Puddinpopj
New Member
I’m going to be getting a cherry head in about a week or 2. I have a tortoise box and 2 lamps being gifted to me and I wanted to know the very best options and set up for the hatchling . 
Cherry head enclosure
- Thread starter Puddinpopj
- Start date
Hello and welcome!
Redfooted tortoises come from a warm and humid climate and need similar conditions in their enclosure, especially babies.
Unfortunately, the box you have now is not suitable: it has open top (so warm and humid air will escape like through the chimney pipe) and it's wooden - it will rot quickly in humid conditions. What you can do:
1. Try to retrofit this box (make a cover, e.g. portable greenhouse, line the bottom with a shower curtain or pond liner).
2. Get more suitable enclosure: a hydroponic grow tent (there are 4x2x2 in Walmart, relatively cheap and they should last for 2-3 years) or a large Sterlite box (110 quarts will serve for a year or two). Or you can order a PVC reptile enclosure (like Kages, Animal Plastics or superior Smart Enclosures made by Markw84, one of the forum members). I would advice to get the largest you can fit (tortoises need a lot of space).
The second part is substrate. To maintain high humidity without foggers, misters and stuff you will need 4-6" of substrate like orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir with a layer of orchid bark or cypress mulch on top. Substrate also allows tortoise to burrow and thermoregulate.
For food and water you can use shallow terracotta saucers. These are cheap and are better alternative to dishes sold in pet shops.
Heating and lightning:
1. Redfoots need temperature in range of 80-88F day and night. You can use ceramic heat emitter (CHE) in a wide dome or radiant heat panel (like chicken coop heat panel from Tractor supply). Heat source must be connected to a thermostat.
2. Don't use heat mats.
3. Basking lamps are not necessary.
4. For healthy growth of shell and bones, providing UVB (ultraviolet) is necessary. The best source are T5 long tube lamps (like Arcadia ProT5 kits or ZooMed Reptisun).
You can check this post describing "redfoots starter kit" with images and lists of equipment:
tortoiseforum.org
Also, you can post here what you are planning to order so we can cross-check if everything's alright.
P.S. - Check this care sheet for information on care, diet etc.
tortoiseforum.org
Any questions are welcome!
Redfooted tortoises come from a warm and humid climate and need similar conditions in their enclosure, especially babies.
Unfortunately, the box you have now is not suitable: it has open top (so warm and humid air will escape like through the chimney pipe) and it's wooden - it will rot quickly in humid conditions. What you can do:
1. Try to retrofit this box (make a cover, e.g. portable greenhouse, line the bottom with a shower curtain or pond liner).
2. Get more suitable enclosure: a hydroponic grow tent (there are 4x2x2 in Walmart, relatively cheap and they should last for 2-3 years) or a large Sterlite box (110 quarts will serve for a year or two). Or you can order a PVC reptile enclosure (like Kages, Animal Plastics or superior Smart Enclosures made by Markw84, one of the forum members). I would advice to get the largest you can fit (tortoises need a lot of space).
The second part is substrate. To maintain high humidity without foggers, misters and stuff you will need 4-6" of substrate like orchid bark, cypress mulch or coco coir with a layer of orchid bark or cypress mulch on top. Substrate also allows tortoise to burrow and thermoregulate.
For food and water you can use shallow terracotta saucers. These are cheap and are better alternative to dishes sold in pet shops.
Heating and lightning:
1. Redfoots need temperature in range of 80-88F day and night. You can use ceramic heat emitter (CHE) in a wide dome or radiant heat panel (like chicken coop heat panel from Tractor supply). Heat source must be connected to a thermostat.
2. Don't use heat mats.
3. Basking lamps are not necessary.
4. For healthy growth of shell and bones, providing UVB (ultraviolet) is necessary. The best source are T5 long tube lamps (like Arcadia ProT5 kits or ZooMed Reptisun).
You can check this post describing "redfoots starter kit" with images and lists of equipment:
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
Also, you can post here what you are planning to order so we can cross-check if everything's alright.
P.S. - Check this care sheet for information on care, diet etc.
Redfoot Tortoise Care Sheet
NOTE: I do not keep redfoots, and I only have one tortoise in total. With this in mind, remember that I am in no way an expert, and this should not be used as cold hard proof of how to raise a redfoot. I used information from great keepers on this forum to put everything together. This care...
tortoiseforum.org
Any questions are welcome!
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
Second everything above! This won’t be appropriate at all unfortunately, that housing thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises and red foots(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity(they are prone to shell rot so this is important! No misters or humidifiers), safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll add some more ideas below for closed chambers, some work better than others
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
tortoiseforum.org
Please feel free to ask further questions! Welcome to the forum
Visual inspiration
Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
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
Please feel free to ask further questions! Welcome to the forum
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum!
Puddinpopj
New Member
Thank you so much!!!about how much money do you think is the right amount to plan to spend for the best set up? With the plastic tubs how does the humidity remain at the right level?
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Check this out for how to set a plastic tub up:
How to make a closed-chamber baby habitat out of a 55gal Sterilite bin
Since several folks have asked about how to make a closed chamber baby enclosure out of a 55gal Sterilite tote, here are some pics and description of how I do. This is not the most beautiful option, but since the babies will only be in here for 9-12 months, I'm okay with that. My own Russian...
tortoiseforum.org
Yes, plastic tubs, portable greenhouses etc. hold humidity well enough.
As I can tell, you can't keep your tortoise outside full time in your climate, so you will need a spacious enclosure inside. I would go with a cheaper option for 2-3 years because you'll have to expand later. Hydroponics grow tents seem optimal to me: you can get a 4x2 or 6x3 ft. tent for a sane price and with minimal DIY skills install all equipment inside the enclosure. But Sterlite bins are okay too for the quick start (you can get two and place one on top of another to get sufficient height for lights and heat installation). Cost of equipment and decor/utils (like dishes and hides) is around 200-300$, with UVB lamp being the most expensive (the only piece where you should not cut costs). However, during warm seasons you can sunbath your tortoise (e.g. while daily soaking) and won't need the UVB lamp for that period.
Once you decide on enclosure type and size we can choose optimal heating/lightning, calculate amount of substrate etc.
