Baby redfoot not eating

senghor hobbs

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Hey I have a little redfoot tort that a few days ago just stopped eating and it list a gram since lastnight. I thought it was because I fed it fruit one time but it's been going on for a few days and I'm worried. At first, it would eat from me and never turned down food. I have had it since the end of September and I do live in ohio so it is cold and I have a CHE with Temps at 86.3 fahrenheit. All it does all day is sleep nd barely moves! Onlt time it comes out is when i soak it and that is everyday. Please help!!!
 
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naturalman91

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what are you night time temps? 86.3 sounds just fine but whats the lowest it gets at night? and what are you using to monitor/control temps? what are you offering to eat? occasion fruit is fine for redfoots it's in they're natural diet

also whats your humidity?

i've had my red go off food for a couple day's and everything is fine. if i notice he's going off food for a day or two i'll skip a feeding and the next time i feed he'll practically charge it.
 

Anyfoot

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Hey I have a little redfoot tort that a few days ago just stopped eating and it list a gram since lastnight. I thought it was because I fed it fruit one time but it's been going on for a few days and I'm worried. At first, it would eat from me and never turned down food. I have had it since the end of September and I do live in ohio so it is cold and I have a CHE with Temps at 86.3 fahrenheit. All it does all day is sleep nd barely moves! Onlt time it comes out is when i soak it and that is everyday. Please help!!!
Hi.
Photo of your enclosure would help.
 

senghor hobbs

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senghor hobbs

New Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
21
what are you night time temps? 86.3 sounds just fine but whats the lowest it gets at night? and what are you using to monitor/control temps? what are you offering to eat? occasion fruit is fine for redfoots it's in they're natural diet

also whats your humidity?

i've had my red go off food for a couple day's and everything is fine. if i notice he's going off food for a day or two i'll skip a feeding and the next time i feed he'll practically charge it.
It's stays at 86 at night because if the CHE and I feed it leafy greens and occasionally mango or strawberry and humidity is about 80 and I soak everyday
 

naturalman91

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that che should really be on a thermostat since there's not a lot of escape from the heat.

what are you using to measure heat? with open tops like that heat and humidity generally escape so i wonder if your gauges are off.
 

Anyfoot

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Is there a uvb source anywhere? Without D3 from a uvb source your tort can not absorb the calcium to help good bone growth. The calcium will just Pass straight through the system.
The trouble you are having is that it's only the correct temp directly under the CHE
When your tort goes to hide and feel secure I'll bet he's getting too cold.(try your probe in that hide he is in). When he's cold he can't digest food, so won't eat. You need an ambient temp and not just one spot that is warm enough.
Also if s/he is not humid s/he will pyramid or worse get RI.
2 ways to combat this.
Have a closed chamber and keep the substrate moist, not wet but moist. Do you have the lid for that box?
Or if you have an open enclosure like yours add plants to create humidity. Put some spaghnum moss in and around the hide.
Either way it must be warm. Cold and moist will end in a poorly Tortoise.
You are going to struggle to keep an ambient temp in your climate without a closed system or with just 1 heat source.
All your heat is just escaping and its costing you a fortune in electricity.
A juvenile red shouldn't go below 82f. As they get older and body mass increases they can take it colder for a while as long as they have somewhere warm to retreat to.
Good luck and keep us posted please.
 

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