Going shopping...

[Esopha]

My RF baby will be here in a month, and I'm starting to pull together a list of things I need:

-Plastic tub (How high should the sides be? I think higher sides would make the humidity higher, but I also want to be able to see the tort)
-Sphagnum moss
-Plants
-Timer for lights
-thermometer/humidity gauge
-hides
-water and food dish

Also, atm I have plans to buy a 100 watt full-spectrum day light (the kind they use for people with SAD) and a 60 watt CHE. I'm wondering if I should use a heat pad underneath the enclosure instead. I've read mixed things about them. If I use a small heat pad and wrap it in a towel or something...? yes? no? maybe?

Also, have I forgotten anything obvious?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Congrats on the new baby and welcome to the forum!

I'd get the sides at least a foot high so you don't have to worry about escapes. Are you using only moss for a substrate? Make sure the plants are organic, grown from seeds, or you wait 6 months to put them in the enclosure. I'd get a temp gun for the thermometer. So much easier and more accurate. What for hides? A plant saucer for the water with some rocks (bigger than the tort could eat) to make it less deep if needed should be good. I like slate tiles for food as it keeps the food away from the substrate and wears down the beak & nails. I would not use a bright light with a redfoot. The consensus seems only ambient light or just a dim light over the food. You probably need more than a 60 Watt CHE to heat a good size tub, but if you cover part of it with plexiglas like you'll probably need to do to keep the humidity up, that could help. Having two smaller wattage CHEs, one on each side, might help keep the temps more constant. Hopefully you get some input from others though. I would not use a heat pad of any type for any type of small tort. The risks outweigh the benefits in my mind. Heat from above is better. You can start growing some organic food now if you want. I'd set up the enclosure and test out the temp and humidity. Pure calcium powder daily. Appointment with a tort vet the week after you get it for a check up and fecal test for parasites. This will also set up the tort as a patient in case of emergencies later on. For first time tort owners especially, a good vet can spot something you've missed in care & health. Have a few hundred dollars at a minimum put aside for emergency vet bills. Fixture for CHE. I like a clamp cage fixture, but if you can rig up a stand and make it adjustable that is even better. Good luck!

 

[terryo]

Hi and welcome. When I got my Cherry Head this is the set up that I used. I put a heat emitter on one side and a long tube UVB 5.0 on the other side. Redfoots, especially hatchlings like low light and high humidity. A plants saucer for a water dish, because it comes in many sizes, and is just the right height, I used a mix of soil, peat moss with Cyprus mulch on top, and in the hide, I put long fiber moss...wet and squeezed out and fluffed up. I put plenty of plants...just buried them right in their little pots. When you water the plants, they hold in the humidity very well. Every time he came out to eat, I sprayed him and the plants. I kept the top covered, making it a very humid vivarium.

This is the site I used for raising mine. I found it to be the easiest to follow. Go to the top of the page and click on the appropriate age group for the care sheet. I have use it for 3 1/2 year's now, and my RF is smooth and healthy. Good luck. http://www.redfoots.com/redfoot.htm

Awwww...Here's baby Pio as a hatchling...1 month old

Here he is today

Hope this helps.

 

[Esopha]

Thanks for the info everyone!

Tortoisenerd - I was going to see if I could find some cypress bark, but what I was really hoping I could do was encourage sedum or something to grow on top of the sphagnum. I feel like that would help with the humidity and also it would be a lot prettier. I was going to bury a plant pot in the substrate as a hide.

Terryo - Thanks for the pics! They're really lovely. I think I saw one you posted a while ago of the temp home you made for Pio? In the plastic tub? I'm basically stealing the design and running off into the night with it. So.

 

[terryo]

You're welcome to run off into the night with it, cause it wasn't mine. LOL I only use glass planted vivariums...or...maybe....I did use a long Christmas Tree storage bin for outside 2 summers ago.

 

[Esopha]

Yup, that's the one. I found it while playing with the search function. It's so pretty, and definitely something I can afford and manage.

Another thing - I have access to two decks, one of which has an overhang, but is private, the other has no overhang, and is public. I'd like to give the tort some outside time during the summer months, and I'd like to do this on the deck that's private. Would the lack of direct sunlight be a problem?

 

[tortoisenerd]

You might need to add some heat depending on the weather, or misting to help cool it off, but actually the shady one is great for a redfoot. I love Terry's enclosures too. The great thing with all those plants is that the larger leafier ones are also hides.

 

[Esopha]

Awesome! Now I know none of my neighbor's kids can run off with it or something. That's great to know.

Okay, so I've changed up some things: I'm getting a 100 watt ceramic bulb. Is that enough or should I go even higher? This would probably be easier if I picked out my container first, wouldn't it? (She says as she continues to go about doing things backward.) And I got a 15 watt day light. I figure that'll help keep any plants alive but won't be too hard on the tort.

And the timer I'm getting is basically a 24-hour egg timer that hooks up to the light. Is that okay or should I invest in one of the ones with all the extra buttons? I'm worried that I'll forget to set the light on one day or something.

I'm also starting to grow some dandelions and strawberry plants. I'm also planning on planting lettuce in there. Can I stick a bush bean in the enclosure? I haven't seen them listed on poisonous plant lists, but I also haven't seen them listed on okay plant lists either.

Sorry about being so compulsive, but I really want to make sure my little guy gets the best start possible.

 

[allegraf]

Terry, when I am born again as a tortoise, can I be yours? Awesome as always.

 

[Esopha]

I bought everything! I'm excited!

I'll post pictures of the enclosure sometime soon, once the plants have filled out a little. In the meantime, I was wondering if red foots can digest legume sprouts? I was thinking of sprouting some beans and lentils and putting them in the enclosure before the tort shows up. Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[terryo]

I have no idea about legume sprouts, but I planted Spring Mix and Pio when wild over them.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Legume sprouts are not a good idea. I would not feed a tort anything starchy like beans, cabbage, etc. You can plant weeds, greens, lettuces, edible flowers, etc, which are all very healthy and yummy for a tort. What plants did you get? Organic or growing from seeds? Congrats!

 

[Esopha]

I have strawberry, purslane, dandelion, and squash all either planted or growing in there now.

I'll nix the legumes, then, and try to grab some lettuce seeds.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Sounds good (as long as you've looked up purslane as I haven't heard of that). Edible flowers and such are great too. Squash blossoms are awesome for torts.

 

[Esopha]

Purslane is a "sidewalk weed" that's actually edible and super good for you. I've seen it on tortoise sites before:

http://weeds.cropsci.illinois.edu/images/Purslane/images/Purslane 1.jpg

I know people who live/have lived overseas (in South Africa and Greece, respectively) who eat purslane in salads and stuff. I'm thinking about growing my own to eat, but so far it's just for the tort.

 

[terryo]

Oh wow...when I was a kid my Mon would pick this and put it in our salads. There is a name for it in Italian, but I forgot. This is growing in Pio's garden, but I've never seen him eat it.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Cool!

 

[Esopha]

I've never had it, but people say it's spicy? Dunno. I'll be interested to see if my tort likes it.

(edited because I had a question and then I answered it with the power of Google)

 

[tortoisenerd]

The Google photo I looked up of them looks more like a pansy than a violet. All of the above are good. Other well liked edible flowers are roses and hibiscus. Leaves and flowers are all good. Just make sure they are chemical free. Stuff you get from a nursery will have way more chemicals than stuff they sell for humans to eat in the supermarket.

 

[Esopha]

I was planning to grow them from seed. I already have hibiscus plants coming in the mail. Thanks so much!