Drink, Eat and promptly go to sleep?

[vickyb]

Well, the experts win again (Wasnt any doubt). She walks around, eats her food, changes her location from hot to cold. TRAMPLED my wheat grass that I had planted in a small flat pot, took a few bites off it. went for a couple of swims and is back to sleep.

Thanks

---

One Concern: If she is lying under a hide in the Cool part of the encl. where the temps are typically between 65-70.... for a couple days... wouldnt her body temp drop to the point where she is not active ANYWAY?

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Do your best to create an "even" temp zone thru-out the enclosure. The warmest area should be in their hide [ mid-80's ].. NOT under a light.

( don't let this confuse you ) - Redfoots don't "bask" to get warm or acquire their UVB needs. When they are sitting under the light { most of the time } the AMBIENT temps are too low.. and they are trying to reach their desired body temps [ thinking the 'light' is a source of heat ].

In the spring and fall ( outside ) when the temps drop the most during the night [ mid/upper 60's ].. mine will come out and follow the sun around to get warmed up -- then will 'graze' some -- and then as the temps get into the upper 70's and 80's they go to their hides until later as the sun goes down and it cools off again.. out they come for an evening 'cruise'!

Now in the summer when the temps are upper 70's at night and into the 90's full sun -- I'll turn the sprinkler on first thing and they are like kids running around in the rain! Ya gotta love it -

Are we having fun yet???

NERD

---

Well, the experts win again (Wasnt any doubt). She walks around, eats her food, changes her location from hot to cold. TRAMPLED my wheat grass that I had planted in a small flat pot, took a few bites off it. went for a couple of swims and is back to sleep.

Thanks

---

One Concern: If she is lying under a hide in the Cool part of the encl. where the temps are typically between 65-70.... for a couple days... wouldnt her body temp drop to the point where she is not active ANYWAY?

---

Can we see how you have the enclosure set-up vickyb? Probly too hot? in the "hot" area..

Terry K

 

[vickyb]

I will post some pics tonight as soon as I get home

 

[vickyb]

Hello Terry,

the temp in the hottest area goes to a max 90F. usually around 84-88

---

HOW do I create an even temp in the encl?

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Hello Terry,

the temp in the hottest area goes to a max 90F. usually around 84-88

---

HOW do I create an even temp in the encl?

---

I'll know more when we see the set-up...

Terry K

 

[vickyb]

Sounds good. I will post pics as I get home.

Thanks much

 

[vickyb]

Here are the pictures.

The length is 36"
Height and Width is 19"

The big dome lamp is 100W daylight.
The small dome is the 100W IR night lamp (primarily to keep the temp up at night)
The light across the middle is an 18" daylight tube with UVB

There are two heat mats below the tank. Tropical Forest heat mats (as opposed to desert). The one in the cold part of the encl comes on only at night when the main "heat" lamp goes off. Right now she is moving about on her own eating a dandelion leaf

It is almost impossible to raise humidity beyond 55% in the day. The fogger comes on a strict timer. it is not always on. The substrate is:

- Forest Soil at the base = coconut fibre in lay terms
- Spagnum (spelling) Moss as a second layer
- Forest bark chips as the top layer.

I planted seeds of wheat in the soil layer and its beginning to grow now

 

[terryo]

Vicky, cover the back and the sides and 6 in. across the front of the tank with aquarium background. He will feel more secure. Right now everything is so open that he thinks someone big will come along and eat him. Pio is 2 years old now and I still offer him that security. Your temp. sounds good to me, but Terry K. will know more about that than I do. But making him feel secure is very important. He will mot come out much if he feels so vulnerable. This is what I keep Pio in..see all the sides and back are covered. I lowered the front a little when he got older, but it is still covered.

I also line the plants up all across the front so he can only peek out a little between the plants. This also keeps the humidity up.

You can see how closed up the viv is, so he feels secure, and it is up to him to look out if he wants to.
Hope this helps. Otherwise your set up is good, as far as I can see. Maybe Terry K. has more to add.

 

[vickyb]

Is Pio in that tank?

---

I will cover the edges with aquarium paper!

 

[terryo]

Yes, you can see him inside in the last picture. It is a 75 gal. tank. Next Fall I will have to upgrade, but for now he has plenty of room beause I put all the plants along the front.

 

[vickyb]

Thats great. For some reason the second pic didnt show when I saw the post. One of the creepers you have in the tank... I was told it was toxic for tortoises. the large leaf one. I am thoroughly confused with plants and I HAVE read all the plant links on this forum. Could you please let me know:

1. How do you plant these in the viv? I mean, is it straight in the substrate? If so, what happens when you change the substrate? How often do you change it?
2. Exactly what plants do you have in there so I can go order some from my nursery.

thanks so much for taking the time to have sent the pictures and responded to mine.

