Acquiring a redfoot soon!

[Turbotort]

Hey everyone!

In about 3 weeks I will be getting an approx 6 month old redfoot from a local. I was just curious about a few things that differ from my Leo that passed away.

For diet I see they are able to eat some protein. So I assume maybe some small cooked shrimp or boiled eggs once in a while. But how often? I'll probably feed a mix of kale, escrole, endive and maybe romaine.

Which brings me to Mazuri. Is it fine to feed them Mazuri every few days like Leo's? If so I will order some soon.

And for the enclosure I will reuse my older one until I can get the 4x4 raised garden bed kit I want to use. Any differences from Leo's on humidity and heat? I hear redfoots get shell rot easier so the humidity shouldn't be as high? And then I suppose the heat is about the same. High 80s with a high 90 basking spot?

I appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks!

Pics!

P.s. he says they around on avg 85 grams currently at about 6 months old. This seems fine to me.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Mazuri fed every day will do no harm. I feed it about twice a week. With a Redfoot, it will be good to ad some fruit and flowers to the diet. Maybe 15-20% of the diet.
For protein, I often mix dog food into some wet Mazuri mash.
We all seem to have our preferences. You'll have one too eventually.
Florida is a fantastic place to raise Redfoot!!
Humidity should be greater than 70% and temps of between 80 and 89.
No very bright lights. Most will never "bask".... but a UV source is needed.
Indoors I use an 18" florescent 5.0 Reptiglo tube and fixture. Before adding heat, first make sure that you need it. I don't in my case.
Shell rot is from them being constantly wet. You want humidity and not wetness. This can be accomplished by using a layer or Orchid bark covered by a layer of garden soil. Pour water into the corners of your enclosure and the Orchid bark will suck up the water and hold it like a humid sponge...But leaving the top soil layer pretty dry.
Pretty different from your Leopard?

 

[Turbotort]

Thanks for the info! I have a MVB but you think I shouldn't use it then? I'm fine with just a uvb tube like your using. The enclosure will be in a side screened porch so 80-89 should be no problem and not even need a heat source. I could hook my CHE to a thermostat just incase.

For the humidity I just used wet coco coir and the MVB would evaporate the water to create humidity. I'll have to try what you described.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Thanks for the info! I have a MVB but you think I shouldn't use it then? I'm fine with just a uvb tube like your using. The enclosure will be in a side screened porch so 80-89 should be no problem and not even need a heat source. I could hook my CHE to a thermostat just incase.

For the humidity I just used wet coco coir and the MVB would evaporate the water to create humidity. I'll have to try what you described.

Get yourself a $25 non contact heat gun from Lowes or Home depot or Harbor Freight and check what the temps are without the heat lamp. You may or may not need it. I only needed heat about 10 days last year...The whole year.

 

[Turbotort]

I actually have one haha. Let me see here... I think I got it for $12 on an amazon sale.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

$12?!!
You stole it!!
Check and see. I'll bet you wont need the extra heat.
That Ebay gun would be a GREAT tip for you to pass on to other members in the future.

 

[Turbotort]

$12 plus $6 shipping. I looked up my order.

 

[Turbotort]

I'll be picking this little guy up next Wednesday

 

[Gaby-PR]

Another good option for protein is mealworms. I buy freeze-dried mealworms and my redfoots love it. I buy this at walmart. Good luck with your new pet, redfoots are awesome!

 

[Turbotort]

Ok thanks. It's funny how everyone says redfoots are quite social and nice. I came in figuring they might be slightly on the meaner side if they are carnivorous.

 

[JoesMum]

Ok thanks. It's funny how everyone says redfoots are quite social and nice. I came in figuring they might be slightly on the meaner side if they are carnivorous.

They're not hunters. They are omnivorous scavengers.

Redfoots will bully each other if things aren't right.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Funny enough my biggest bully Redfoot ever was a small female.

 

[NDevon]

....And for the enclosure I will reuse my older one until I can get the 4x4 raised garden bed kit I want to use. Any differences from Leo's on humidity and heat? I hear redfoots get shell rot easier so the humidity shouldn't be as high? And then I suppose the heat is about the same. High 80s with a high 90 basking spot?

