Activity level in 3month old redfoot

Tortellini red foot

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Hello, new member. I have a 3 month old redfoot. I have had it for 1 month. Tortellini is in a 20 gallon long aquarium while the larger indoor enclosure gets ready. My main question is how much activity should I expect? The tortoise stays in log hide or burried in substrate all the time. Never comes out to explore or eat but it will eat once or twice a day if I put it in the food dish (clay dish that you put under a plant). It eats romaine and zucchini daily. Has tried a few bites of strawberry, turnip greens, collard greens, banana, carrots, spinach, Mulberry leaves and red leaf lettuce but never eats more than 2 bites. I do water soaks every other day. It drinks water and poops each time. I have a heat lamp/ uva /uvb combo light. Substrate is moss and reptibark. Humidity is around 80 with daily misting 1-2 times daily. Temp under the bulb is 85-90. Tortellini gets 20 minutes of outside time in the backyard in Oklahoma daily. It is very active in backyard but not inside. Do babies just sleep and hide that much?
 

Toddrickfl1

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Hello, new member. I have a 3 month old redfoot. I have had it for 1 month. Tortellini is in a 20 gallon long aquarium while the larger indoor enclosure gets ready. My main question is how much activity should I expect? The tortoise stays in log hide or burried in substrate all the time. Never comes out to explore or eat but it will eat once or twice a day if I put it in the food dish (clay dish that you put under a plant). It eats romaine and zucchini daily. Has tried a few bites of strawberry, turnip greens, collard greens, banana, carrots, spinach, Mulberry leaves and red leaf lettuce but never eats more than 2 bites. I do water soaks every other day. It drinks water and poops each time. I have a heat lamp/ uva /uvb combo light. Substrate is moss and reptibark. Humidity is around 80 with daily misting 1-2 times daily. Temp under the bulb is 85-90. Tortellini gets 20 minutes of outside time in the backyard in Oklahoma daily. It is very active in backyard but not inside. Do babies just sleep and hide that much?
Sounds perfectly normal. Babies are programmed to stay hidden from predators. The ones that don't, are the ones that don't make it to adulthood. Your tortoise is more active outside because it's not comfortable and it's looking for a place to hide away. It's been my experience that about a year or 4-5"and they start to venture out and stay in the open more.
 

Tortellini red foot

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Sounds perfectly normal. Babies are programmed to stay hidden from predators. The ones that don't, are the ones that don't make it to adulthood. Your tortoise is more active outside because it's not comfortable and it's looking for a place to hide away. It's been my experience that about a year or 4-5"and they start to venture out and stay in the open more.
Thank you very much!
 

ZEROPILOT

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Thank you very much!
That "combo" UVA, UVB and Heat lamp...is it this kind?
I've got 3 of them in a box that I'm not going to use. After a warning from another member...And then testing them with my own UV meter.
There is no uniformity from one to the next.
One tested at around a 2 at point blank range. Another tested at 14.
The temperature gradient was also vastly different from one to another and the heat that is produced is in a narrow area.
None of which make for and ideal source of anything!
They are too bright, too unreliable and not well suited for a Redfoot in my opinion.
Baby Redfoot hide a lot. As @Toddrickfl1 said. That's true.
But it's also true that harsh lighting also stress them out. And this may be a real contributor.
Curious. What is your ambient temperature?
 

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Tortellini red foot

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2020
Messages
5
Location (City and/or State)
Lawton Oklahoma
That "combo" UVA, UVB and Heat lamp...is it this kind?
I've got 3 of them in a box that I'm not going to use. After a warning from another member...And then testing them with my own UV meter.
There is no uniformity from one to the next.
One tested at around a 2 at point blank range. Another tested at 14.
The temperature gradient was also vastly different from one to another and the heat that is produced is in a narrow area.
None of which make for and ideal source of anything!
They are too bright, too unreliable and not well suited for a Redfoot in my opinion.
Baby Redfoot hide a lot. As @Toddrickfl1 said. That's true.
But it's also true that harsh lighting also stress them out.
Curious. What is your ambient temperature?
I have 100W from Power Sun (zoo med brand). Its a mercury one. Ambient is 74F
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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I have 100W from Power Sun (zoo med brand). Its a mercury one. Ambient is 74F
MVB is exactly what I'm referring to.
And your ambient needs to be at least 80.
But under 87.
Digestion can't happen correctly below 80. High humidity and lower temps can cause respiratory infections. And anything approaching 90+ can be dangerously hot.
 

Tortellini red foot

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MVB is exactly what I'm referring to.
And your ambient needs to be at least 80.
But under 87.
Digestion can't happen correctly below 80. High humidity and lower temps can cause respiratory infections. And anything approaching 90+ can be dangerously hot.
On the side with the light the temp is 85-90F. On the side without light it is almost 80F. But when light is off the temp is 74 like the whole room. How do I generate heat without a light?
 

ZEROPILOT

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You can offer a few hours of outdoor sunlight per week (not through a window or inside and go without a UVB lamp at all
On the side with the light the temp is 85-90F. On the side without light it is almost 80F. But when light is off the temp is 74 like the whole room. How do I generate heat without a light?
Mvb
They provide heat without light.
You can use them night or day.
 

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