Baby Redfoot health check and advice

[Uirop]

I am pasting my post from Reddit in hopes of reaching more people. I hope that’s okay. I mention a video below; it’s on the Reddit Post.

Hello! I received my baby tortoise with some shell rot so I had it looked at by family in the Veterinary Field (Exotic Vet and an ER Vet Tech) and am treating it with Betadine and a cream they got for me. Currently they are on their Honeymoon so I’m not in a position to bother them with my current concerns. I called the hospital to schedule an appointment so they had me leave a voicemail for the specific person that schedules exotics because they only come in Wed-Fri to my location.

So in the meantime I thought I’d ask my question here.

In the video I show the tortoise and its plastron before putting the Betadine on. I am concerned that the plastron is round (convex). The tortoise is eating, drinking, defecating, and behaving normally. I am also concerned and unfamiliar with the coloration as it’s changed since I got him; perhaps it’s a normal part of growth?

The tortoise defecates on my palm in the video so I’d also like to make sure that looks normal as well.

Is my tortoise growing alright?

Set-up:
- 50 gallon tank with folding mesh lid, with a silicone mat on top to seal in the temperature and humidity
- 75 watt reptizoo heat lamp (it’s hung inside)
- 10.0 UVA/UVB zoomed lamp
- Beanfarm UTH heat mat on the back wall for emergencies (it’s off)
- Enclosure is bioactive with springtails and isopods
- Substrate is layered; playsand, organic soil, cypress mulch, leaf litter
- Planted Maidenhair Fern and Maiden Grass
- Frog Moss
- Cork Bark for the Isopods
- Some large pieces of Mopani Wood
- XL corner Zilla basking platform/hideaway
- 6” round slate basking platform
- 6” terracotta bowl

Diet:
- Hikari Herptile Mulberrific Delight pellets (I wanted Mazuri but the shop did not have it at the time so I opted for this in the meantime after seeing people talk positively about it on the tortoise forum but if anyone has experience with this brand please let me know if it’s better to change to Mazuri.)
- Literally every fruit and vegetable tortoisetable says is safe including flowers and weeds (hibiscus, dandelion, chamomile, lavender, knockout rose)
- Prickly Pear Cactus (I planted some in my yard to harvest as well)
- Repti Calcium powder

I soak him every other day (due to shellrot treatment) and he always has water in his terracotta dish. I also brush his carapace and plastron gently with a soft toothbrush and water that is just his.

His outdoor enclosure is currently being built in my yard, but I live in South Jersey so it won’t be used until next spring.

I also have a Bluetooth/WiFi Govee Thermometer/Hydrometer that I can check via phone; the temperature is usually around 80 and the humidity is always over 85.

Am I being paranoid? Please be kind, there are some things I am upgrading this week like the UVA/UVB from what I have now to the appropriate tube UVA/UVB. I also take him outside to bask and eat if the weather permits, but it’s starting to get cold so I’m upgrading my lamp situation for better UVA/UVB absorption.

 

[wellington]

I don't see any concerns with him, not even shell rot. Stop the betadine, that should only be used once. You can use over the counter athletes foot cream on him, but I don't see any reason to.
Be careful of Reddit, they usually give lousy advice, same with YouTube, FB, etc.
The baby needs to be housed in a closed chamber enclosure for about 3 years with humidity of 80% with top layer of substrate dry.
Reach for an over all day and night temp of 85 and humidity only needs to be 80.
Get rid of the sand and moss, both can cause impactions and moss can cause entanglement inside and out. Also get rid of the soil, even organic can have stuff in it that is garbage.
I would cancel the vet visit. There doesn't seem to be any problems and a vet can cause more problems than not.
You should do a warm soak daily until about a year old then you can cut back some
Everything else seems to be okay.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Agree with wellington above, remove sand and moss asap. Tort looks good though! No need for vet imo

I’d change the 75w basking to CHE(s) (ceramic heat emitters) for your heat 24/7 as they’re are generally much more suited to red foots. Chamber also needs to be closed, no open meshed top.

I think you’ll perhaps find this thread useful to read through, it covers correct equipment, levels, appropriately maintaining humidity and more, there’s lots of visual examples for everything too

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

This one is also really good to go over to help avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask more questions after going over them

 

[Uirop]

I don't see any concerns with him, not even shell rot. Stop the betadine, that should only be used once. You can use over the counter athletes foot cream on him, but I don't see any reason to.
Be careful of Reddit, they usually give lousy advice, same with YouTube, FB, etc.
The baby needs to be housed in a closed chamber enclosure for about 3 years with humidity of 80% with top layer of substrate dry.
Reach for an over all day and night temp of 85 and humidity only needs to be 80.
Get rid of the sand and moss, both can cause impactions and moss can cause entanglement inside and out. Also get rid of the soil, even organic can have stuff in it that is garbage.
I would cancel the vet visit. There doesn't seem to be any problems and a vet can cause more problems than not.
You should do a warm soak daily until about a year old then you can cut back some
Everything else seems to be okay.

Thank you so much for your advice, he did indeed have shell rot (although very small spots) and it’s much better now. I’ll stop the Betadine as you suggested. Tomorrow I will completely redo the tank and start from scratch (removing everything you suggested). I will also order the CHE now. I am relieved that he looks alright, I’m more experienced with avian and mammalian species so my anxiety is high with this baby because I want him to flourish. Thank you for putting those anxieties at ease.

Agree with wellington above, remove sand and moss asap. Tort looks good though! No need for vet imo

I’d change the 75w basking to CHE(s) (ceramic heat emitters) for your heat 24/7 as they’re are generally much more suited to red foots. Chamber also needs to be closed, no open meshed top.