Hi @Turbotort I've never kept Leopards but Redfoots need high humidity. Mine are in a closed chamber and humidity was varying from 65% to 80% through the day. I wasn't happy with it so made come changes, and following the great advice from here made sure humidity didn't vary, it's now stable at 88% and the tortoises are so much more active, eating better and seem better for it. Before they just wanted to stay in their hides where the humidity was up around 90% so it makes sense that they preferred to just stay where it was humid, by raising the humidity throughout they seem happier to get out and explore.

The shell rot isn't from humidity levels, it's from wet substrate I believe, if the top layer is wet and they are on it all day that can lead to shell rot. The top layer needs to be dry other than a spray now and then.

As for boiled eggs my 4 love them! I love the shell on and just cut it up, they get calcium from the shell and eat it happily whereas they won't touch their cuttlefish bone and most tortoises don't like calcium powder sprinkled on food if they can taste it. I only give a boiled egg once a week, I don't leave it in the enclosure or it absolutely stinks, I let them have their fill then it goes in the bin. I also feed a little cooked chicken or tuna once a week so they get protein a couple of times, if I'm having chicken they get some, if I'm having tuna they get some, I don't buy it just for them.

They love fruit, it's nice being able to give them fruit as most tortoises can't have it. Mine devour mango, raspberries, strawberrys, blueberries, grapes, melon, blackberries, and more. Banana is too high in sugar but they have the smallest pieces now and then, and apple sometimes but no seeds in it. No citrus fruits though. Every day they have some weeds and greens, the other stuff goes on top, they always have some weeds - I thought they would choose the other stuff first but they happily take the healthy option!

They certainly ain't mean, they are very sociable, I have 4 together and 9 times out of 10 at least 3 of them will be together in the same hide. The one who isn't won't be the same one each time so I'm confident there isn't bullying going on. They are curious and if I open the vivarium they come to see what I'm doing, they are happy to be handled and stretch their heads out for a stroke and like strokes under the chin. I didn't want tortoises that hid all day and didn't want to see a human so I chose Cherryheads for that reason.

 

[Douglas Yardley]

My Red-Foot has been with me for 21 yrs. She has a box to hide in with damp sphagnum moss covered by a car floor mat, with a heating pad under the box, controlled by a rheostat . I keep my apartment at 26 Celsius. She enjoys having the run of my apartment, and enjoys walkies outdoors on warm days. I bathe her daily in about 2 inches of lukewarm water-shallow enough that she can easily keep her head out of the water.She eats greens (kale, romaine, endive, escarole, leaf lettuce, with some fruit and other veggies, and some pellets. She now weighs 18 lbs. She is quite used to humans and is not afraid of dogs or cats. One of the reasons I chose a Red-foot is because they don't grow to huge size. DPY

 

[NDevon]

My Red-Foot has been with me for 21 yrs. She has a box to hide in with damp sphagnum moss covered by a car floor mat, with a heating pad under the box, controlled by a rheostat . I keep my apartment at 26 Celsius. She enjoys having the run of my apartment, and enjoys walkies outdoors on warm days. I bathe her daily in about 2 inches of lukewarm water-shallow enough that she can easily keep her head out of the water.She eats greens (kale, romaine, endive, escarole, leaf lettuce, with some fruit and other veggies, and some pellets. She now weighs 18 lbs. She is quite used to humans and is not afraid of dogs or cats. One of the reasons I chose a Red-foot is because they don't grow to huge size. DPY

How big is she Douglas? I'd love to see a pic

 

[Joseph K]

So I think Mazuri vs. Not Mazuri, that is the question. Anna Karenina absolutely cannot get enough Mazuri. It got to the point where she wanted it so often that I had to invest in one of those 50 lb. bags. But here's the thing. She loves it, she grows like crazy on it, and it's relatively cheap; but when I give it too frequently (like every day) Anna starts having bowel problems. As in the runs. She also seems slightly sluggish relative to how she is with a good meal of greens or fruit. So my point is, I think it varies from tort to tort. Mine is a bit digestively sensitive, so I try to lay off Mazuri and give it like once a week as a treat. I also find it helps A LOT to water it down because it's almost impossible for Anna to digest in one shot.

But I am SO envious, because Anna has to live inside; we live in Chicago, and she's been cooped up in her terrarium for like eight months!! She hasn't seen REAL sunlight in eight months!! She has a nice simulated setup here, but it's not the same. She'll be outside every day this summer. We are both counting the days.

You guys don't realize how luck you are!