New to being a tort mommy!

Kristen5

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image.jpg image.jpg Hi! My names Kristen. I’m located around western Pennsylvania.. I recently bought our family a baby yellow foot , they said he was less then a year and still fits in the palm of my hand. I’m having some trouble getting his/her tank at the accurate humidity and temperature. If one is high the other is not. I ended up getting a different substrate and am currently using zoo med eco earth , the lights I’m using are zoo med daylight blue 60w and zoo med tropical reptisun uvb 5.0 , and lately the cage became overwhelmed with gnats...
 

Tim Carlisle

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Welcome! Is your enclosure covered? If not, doing so makes it much easier to maintain temp and humidity levels.
 

Tim Carlisle

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It has a wire top but I have cardboard covering the half the lights aren’t on .
Try aluminum foil over the entire enclosure. Cardboard soaks up the water vapor, and can become a fire hazard near the heat lamps. Aluminum foil will retain moisture and temps MUCH better!
 

Kristen5

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Should I cover the glass or just the top? And leave a space for the lights? I have them both in a zoo med dual fixture I bought off chewy.com... I could barely find any info on the breaded it is and am trying to make it happy. ( I can’t even tell if it’s a boy or girl yet ) lol!!! And thank you!!
 

Tim Carlisle

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Should I cover the glass or just the top? And leave a space for the lights? I have them both in a zoo med dual fixture I bought off chewy.com... I could barely find any info on the breaded it is and am trying to make it happy. ( I can’t even tell if it’s a boy or girl yet ) lol!!! And thank you!!
Ideally, you will want the lights inside the enclosure, but high enough that it doesn't burn the top of the tortoise shell. With smaller, shallower enclosures, you may need to make a "teepee" top to allow for the lights. There are some really good ideas over in the Enclosures section of this forum. Many cheap, good ideas.
 

Tim Carlisle

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Ideally, you will want the lights inside the enclosure, but high enough that it doesn't burn the top of the tortoise shell. With smaller, shallower enclosures, you may need to make a "teepee" top to allow for the lights. There are some really good ideas over in the Enclosures section of this forum. Many cheap, good ideas.
This is similar to what I was trying to describe. In rereading my description, it confused me and I knew what I was trying to say. lol
k9hm5z.jpg
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome.
If you can post pics of your set up, lamps etc then members can give the right advice to make sure your tort is safe and happy.
Probably just the top - I would think but do you have a reliable thermometer at tort level to make sure the temps aren't too cold or too hot? And is the tank big enough to have warm and cooler areas so that the tort can escape the heat if he needs to?
A digital temp gun is ideal for spot checking temps.
The Enclosures thread may give you some ideas.
There is a caresheet for redfoots in the species section and the care for yellow foots may be similar but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone with more experience of them will be along soon.
 

Kristen5

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Ideally, you will want the lights inside the enclosure, but high enough that it doesn't burn the top of the tortoise shell. With smaller, shallower enclosures, you may need to make a "teepee" top to allow for the lights. There are some really good ideas over in the Enclosures section of this forum. Many cheap, good ideas.
Thanks much again!
 

Kristen5

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Hi and welcome.
If you can post pics of your set up, lamps etc then members can give the right advice to make sure your tort is safe and happy.
Probably just the top - I would think but do you have a reliable thermometer at tort level to make sure the temps aren't too cold or too hot? And is the tank big enough to have warm and cooler areas so that the tort can escape the heat if he needs to?
A digital temp gun is ideal for spot checking temps.
The Enclosures thread may give you some ideas.
There is a caresheet for redfoots in the species section and the care for yellow foots may be similar but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone with more experience of them will be along soon.
I can’t post pictures at the moment however I can after work tomorrow evening. I don’t have my thermometer and humidity one at tort level. They told me at the store to set it up like the one they had at the store. I want to start putting shelter to hide in but they said that he’s too small for that. I’m going to surf the enclosures thread and see what I can come up with also! Thank you!!
 

TammyJ

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Welcome and all the best! You'll get great help and advice right here.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome! You don't always get the best information from pet store. Listen to us here and you can't go wrong. We have a good care sheet. It was written for redfoot tortoises, but the same care is required for yellowfoot too, so you can follow the info for your tortoise too.

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-tortoise-care-sheet.175319/

I love your new baby's scute pattern. The aberrant scute tortoises are my favorites!

A bit of advice: Buy a LARGE ceramic tile, 12" square or bigger, to place the tortoise's food on. This helps keep substrate off the food. When they eat too much substrate it may cause impaction.
 

Lyn W

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Pet shops often sell unsuitable or unsafe and unnecessary expensive equipment.
They usually don't give after care advice either because they are in it for profit.
I don't know what sort of thermometer you have (again pet shop dial types usually aren't reliable) but the temperature at tort level will be different to the thermometer reading if you put it too high. A digital one with a probe is likely to be more accurate.
Follow any advice here and it will not only be safe and up to date information but will also save you a lot of money.

Some people just use an upturned plastic tub or box with a door cut into it for their hides.
Also shallow terracotta plant saucers are cheap and safer than the water dishes pet shops sell.
You'l get some good ideas on the Enclosures thread.
 

Kristen5

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That’s his home right now. I am about to clean it after dinner
 

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Tim Carlisle

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That’s his home right now. I am about to clean it after dinner
Definitely replace those analog gauges with a digital one that has a wired probe. Place the probe near the middle of the enclosure, level to the top of the tortoise's shell. You can also get a terra cotta saucer (costs about a buck) to place the food in, or follow Yvonne's advice with the ceramic tile. Cute little tort you've got there!
 

Kristen5

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Definitely replace those analog gauges with a digital one that has a wired probe. Place the probe near the middle of the enclosure, level to the top of the tortoise's shell. You can also get a terra cotta saucer (costs about a buck) to place the food in, or follow Yvonne's advice with the ceramic tile. Cute little tort you've got there!
Thank you! I had a little black tray in there but he wouldn’t eat off it. And it was less then a 1/2 cm shallow.. his water dish is supposed to be for his type of environment but it’s the second one I have gone through as they are cracking and falling apart
 

Kristen5

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Could I use a shallow sea shell for his food if I flip it upside down and kinda push it down in the substrate ?
 

Tim Carlisle

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Could I use a shallow sea shell for his food if I flip it upside down and kinda push it down in the substrate ?
I'd be afraid that the shell would not be heavy/rigid enough and easily flipped over.
 

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