I'm new...help?

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maiayns

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Hi, I'm Maia. I just got my cherry head redfoot tortoise a few hours ago. His name is Esteban. I put him in an aquarium tank (no water of course). I have food and water for him, and he has a hideaway. I gave him a bath when he arrived because he was really dirty, and I fed him. I put him in his home around an hour ago, and he's just been hiding and staring. I put tiny pieces of carrots and t-rex tortoise dry formula for him to eat (i fed him earlier before i put him in the tank). He ate what was in front of him, but he's still hiding. He's all the way in the back of his hideaway where he's barely visible. Is this normal for a new tortoise? I'm pretty sure he's under a year old, and there seems to be a bit of pyramiding? Not sure, though.
 

Cloud 9

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maiayns said:
Hi, I'm Maia. I just got my cherry head redfoot tortoise a few hours ago. His name is Esteban. I put him in an aquarium tank (no water of course). I have food and water for him, and he has a hideaway. I gave him a bath when he arrived because he was really dirty, and I fed him. I put him in his home around an hour ago, and he's just been hiding and staring. I put tiny pieces of carrots and t-rex tortoise dry formula for him to eat (i fed him earlier before i put him in the tank). He ate what was in front of him, but he's still hiding. He's all the way in the back of his hideaway where he's barely visible. Is this normal for a new tortoise? I'm pretty sure he's under a year old, and there seems to be a bit of pyramiding? Not sure, though.

Hi Maia, welcome to the tortoise forum community :]. I'm a newbie so maybe someone here may know more about what may be going on with your tortoise?
 

tyler0912

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maiayns said:
Hi, I'm Maia. I just got my cherry head redfoot tortoise a few hours ago. His name is Esteban. I put him in an aquarium tank (no water of course). I have food and water for him, and he has a hideaway. I gave him a bath when he arrived because he was really dirty, and I fed him. I put him in his home around an hour ago, and he's just been hiding and staring. I put tiny pieces of carrots and t-rex tortoise dry formula for him to eat (i fed him earlier before i put him in the tank). He ate what was in front of him, but he's still hiding. He's all the way in the back of his hideaway where he's barely visible. Is this normal for a new tortoise? I'm pretty sure he's under a year old, and there seems to be a bit of pyramiding? Not sure, though.

Your tortoise will be extremely shy for the first few days to a week etc..... your lucky he ate most new torts refuse to eat for a while,
he is just stressing because of him being moved about and handled and seeing new people...smells...noises...he is just warming up to his home and being shy.
Soon you will be complaining that he is making a mess of his enclosure lol ;)
no need to worry he will warm up to you soon enough! :D Itll' be fine how about soaking him [not clean him bathe] ... fill a container big enough for him to move around...walk...turn etc....and fill it up with water that is luke WARM up to where his plastron and carapace meet [shell and bottom shell] and let him do what he wants and just watch him he will probably have a drink and walk about then you will see him walking around and being more active he will probably poop because luke WARM water stimulates that!
And then you will realise he is fine just being a stress head ;)
 

maiayns

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yeah by giving him a bath i meant soaking him in a bowl kind of thing and wiping him because he pooped all over himself. I hope you're right and thank you!

Does anyone have any recommendations on the temperatures/lighting/humidity/etc.?

Thanks, Cloud9!
 

Jacqui

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Sounds like stress is the biggest factor right now. To really give you the best advice, I would suggest you show us pictures of your setup and your new guy. Also give us details like his substrate, are you using lights, heat, what kind of hides, ect..,

were carrots and TRex what he was getting where you bought him? Those really are not the best foods to be giving him. I would highly suggest reading more threads in this section and Mark (Madkin's) library site for more good information on their care. :)
 

