feeling sad

[red_Celica]

Sad Celica is still not eating not sure what to do now been doing everything i can. spring mix, strawberries, mangos, tomato's, bananas, cat food with calcium, and still nothing i've been just cycling threw the week and nothing.

every morning at 6:30am i turn on the light
put celica in a warm soak for 15-20 minutes
day 1&2 greens usually what evers in the spring mix
day 3 fruits
day 4&5 greens but just collard and dandilion greens and kale
day 6 fruit but only a treat like strawberries and bananas
day 7 cat food soaked in water sprinkled with calcium

I've been keeping the temps at mid 80's around 85-87deg. and the humididty around low 90's- to 95% and on the cool side it's at the low 80's

At night I've been leaving the heat on cause my room is just as warm even with the fan on between celicas box temp and my room its only off
by 5deg. my room is about on average 40-60% humid depending on the day. it's summer here so its getting warmer and more humid.
Am i missing something if so does anyone have an idea on what it might be i was teasing myself maybe celica needs a room mate but dont think having two reds that might not eat might kill me lol. well thanks in advance Aloha
Should i try and shut off the heat at night?

 

[JoesMum]

I've been reading back through your posts and you asked about this on June 1st having had Celica for 10 days ... so this has been going on for 3 weeks now.

While 3 weeks for settling is not unheard of, I too would be getting a bit concerned now.

I cannot advise on redfoot temperatures, but someone will be along soon, I'm sure. Do you have a basking lamp? What temperature is it directly under that lamp if you have one?

Celica doesn't need or want a room mate. Any newcomer would have to be quarantined entirely separately for 6-12 months so that would help anyway. Torts are largely solitary in the wild, meeting up to mate and moving on. They don't get lonely. Even after a quarantine period there is no guarantee that two redfoots would share nicely anyway. You should only get a second tort if you can keep it entirely separately.

If you can get a poop sample (tough when Celica's not eating), take it to a vet and get it screened for parasites. If Celica is carrying worms that would affect appetite.

 

[Mgridgaway]

Have you tried mazuri? My torts will stop at nothing to get some, and I've heard stories about torts getting addicted/picky to certain foods like mazuri and bananas.

 

[ascott]

Perhaps try a red heat lamp for the heat so that it is not so bright...especially since you have not had her long....do you have an area where a plant canopy allows for her to hide under? Have you contacted the person you got her from to find out what they fed her?

Do you give her outside time at all? Are you soaking her in warm water each morning...

I personally think that if your overall temp is 85-87 that may be a bit too warm...I do not think that your enclosure should be lower than 80 but you should provide a place that the temp gets to 90-92 ish....I personally do not keep the humidity at that high of a constant in the entire enclosure.. as I believe a tort should have the ability to "dry out and cool a little" (but note, i said dry and cool, not wet and cool) when they need to....others have different views on this.

If you take her outdoors does she book around? Wait round a bit to see what the others think....May we see a pic of her please as well as her enclosure?

 

[Redstrike]

do you have an area where a plant canopy allows for her to hide under? Have you contacted the person you got her from to find out what they fed her?

Do you give her outside time at all? Are you soaking her in warm water each morning...

I personally think that if your overall temp is 85-87 that may be a bit too warm...I do not think that your enclosure should be lower than 80 but you should provide a place that the temp gets to 90-92 ish....I personally do not keep the humidity at that high of a constant in the entire enclosure.. as I believe a tort should have the ability to "dry out and cool a little" (but note, i said dry and cool, not wet and cool) when they need to....others have different views on this.

Just wanted to add, maybe you could try feeding Celica in her hide?

My enclosure temps run at 85 on the warm side and 80 on the cool end. The CHE produces a very warm basking spot of ~90ºF directly under where it sits. I rarely see my tortoises parked under it. I'm out of ideas but all the others provided above sound pretty great! I would definitely inquire with the breeder to see what they were feeding prior to you obtaining the tortoise.

I'd be giving warm baby food soaks daily to help with nutrients and hydration. They'll absorb some electrolytes and vitamins through their soft skin around the bridge (opening between plastron & carapace) so be sure that the water depth comes above Celica's plastron.

