How hard for beginner to take care of red foot hatchling?

wonderfulwildlife

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I know that tortoise hatchlings are usually advised against for beginners. I was wondering whether they aren’t advised for beginners in GENERAL, or aren’t recommended for beginners because many beginners don’t do sufficient research or are diligent enough in their care?

I’m definitely a beginner - I’ve never had any herp before (I have experience with PETS, just not herps). But I’m also the kind of person who thoroughly does their research & is very diligent in doing everything they’re supposed to do/following instructions in regards to pet care.

I’m really interested in getting a red foot hatchling. I live in central FL, so I plan on raising it indoors until it’s 4-5”. I specifically want a hatchling because I like the idea of raising something from the very beginning. I feel like I could do what’s necessary to raise it right.

On the same token, the well-being of any animal I get as a pet absolutely comes first. I would never get something unless I was sure I could care for it properly. Are red foot hatchlings really that hard to raise that I shouldn’t get one until I’m more experienced? I am aware that there might be aspects of what makes hatchling tortoise-keeping difficult that beginners don’t understand the difficulty of, so be honest & tell me whether the hatchling should be an option for me at this time as long as I do a ton of research beforehand.

Here’s my care plan. Please correct me if any of it is wrong:
  • Enclosure would be a plastic or wooden bin (what do you recommend for enclosure structure?) with ventilation holes & a lid to keep in humidity. The cage would have a hydrometer in the center & temperature gauges on both ends. I would mist the enclosure a few times a day, pour water in corners, etc - whatever necessary to keep the humidity at 80%+.
  • CRE with reptile thermostat, set in the low to mid 80’s left on all the time. Strip florescent UVB for 10-12 hours a day. I’ve heard conflicting ideas whether they should also have a basking spot of 90 F.
  • Substrate would be red mulch with sphagnum moss in a moist hide. I've heard some people put soil under the mulch for additional moisture retention.
  • I would feed it mostly dark leafy greens like collard, mustard, some kale, some “spring mix”, & give it very small amounts of non-citrus fruits (like melon), vegetables (carrots, yellow squash), & maybe some mushrooms just to get it introduced, but most of the food would be the leafy greens, which I would have mostly always available (I’ve heard to feed them as much as they want basically but not to over feed them) but change any uneaten daily. Once every two weeks or so, I would provide a small amount of Mazuri tortoise diet or a protein like chicken. Calcium with vitamin D dusted on food several times a week.
  • Small terra cotta plant saucer for food fish & water dish (how deep should the water be in the tiny terra cotta saucer? 1/4” deep?
  • The hatchling would be soaked for 15-20 minutes every other day in tepid water. I would check daily to make sure it was moist enough but I know if their cage is too moist they can get shell rot.
  • I would be getting a captive bred baby from a breeder.

Do you think I could get a hatchling now or do I need to wait until I have herp experience? Ultimately I’d like to have both tortoises & crested geckos. I would prefer to get the tortoise first but if herp experience is necessary to raise a tortoise hatchling, I might get the cresteds first if that’s the better order to get them in.

Thank you so much for any advice on this. I just want to do what’s best for the tortoise, & I want to learn & do this right.
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome. In my opinion, if you stick with this forum and it's advice and you buy from a good breeder, you will do fine. It's not easy, but with the proper help it can be easier. I don't have RF but to me the hardest would be getting the right high humidity, without causing shell rot which they are prone too.
Of course members here can help you with that too.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome! Wow! It certainly DOES look like you've done your research. The main difference between caring for babies and caring for grown tortoises is the temperature. You MUST keep babies warm. Grown tortoises, because of their larger mass, are able to keep their core temperature warmer than babies are. Your new baby will depend upon you to make sure he's warm enough, while a grown tortoise will move around the habitat until he finds the desirable temperature. I think if you stick to your plan above, you should do ok with a hatchling. Besides that, like Barb (Wellington) said, we have many RF folks here who are willing to help you and make sure you stay on track.
 
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AmberD

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I have a one year old redfoot who I got with NO tortoise experience when he/she was about 3 months old. I had a crested gecko and bearded dragons, salamanders etc you name it beforehand. I don't think it matters one way or the other which you get first as both will require you to have specific temps, humidity, diet etc. You already have a far better understanding of what the little redfoot will need than I did as I got mine from a pet store and was given false information there. Luckily I found this forum not long after purchasing my little one and now he/she has been thriving for the last 9 months :)
 

wonderfulwildlife

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Hello and Welcome. In my opinion, if you stick with this forum and it's advice and you buy from a good breeder, you will do fine. It's not easy, but with the proper help it can be easier. I don't have RF but to me the hardest would be getting the right high humidity, without causing shell rot which they are prone too.
Of course members here can help you with that too.
Thank you! I will definitely be on here asking any questions I have & continuously research the best way to care for one :)
 

wonderfulwildlife

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Jan 21, 2018
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Tampa, FL
I have a one year old redfoot who I got with NO tortoise experience when he/she was about 3 months old. I had a crested gecko and bearded dragons, salamanders etc you name it beforehand. I don't think it matters one way or the other which you get first as both will require you to have specific temps, humidity, diet etc. You already have a far better understanding of what the little redfoot will need than I did as I got mine from a pet store and was given false information there. Luckily I found this forum not long after purchasing my little one and now he/she has been thriving for the last 9 months :)
Thank you. True, & good to know they are probably all somewhat similar to care for. It’s a shame the pet store gave you false information, but it’s wonderful forums like this exist to make sure you know everything you need to to help your tortoise thrive.
 

wonderfulwildlife

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Hi, and welcome! Wow! It certainly DOES look like you've done your research. The main difference between caring for babies and caring for grown tortoises is the temperature. You MUST keep babies warm. Grown tortoises, because of their larger mass, are able to keep their core temperature warmer than babies are. Your new baby will depend upon you to make sure he's warm enough, while a grown tortoise will move around the habitat until he finds the desirable temperature. I think if you stick to your plan above, you should do ok with a hatchling. Besides that, like Barb (Wellington) said, we have many RF folks here who are willing to help you and make sure you stay on track.
Thank you! Your reply makes me feel a lot more confident in getting one. I will definitely stick to my plan above & will continue doing all the research I can & going on this forum with any questions I have so I can care for my RF correctly.
 
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