Got 2 new Red-foot tortoises and they won’t eat or move much

w0ikeen

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I recently got 2 red foot tortoises from Turtles and tortoises inc. I’m kind of worried cuz they don’t much or move a lot. I don’t if this is cuz it is a new place and they are still getting use to it. I use a stick on thermometer and gauge from zoomed. The humidity is around 75%. I use a reptile humidifier to keep the humidity high enough. The shaded area there is 2 hides with spagnum moss. The overall temp is low 70s cuz it’s winter. The heated area is in the 90s, its a red bulb and i dont know if thats a bad thing.the uvb bulb is coiled, i dont if thats bad. I soaked them for around 20-30 min for the past 2 days I had them. The first day I fed them cactus, romaine lettuce, and mazuri tortoise diet chow. The second day I tried to feed them lettuce, aloe vera, and tomato. They didnt eat it though, so I have them some chow and only one ate. He pooped and it looked runny. Plz look and tell if thats normally why tortoise poop should like. I dont know what to do and I need help. If there is something u need to see, ask and I will take a picture.
 

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Yvonne G

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Some (most) tortoises have a hard time when moved out of a familiar territory, while some seem to acclimate with no problems. Give them some time. In the meantime, go to our redfoot section and read the care sheets close to the top of the section, and make any changes and adjustments to your enclosure.

Once they're set up in optimal conditions they'll realize they're safe and the food god provides, and become more outgoing.

one thing you should be made aware if is tortoises seldom do well in pairs. You will end up with a dominant, or bully, and a submissive, who is slow to grow and may stay hidden to keep out of the bully's sight.
 

w0ikeen

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Some (most) tortoises have a hard time when moved out of a familiar territory, while some seem to acclimate with no problems. Give them some time. In the meantime, go to our redfoot section and read the care sheets close to the top of the section, and make any changes and adjustments to your enclosure.

Once they're set up in optimal conditions they'll realize they're safe and the food god provides, and become more outgoing.

one thing you should be made aware if is tortoises seldom do well in pairs. You will end up with a dominant, or bully, and a submissive, who is slow to grow and may stay hidden to keep out of the bully's sight.
 

w0ikeen

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Do you think I should feed them separately? So they get equal amounts of food.
 

crimson_lotus

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I would remove the red bulb and replace it with a ceramic heat emitter so it emits no light at night. Red bulbs sometimes confuse the tortoises into thinking substrate is food. Replace the coil bulb ASAP as these are known to damage tortoises eyes. Buy a UV strip instead.

Boost your temps up from low 70's to low/mid 80's, especially if they are young. If they are not warm enough, they cannot digest their food - so temp is very important.

Also would recommend an additional hide in there. Redfoots aren't really baskers and my tortoise likes to hang out mostly in the shade and avoids the bright areas.

For runny poop, you can try feeding them some more solid foods. Romaine and tomato are awfully watery, and cactus is known to have a bit of a laxative effect. The types of suggested food should all be in the redfoot guide Yvonne mentioned.
 

w0ikeen

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I would remove the red bulb and replace it with a ceramic heat emitter so it emits no light at night. red bulbs sometimes confuse the tortoises into thinking substrate is food. Boost your temps up from low 70's to low/mid 80's, especially if they are young. If they are not warm enough, they cannot digest their food - so temp is very important.

Also would recommend an additional hide in there. Redfoots aren't really baskers and my tortoise likes to hang out mostly in the shade and avoids the bright areas.

For runny poop, you can try feeding them some more solid foods. Romaine and tomato are awfully watery, and cactus is known to have a bit of a laxative effect. The types of suggested food should all be in the redfoot guide Yvonne mentio
I would remove the red bulb and replace it with a ceramic heat emitter so it emits no light at night. Red bulbs sometimes confuse the tortoises into thinking substrate is food. Replace the coil bulb ASAP as these are known to damage tortoises eyes. Buy a UV strip instead.

Boost your temps up from low 70's to low/mid 80's, especially if they are young. If they are not warm enough, they cannot digest their food - so temp is very important.

Also would recommend an additional hide in there. Redfoots aren't really baskers and my tortoise likes to hang out mostly in the shade and avoids the bright areas.