 

[red_Celica]

well i'm not using a basking light but using a 18inch under cabinet light which isn't all that bright but enough to light the cool side up. I'm using a 60 watt heat emitter for a heat source and right under the CHE its in the low 90's-high 80's in the middle of the enclosure its in the mid 80's and the cool end is low 80's around 80-82. on the cool side is the wet side and the hot side is kindah dry kindah moist. i noticed that celica cruises right in the middle all day and as the day goes on celica will inch her/his way towards the warmer side but not completely under the CHE and will stay there the rest of the day into the next morning. i currently have two hides one on the hot side and one on the cool side i'm using rubber made shoe containers and covered it with the bedding(Mosser Lee moss). I'm under the impression that Celica could be eating the moss cause this morning when i pulled Celica out to soak their was a piece of it on the mouth and when i pulled on it some of it came out of Celicas mouth. So i'm thinking of putting Celica in a tank for now and get her to just eat the greens and not the moss i coud be wrong though so i'll try what everyones been advising. thanks so much and sorry for not using all punctuation marks lol extra buttons for press

the hide/hot side this was b4 i switched the hide


the cool side b4 i put a hide on this side

 

[EP429]

Have you been able to take Celica outside?
Mine doesn't have any trouble eating, but will chow down like there's no tomorrow if let outside for a few minutes

 

[red_Celica]

Have you been able to take Celica outside?
Mine doesn't have any trouble eating, but will chow down like there's no tomorrow if let outside for a few minutes

i was gonna try that tomorrow morning if that doesn't work i'm gonna put celica in a tank with nothing in it but a food tray and water for a month and switch out the mosser lee moss to orchid bark or something

 

[dmmj]

Have you tried mazuri? red foots seem to have an irresistible attraction to it. Mine goes crazy over it.

 

[red_Celica]

Have you tried mazuri? red foots seem to have an irresistible attraction to it. Mine goes crazy over it.

i was thinking that but when i went to the pet store they only had one with a sulcata on it? or is it the same thing?

i was also thinking about just putting her into a quarantine tank with nothing but a food bowl. was i so pose to move the CHE and light over to the tank?

 

[wellington]

The Mazuri with the sulcata on it I think is the only one for tortoises. So get that, soak it in warm water before feeding. Also, you said your cool side was the wet side. Cool and wet are bad together. The warm/hot side needs to be the wetter side and the cool end dry. I would get the moss out incase she is eating it, then she wouldn't eat anything else if she is eating to much of it. I think you might be best leaving her in her enclosure, you might stress her to put her in a different one. Just remove the moss and do the baby food soaks and get the Mazuri. Keep us posted.

 

[Mgridgaway]

Have you tried mazuri? red foots seem to have an irresistible attraction to it. Mine goes crazy over it.

i was thinking that but when i went to the pet store they only had one with a sulcata on it? or is it the same thing?

i was also thinking about just putting her into a quarantine tank with nothing but a food bowl. was i so pose to move the CHE and light over to the tank?

That Mazuri will be fine. Just not too much!

I wouldn't quarantine. That might stress her out even more.

 

[red_Celica]

looks like their wont be an up date on how celica is doing cause i woke up this morning to soak her/him and found that celica died some time in the night. i dont think i will be getting another i really tried to keep celica happy but i guess i never did a good job. thanks everyone for your help this past month its been useful.


celica in her better days

 

[1208jen]

Aww, I'm really sorry about your loss. I wouldn't assume that you did anything wrong. It was probably something out of your control. From reading your posts it sounds like you did lots of things right. Try not to beat yourself up.

 

[wellington]

I am so, so, sorry for your loss. Don't blame yourself. You sure gave it everything you could do. She just may have not gotten that great of a start before you got her. Again, so sorry

 

[Mgridgaway]

I'm sorry to hear that

Sounds like there was something wrong from the start. Is there any way you can contact the breeder or get a replacement from them?

 

[terryo]

You did nothing wrong. What you were doing is just about the same way I raised both of mine. I'm so sorry to hear that you lost her.

 

[morloch]

Very sorry for your loss!! I'm sure you did your best!

 

[red_Celica]

I'm sorry to hear that

Sounds like there was something wrong from the start. Is there any way you can contact the breeder or get a replacement from them?

well i guess you can say i did a rescue mission cause i got celica from petco so i dont think i can do anything i guess for now i'll research more and learn more about them i went to another pet store just to look and they had some 6-8 month yellows but i just looked lol not sure if i wanna pay 399.99 for a tort just yet but when i feel ready i just might get another just not from petco i'll try to find a local breeder here on oahu so for now just re-do the enclosure and study more about the species. thanks everyone for the support!!!!!!

 

[dmmj]

Sorry to hear about that, I am gonna suggest next time buy from a breeder. Once again my condolences.