I think you’ll perhaps find this thread useful to read through, it covers correct equipment, levels, appropriately maintaining humidity and more, there’s lots of visual examples for everything too

Young red foot/ cherryhead set up

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information on an effective example of a starter enclosure for a red foot/cherry head😊 Care advice for these guys is painfully behind, fb pages, YouTube, pet stores, they’re all repeating the same outdated advice, this forum is made of...

tortoiseforum.org

This one is also really good to go over to help avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask more questions after going over them

Awesome, thank you for these sources. I have a silicone mat on top of the mesh lid to seal in the temperature and humidity, so no worries! The link specifically talking about bulbs is extremely helpful. I’m thinking I’m going to get rid of my tank after reading thoroughly, and prepare the best housing recommendations from here.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you so much for your advice, he did indeed have shell rot (although very small spots) and it’s much better now. I’ll stop the Betadine as you suggested. Tomorrow I will completely redo the tank and start from scratch (removing everything you suggested). I will also order the CHE now. I am relieved that he looks alright, I’m more experienced with avian and mammalian species so my anxiety is high with this baby because I want him to flourish. Thank you for putting those anxieties at ease.


Awesome, thank you for these sources. I have a silicone mat on top of the mesh lid to seal in the temperature and humidity, so no worries! The link specifically talking about bulbs is extremely helpful. I’m thinking I’m going to get rid of my tank after reading thoroughly, and prepare the best housing recommendations from here.

No problem at all! Wishing you and this adorable baby all the bestlet us know if you ever have anymore questions

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Shell rot is treated with athletes foot cream.
That's it. It's very simple.
Your uvb/uva light. I suspect is a MVB. Not a linear strip florescent. MVB are very harsh. Very bright and not good at broadcasting uvb.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Can you post some photos of current setup?
As mentioned - sand can be an impaction hazard but if it's used only as the bottom drainage layer, especially separated with a fiberglass mesh or similar, risks are really minimal. However, you can use expanded clay pebbles with mesh on top of them for drainage.

Organic soil is a lottery. However, Reptisoil or Arcadia bioactive soil can be fine (no warranty, though). Perhaps, if isopods and springtails are thriving - it's not toxic. But you can use coco coir to be sure it's safe.

What's tank height? And what kind of UVB lamp (exact model)? Is it over the mesh or inside the tank? There is a real risk that UVB level is too high.

Frog moss won't cause entanglement (it's cushion moss, right?) and looks nice. But make sure tortoise can't reach it if you use it as decor. While impaction risks are mostly related to sphagnum long-stranded moss and mosses aren't usually palatable, I would not take the risk.

 

[Uirop]

Hello!
Can you post some photos of current setup?
As mentioned - sand can be an impaction hazard but if it's used only as the bottom drainage layer, especially separated with a fiberglass mesh or similar, risks are really minimal. However, you can use expanded clay pebbles with mesh on top of them for drainage.

Organic soil is a lottery. However, Reptisoil or Arcadia bioactive soil can be fine (no warranty, though). Perhaps, if isopods and springtails are thriving - it's not toxic. But you can use coco coir to be sure it's safe.

What's tank height? And what kind of UVB lamp (exact model)? Is it over the mesh or inside the tank? There is a real risk that UVB level is too high.

Frog moss won't cause entanglement (it's cushion moss, right?) and looks nice. But make sure tortoise can't reach it if you use it as decor. While impaction risks are mostly related to sphagnum long-stranded moss and mosses aren't usually palatable, I would not take the risk.

I’m not home right now, but I’ll take photos when I am. It’s a 36x18x18 50 gallon. The UVB lamp I am using now is above the tank, it’s a Zoomed Reptisun 10.0 UVB compact fluorescent reptile lamp. I have an Arcadia Pro T5 UVB Kit on the way as well as a CHE from Amazon.

The heating lamp is indeed inside of the enclosure.

I cover the tank with a silicone mat. My concern is he isn’t getting enough UVB. I peel back a corner of the silicone mat for the UVB to penetrate - however I learned that mesh makes UVB penetration harder.

Yes the moss is frog moss, it’s soft and pillowy. The sand is the bottom most and thinnest of the layers, then soil, then cypress, then placed mosses and leaf litter. It’s also a planted tank. The isopods and springtails are thriving.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Compact lamp over the mesh top at the distance over 10" is mostly useless. What kind of Arcadia T5 lamp is coming: Desert 12% or Forest 6%? And what is substrate thickness (distance from between substrate and tank top)?

Probably, you don't have to redo the whole substrate. Just move the moss away (to the background hardscape, to the top of the hides (if they aren't climbable). I really have no idea what makes some tortoises eat moss, but when they do - they stuff themselves to the top with it. Mine never bothered with it, occasional bite was enough for her to stay away, so it's just from reports on this forum (and I don't use moss in the enclosure!).

 

[Uirop]

I’m not home right now, but I’ll take photos when I am. It’s a 36x18x18 50 gallon. The UVB lamp I am using now is above the tank, it’s a Zoomed Reptisun 10.0 UVB compact fluorescent reptile lamp. I have an Arcadia Pro T5 UVB Kit on the way as well as a CHE from Amazon.

The heating lamp is indeed inside of the enclosure.

I cover the tank with a silicone mat. My concern is he isn’t getting enough UVB. I peel back a corner of the silicone mat for the UVB to penetrate - however I learned that mesh makes UVB penetration harder.

Yes the moss is frog moss, it’s soft and pillowy. The sand is the bottom most and thinnest of the layers, then soil, then cypress, then placed mosses and leaf litter. It’s also a planted tank. The isopods and springtails are thriving.

Desert D3+ 12% UVB 24watt

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Desert D3+ 12% UVB 24watt

Got it. For this lamp recommended distance would be 21-22" without mesh. With mesh, it could be 15-16" (pure guess as it depends on mesh being used).