortoise needs for optimum health. It provides a more focused hotspot, which makes it easier to create a good temperature gradient between warm and cool end, and can be positioned further away from the tortoises’ basking area while maintaining the best basking temperature. It also offers better splash resistance.

Safety with heat lamps is paramount, and the lamp holder in this setup is a solid, reliable unit that will give you years of trouble free service. The ceramic holder itself is heat resistant and rated for up to 200 watts, with the E27 screw fitting ensuring compatibility with a wide range of commonly available vivarium heat lamps. It also has an in line on/off switch, and a heat resistant cable as well as a sturdy bracket that will keep your lamp secure against the roof of your vivarium.

As well as heat and visible light your tortoise needs a supply of UV light to stay healthy. The Eco T5 unit from Reptile Systems is an innovative new product that provides high quality UVB as well as full spectrum light, all in a unit that attaches neatly to the ceiling of your vivarium – no more unsightly separate ballasts, the ballast is built in! The tube that is supplied with the unit is perfect for your tortoise, and provided it is changed every year will provide the quality of light that your tortoise requires to stay in tip top health, reaching levels that will provide Ferguson Zone 3. The unit itself is robust and reliable, and should provide years of service.

The thermostat that is included with this habitat set is perfect for controlling the light and heat output of basking light. Touchscreen operation and an intuitive interface make this unit simple to program, and with a five year guarantee it’s also excellent value for money.

 One of the most important items of equipment in all of reptile keeping is the digital thermometer! The thermometer that we include with this habitat is reliable, robust and with two probes it’s possible to monitor both the cool and warm ends of the vivarium at the same time. We have been using these units for years now, both in store and personally – and we think that they are just right for keeping track of the temperatures in your pets’ enclosure.

Make your new vivarium a feature by adding a cabinet, this particular item is designed to form a complete unit with the Viva+ vivariums. It attaches directly to the bottom of the vivarium, forming a sturdy support along the whole length of the base. Looks wise, it completes the setup into a solid, attractive piece of furniture that complement any living space, as well as providing storage space for the equipment and feeds that you will need to keep your tortoise happy for years to come.