Regards

---

Food Confusion:

1. This thread advises to leave her alone, let her come out whenever she wants and eat and drink when she wants. Not to disturb her.
2. The posts at Turtelery.com say that its good to feed them: Greens 2 days then Fruit only 2 days, then Greens 2 days then fruit treat 1 day. Hmm, if her coming out and eating is erratic... do I : Let her eat Greens for 2 meals and Fruit for 2 meals and so on? As in improvise?
3. I read somewhere else on this forum that if the temp is lower (when siwash was leaving town for 5 days) that the metabolism will drop, in that case, do I let her sleep for 3 days in a row in a part of the viv thats about 70F?
4. How do I raise the overall temp of the viv to be about 75-80? Its not like an aquarium... sorry for so many questions but I promise to give back one day when I have more information and trust me, I am learning and observing from a distance... every day

 

[vickyb]

sorry Did I upset anyone with this post? Apologies if I did.

 

[terryo]

Vicky, when I got Pio, he was my first tortoise, and even though I've had boxies for years and years, I had no idea what to do with my tortoise. Every site I went on told different advice. Some days I just wanted to cry, and though....what did I get myself into! So I can fully understand what you are going through.
When Pio was little I took him out, if he didn't come out to eat every day, and put him next to his food. Most times he would eat. I followed Terry K.'s care sheets faithfully. Now that he is big, I put his food in there, and there are some days when he just doesn't come out. Then I just take the food out. I don't worry about it any more. In the summer when he is outside, he eats every day. But this winter there are days that he isn't interested, and then there are days that he will eat like a pig. But he is two years old. Yours is still little...I forgot how old you said he was....I would take him out and put him near his food every day. If he doesn't eat don't worry. If he wants to sleep on the cool side, let him. If he is cold, he will move to the warm side. I have two heat emitters so the temp. in the viv is almost the same on both sides, but inside the hide is warmer.
The plants with the big leaf in the viv is called pothos, which are high in oxalic acid. Some say...not the greatest for them to eat. Pio never really bothers with the plants in there unless they are pansies, which he loves. There is always a dish of food in there until night time and then I take it out, so he really doesn't need to eat the plants.
I always tell everyone that I give advice to....this is what works for me. Other people do things differently.
I hope this will help, and please ask as many questions as you need to. There is always someone here who will be glad to help you.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Vicky with TerryO around.. no one else needs to say anything.. why should I?.. she is a perfect example of what happens when you "learn" a caresheet that teaches an easy method of caring for a redfoot tortoise. The results speak for themselves!

Be patient and you will learn about redfoots............. and we aren't going to let you hurt yours! I learned how.. TerryO learned how.. others are learning how. TerryO is very humble and is a lot better at caring and providing for her redfoot than she will admit.. or knows! Let's ask her to show us what her Pio looks like after 2 years of following the caresheet I've had the opportunity and help putting together. You can also see a few that I've raised up on the "redfootcare" link in my signature.

If anyone says anything that they aren't able to back with some kind of evidence or proof.. ignore them.

You'll get there Vicky...


Terry K

BTW.. the only thing I would say that TerryO suggested is taking him out and placing him in front of his food-dish. If he is NOT sleeping then that is O.K. You will find when you put the sight barriers up all around his tank and turn his hide away from the light he will come out more often.. once he feels more secure. I'm just repeating what TerryO said!

---

Thats great. For some reason the second pic didnt show when I saw the post. One of the creepers you have in the tank... I was told it was toxic for tortoises. the large leaf one. I am thoroughly confused with plants and I HAVE read all the plant links on this forum. Could you please let me know:

1. How do you plant these in the viv? I mean, is it straight in the substrate? If so, what happens when you change the substrate? How often do you change it?
2. Exactly what plants do you have in there so I can go order some from my nursery.

thanks so much for taking the time to have sent the pictures and responded to mine.

Regards

---

Food Confusion:

1. This thread advises to leave her alone, let her come out whenever she wants and eat and drink when she wants. Not to disturb her.
2. The posts at Turtelery.com say that its good to feed them: Greens 2 days then Fruit only 2 days, then Greens 2 days then fruit treat 1 day. Hmm, if her coming out and eating is erratic... do I : Let her eat Greens for 2 meals and Fruit for 2 meals and so on? As in improvise?
3. I read somewhere else on this forum that if the temp is lower (when siwash was leaving town for 5 days) that the metabolism will drop, in that case, do I let her sleep for 3 days in a row in a part of the viv thats about 70F?
4. How do I raise the overall temp of the viv to be about 75-80? Its not like an aquarium... sorry for so many questions but I promise to give back one day when I have more information and trust me, I am learning and observing from a distance... every day

---

Let's get the other things in order first before being concerned about plants.. O.K.?

Food Confusion:

2) make sure you have the 'order' right.

3) (when siwash was leaving town for 5 days) what is siwash? I'm not clear at all what you're asking there.

4) replace that heat light with a heat emitter

Cypress mulch only and Sphagnum moss [ see redfootcare link below - Mosser lee ] will help with humidity also.

Basically read the caresheet and set-up using that "model".

Terry K

 

[vickyb]

I bought some picture roles to stick on aquariums. they are of a tropical forest. I have enough to go all around her viv. Would that confuse her or shall I put cardboard on 3 sides and pic on the other?

TerryK, There was a post about a member "siwash" who was leaving town for 5 days and was wondering how to care for his RF in that time.

---

Alright. I will get a heat emitter today. Umm, what do I about light then?