How active should they be?

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gargonshepard

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I changed my tortoise's name to Gamera (another mst3k refernce). Anyhow the last two days he has spent all his time in his hide. I pull him out in the morning and put him in his water pan and place fresh food in his pen. He drinks moves to the food and eats his fill then right back to his hide till the next morning. The pen is 2x5 ft. Humidity is around 80% and temps at 88 on the warm side and 80 on the cool side. As stated before I have yet to see him poop. I also noticed his eyes seem a little watery. I thought he would move around his pen some. How active are your red foots. Am I overacting? This is my first tortoise and I am nervous. I've always wanted one and have made a pretty costly investment into this fella. Not to mention Im fully emotionally invested. Could it be him just getting used to his new enviroment?
 

wellington

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You don't mention a basking spot? How long have you had him? They should not hide as much as your saying yours is. However, if he is new, they do need an adjustment period, which could take weeks. You do have uv light right?
 

abclements

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Not to override you wellington, but my red foot does the same thing. Ive had him for 7 months now and he just typically hides all day. Hes perfectly healthy and happy. Ive talked to redstrike about it and he has one that does the same thing as well. If hes coming out to eat and youre soaking him, he is probably fine. Your temps sounds good. Watery eyes usually mean that he is too dry. What is the humidity and do you have a closed chamber or open?
 

wellington

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abclements said:
Not to override you wellington, but my red foot does the same thing. Ive had him for 7 months now and he just typically hides all day. Hes perfectly healthy and happy. Ive talked to redstrike about it and he has one that does the same thing as well. If hes coming out to eat and youre soaking him, he is probably fine. Your temps sounds good. Watery eyes usually mean that he is too dry. What is the humidity and do you have a closed chamber or open?

No problem. I wouldn't have thought that to be normal, unless of course it was a new one. I guess some are just more lazy then others.:)
 

abclements

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Haha so true. If its lazyness then mines a downroght couch potato ;p but he's never sleeping! I catch him all the time, sitting just inside one of his hides creepin on me lol i call him my little creep :)


Bad spelling lol thats supposed to be "downright"
 

gargonshepard

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I have had him since thursday so not very long. The humidity fluctuates from 75-85%. The pen is totally enclosed with vents running the full length. I accidently dropped my uvb light and broke the bulb so he doesn't have on right now, but I am making a run this week to pick one up.
 

abclements

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Ya it definitely takes a few for new torts to warm up to a new home, so give it some time and see what happens. As long as he has some form of light he will be fine for a week without UV.
 

RosieRedfoot

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Some days Rosie will just sit awake in a corner under a plant, but I do know she's been out because the food is missing and her water has soil tracked through it. I think it's natural for the younger torts to hide more since they'd be more vulnerable, especially in an unknown situation. She must be lazy since if there's not food she wants she usually doesn't bother staying out!
 

gargonshepard

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I figured it out! The light i was using was to bright. I put in dimmer bulb and he has been much more active. New question should I leave his cuttlebone in his pen at all times? He pounds copous amounts of it
 

Alan RF

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I leave mine in all the time and I've noticed marks in it but not actually seen him eat it ;)
 
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