For runny poop, you can try feeding them some more solid foods. Romaine and tomato are awfully watery, and cactus is known to have a bit of a laxative effect. The types of suggested food should all be in the redfoot guide Yvonne mentioned.
Do you know any ways of heating up the whole enclosure? And also if i take the tortoises outside everyday, do I need the uvb light?
 

crimson_lotus

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Do you know any ways of heating up the whole enclosure? And also if i take the tortoises outside everyday, do I need the uvb light?
Disperse the heat a bit better by adding a ceramic heat emitter to each end. They come in different wattages so you could try a 100w on each end and see if that works. There are light fixtures that you can buy stands for, which would help your setup (or you could make something for them to hang from. But if you're lazy like me, you may want a pre-made stand)

How long are you taking the tortoises outside for? If you miss a few days, or if weather does not permit all the time, it might be safer to invest in a UV light. My tort is inside for most of the year given my location. Someone in CA might have better advice on this.
 

w0ikeen

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Disperse the heat a bit better by adding a ceramic heat emitter to each end. They come in different wattages so you could try a 100w on each end and see if that works. There are light fixtures that you can buy stands for, which would help your setup (or you could make something for them to hang from. But if you're lazy like me, you may want a pre-made stand)

How long are you taking the tortoises outside for? If you miss a few days, or if weather does not permit all the time, it might be safer to invest in a UV light. My tort is inside for most of the year given my location. Someone in CA might have better advice on this.
 

w0ikeen

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Also, when I get the emitters, is a thermostat something i need even though I got a thermometer and a temp gun?
 

crimson_lotus

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Also, when I get the emitters, is a thermostat something i need even though I got a thermometer and a temp gun?
The thermostat is extremely helpful in my opinion as it regulates the temperature to never go beyond a certain point. This would prevent overheating and would save you some money in electricity in the long run when it gets warmer outside.

The thermometer you have in there is known to be a bit junky and unreliable, so I would get a thermostat and stick with the temp gun. There are also a lot of hygrometer suggestions on this site ($10) that would more accurately measure the humidity in the enclosure.

Is the wood untreated in your enclosure? I would recommend lining the inside with a shower curtain to prevent rot.

Also on the top of the cage if you could cover the open areas with tin foil, you will be able to maintain better humidity and temp.
 

w0ikeen

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The thermostat is extremely helpful in my opinion as it regulates the temperature to never go beyond a certain point. This would prevent overheating and would save you some money in electricity in the long run when it gets warmer outside.

The thermometer you have in there is known to be a bit junky and unreliable, so I would get a thermostat and stick with the temp gun. There are also a lot of hygrometer suggestions on this site ($10) that would more accurately measure the humidity in the enclosure.

Is the wood untreated in your enclosure? I would recommend lining the inside with a shower curtain to prevent rot.

Also on the top of the cage if you could cover the open areas with tin foil, you will be able to maintain better humidity and temp.
Cover the whole open area or you meant the
 

Yvonne G

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Fix you lights on a stand so that you can cover the whole enclosure, with the lights ending up inside.
 

w0ikeen

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Alright thank you so much
The thermostat is extremely helpful in my opinion as it regulates the temperature to never go beyond a certain point. This would prevent overheating and would save you some money in electricity in the long run when it gets warmer outside.

The thermometer you have in there is known to be a bit junky and unreliable, so I would get a thermostat and stick with the temp gun. There are also a lot of hygrometer suggestions on this site ($10) that would more accurately measure the humidity in the enclosure.

Is the wood untreated in your enclosure? I would recommend lining the inside with a shower curtain to prevent rot.

Also on the top of the cage if you could cover the open areas with tin foil, you will be able to maintain better humidity and temp.
Cover the whole open area or you meant the
Do you think these would be fine?
 

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w0ikeen

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The thermostat is extremely helpful in my opinion as it regulates the temperature to never go beyond a certain point. This would prevent overheating and would save you some money in electricity in the long run when it gets warmer outside.

The thermometer you have in there is known to be a bit junky and unreliable, so I would get a thermostat and stick with the temp gun. There are also a lot of hygrometer suggestions on this site ($10) that would more accurately measure the humidity in the enclosure.

Is the wood untreated in your enclosure? I would recommend lining the inside with a shower curtain to prevent rot.

Also on the top of the cage if you could cover the open areas with tin foil, you will be able to maintain better humidity and temp.
Could I use plastic wrap instead? Or would it be better if it was tin foil?
 

crimson_lotus

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Do you think these would be fine?
this is what I am currently using and have been using for years.

I am not a huge fan of plastic so I wouldn't suggest plastic wrap. The reason for tin foil is because it does well paired with the heat lamps that will be on the top of the enclosure, so it won't melt or burn.
 

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