HELP my baby redfoot is not eating

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello! I am a new owner too and understand your confusion. The best thing you can do now is to stick to this forum as a source of information. There can be some conflicting information too (Redfoot Care sheets is an example), but you can always ask a question and get the detailed answers. And "ask before you buy" thing works too and works well

Maybe I've missed that, but you didn't mention Mary Shelly's age (I guess 2-4 months). Some photos would be great too

At this age it's better to keep tortoises inside most of the time and you should focus on her indoors enclosure. To get the correct humidity of 80-85% and easily maintain temperature of 82-84F you need to make a cover (green house top, plastic box, plexiglass sheet or something). Then set up heating and lightning: ceramic heat emitter (CHE) with a thermostat first - with high humidity and low temperatures there is a risk of respiratory infection. UVB lamp is a second point. Basking lamp is not really required for redfoots, you can use LED bulb or strip instead.

And one more point on diet. You mentioned hibiscus leaves, what else do you feed her? Sometimes they might prefer a different kind of food (e.g. proteine instead of fiber) - fruit, mushrooms and ignore other edibles.

Any questions are welcome!

 

[lambylemons]

By indoor is a Lanai okay? also, what companies are good to get lamps from?

 

[mojo_1]

Uvb T5 tube light from zoomed 10.0HO or Arcadia lighting 12.0 are the most used. The daylight bulb can be a led flood bulb somewhere around the 6500K. The CHE from zoomed depending on enclosure size get the 100 or 150 watt

 

[mojo_1]

By indoor is a Lanai okay? also, what companies are good to get lamps from?

By Lanai are you talking a enclosed porch?

 

[mojo_1]

This Is an example of my setup for a Red foot tortoise.

 

[lambylemons]

By Lanai are you talking a enclosed porch?

Yes but one with three walls and a ceiling only one of the walls is a screen

 

[mojo_1]

Yes but one with three walls and a ceiling only one of the walls is a screen

As long as you have the little tort in a closed chamber enclosure and can easily regulate temps and humidity. Maybe, outside temperature might make the battle harder to fight if it's to hot or cold. I live in the North so outside is no good for me. Especially this time of year

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

By indoor is a Lanai okay? also, what companies are good to get lamps from?

1. As already mentioned ZooMed Reptisun and Arcadia are on top of the list. You need short lamp (22"), T5 HO type with a fixture for it. Fixture can be from Arcadia or ZooMed as well (more expensive and no hassle) or from a hardware store (cheaper, but you have to check wattage and build quality). UVB level and use of reflector depend on enclosure (lamp mounting) height. With height of 1 feet max you can use Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia Forest 10% lamps, with more height Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia Desert 12% (and when UV level starts to fall you can lower the lamp to correct this).
You can check lightyourreptiles.com for the lamps (not an ad, just some members buy lightning/heating there).
2. I'm not sure you can make consistent humidity of 80+% and stable temperatures of 82-84F day and night in your whole lanai. However making a section and covering it (which is essentially a closed chamber enclosure) might worth it.

 

[wellington]

By indoor is a Lanai okay? also, what companies are good to get lamps from?

Inside in a closed chamber enclosure.

 

[wellington]

If you take the help already given you will be well on your way of giving her the best you can. When questions are asked, we need the answers.
All the correct info is on this forum.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I am new to Redfoots...BUT, every RF keeper I know says..."They live on the forest floor so they don't like bright light". So what? Am I cheating Logan? He only has lights when it's eating time...

 

[mojo_1]

I am new to Redfoots...BUT, every RF keeper I know says..."They live on the forest floor so they don't like bright light". So what? Am I cheating Logan? He only has lights when it's eating time...View attachment 363149View attachment 363150

He needs the light to also know that it's daylight hours

 

[Maggie3fan]

He needs the light to also know that it's daylight hours

And the ambient light from a window is not good enuf?

 

[mojo_1]

And the ambient light from a window is not good enuf?

I don't how your enclosure is setup up or its location in relevance to a window. But everything I've been told is they need a light that is putting out somewhere between 5500 and 6500K

 

[lambylemons]

Update she's foraging again!!!!

 

[mark1]

I am new to Redfoots...BUT, every RF keeper I know says..."They live on the forest floor so they don't like bright light". So what? Am I cheating Logan? He only has lights when it's eating time...View attachment 363149View attachment 363150

redfoots are not forest tortoises they inhabit savannah's adjacent to forest ..... dense forest have been shown to be genetic barriers to redfoot tortoises ...... yellowfoots do inhabit forest , but are found in vicinity of canopy openings ....... i kept redfoots outside , their behavior was identical to my eastern box turtles .......

 

[TammyJ]

In my experience of redfoot tortoises, they need UV light just like any other tortoise, although they seem to spend less time in direct basking or sunlight, and retreat to their cover or hides often. You will also find that some individuals of the same species like more sunlight than others. One that I had used to spend hours in the morning sun, like ten to midday, in his wading pool in direct sunlight every day after eating and before retreating to his shady hide for a snooze, then coming out again in the later afternoon to eat a bit more, walk around, then retire for the night (this is all outdoors - tropical climate).

 

[mojo_1]

In my experience of redfoot tortoises, they need UV light just like any other tortoise, although they seem to spend less time in direct basking or sunlight, and retreat to their cover or hides often. You will also find that some individuals of the same species like more sunlight than others. One that I had used to spend hours in the morning sun, like ten to midday, in his wading pool in direct sunlight every day after eating and before retreating to his shady hide for a snooze, then coming out again in the later afternoon to eat a bit more, walk around, then retire for the night (this is all outdoors - tropical climate).

That is pretty close to the same Schedule Mojo keeps. It's about soak time for little tort.

 

[SuzanneZ]

In my experience of redfoot tortoises, they need UV light just like any other tortoise, although they seem to spend less time in direct basking or sunlight, and retreat to their cover or hides often. You will also find that some individuals of the same species like more sunlight than others. One that I had used to spend hours in the morning sun, like ten to midday, in his wading pool in direct sunlight every day after eating and before retreating to his shady hide for a snooze, then coming out again in the later afternoon to eat a bit more, walk around, then retire for the night (this is all outdoors - tropical climate).

That was a nice life for him.

 

[EppsDynasty]

so you decide to take a tortoise in, invest countless hours reading conflicting info, invest $ and time into building your new pet a home, then bring home your new pet and try to figure out what is correct info and then get worried things aren't going the way you want..........sound familiar. This is what drove you to look for better information, and try to figure out what you did wrong. THE 1 THING to remember is here your talking to people that HAVE tortoises. The pet store does not keep tortoises, they sell them as soon as they can giving them the minimum care. It's a business not a animal rescue. YOU WILL get good info here the only problem is going to be your ego..... NOT SAYING YOU HAVE AN EGO PROBLEM! just saying you will have to admit fault on your part and make the corrective changes needed. This is normal for all new tort keepers. So Welcome.. Glad your here and your little buddy will be happy your here to. We all know you care and that's why your here.