TonkaLuv

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I'm sure he's just nervous and stressed. Give him a few days and he'll
Come around. ;) And I agree, definitely do some research on
a good red foot diet. :)
 

tyler0912

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Basking Area-90-95-100*F
Cool side-83-84-85*F
Hides-A humid hide with wet substrate init.
Humidity overall-75-80%
Lots of plants for him to hide...waterbowl big enough for him to get in and out
Feed him in a food bowl or on a plastic lid or a piece of slate NOT JUST STRAIGHT ON THE SUBSTRATE!
Here are some caresheets:
[read all of them they all give an overall account of diet etc... but some say different so waork out whats right with you]
http://redfoottortoise.com/generalcare.htm
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Redfoot-Caresheet--31353#axzz1WikB8E29
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilesturtles/p/redfoottortoise.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-footed_tortoise
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-redfoot.htm
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/si...d_Tortoise_Caresheet,_by_Darren_Langford.html
http://www.reptipro.com/care-sheets...ortoise-geochelone-carbonaria-care-sheet.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Raising-REDFOOT-Hatchling-to-Adults-Do-s-Don-t-s#axzz1WikB8E29
Have fun ;)
 

dmmj

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Welcome
If you have access to hibiscus flowers, try those, they should bring him out of his shell ( so to speak)my RF loves hibiscus flowers, and mazuri.
 

Madkins007

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maiayns said:
Hi, I'm Maia. I just got my cherry head redfoot tortoise a few hours ago. His name is Esteban. I put him in an aquarium tank (no water of course). I have food and water for him, and he has a hideaway. I gave him a bath when he arrived because he was really dirty, and I fed him. I put him in his home around an hour ago, and he's just been hiding and staring. I put tiny pieces of carrots and t-rex tortoise dry formula for him to eat (i fed him earlier before i put him in the tank). He ate what was in front of him, but he's still hiding. He's all the way in the back of his hideaway where he's barely visible. Is this normal for a new tortoise? I'm pretty sure he's under a year old, and there seems to be a bit of pyramiding? Not sure, though.

Hi!

I made a site called the Tortoise Library (http://www.tortoiselibrary.com ) to let me write and post helpful information without having to write it again for every new keeper. You may want to give it a try. Not only do I have stuff based on my own research, I also link to a lot of other great sites and articles by guest authors.

If you look at the diet section in the Library, or the diet links offered, you can see several ideas on feeding these really cool animals, and there are ideas for housing, heating, etc.

As far as your main question so far- yes, they are very shy. Tortoises are shy in general, and all baby tortoises are naturally shy, and tortoises in new places are shy. Even with my 4 one year-olds, I do not often see them out and about.
 

Redstrike

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Hi Maia,
I just got my pair of cherryhead redfoot hatchlings a week ago, and I can tell you that they like to hide a lot, especially for the first few days and perhaps a bit longer. Just breathe, your hatchling will be fine. I'd definitely visit some of the sites some of the others have mentioned (personally I like Mark's Tortoise Library site).
 

maiayns

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I read every link posted on here, thanks for the info! It's a lot to take in. Here's what I have so far:
20 gallon tank with a zilla green terrarium reptile liner and cypress substrate on top of that. On the left side of the tank I have the hotter area where I put the bulbs on top of. There are two bulbs in a mini dome that sits on top of the tank. One bulb is a nocturnal infrared heat lamp and the other is a uva light which i need to switch to a uvb light (the guy at the store told me to get it and I didn't know any better). In the middle of the tank I have a fish bone thing for calcium (right?), a food bowl, and a water bowl. They're fairly easy to climb in and out of. Next to those on the right I have the hideaway. I've had Esteban for a day, and he's spent most of his time in the far back where I can't see him which worries me (he keeps makes these scraping noises with his nails against the hideaway which is kind of like a cave). As for temperature and humidity, I have a hi range thermometer under the basking area and a humidity gauge around the middle and a thermometer gauge near the cooler side. All three of these are on the back glass wall of the tank. I'm not sure if I should lower them for them to work more properly because the humidity will not increase no matter what I try.

I bought a humidifier misting spray that I've been spraying around like crazy and it hasn't seemed to help. I've also sprayed water. What can I do to increase humidity?

I looked at all the links given and learned a lot about the diet needed. I'm still unsure on proportion though. How much is enough? For veggies/fruits/ etc.? What should I mix? I bought the powder that's put on the food. It contains calcium and vitamin d3 (which also comes from the uvb, correct?)

I've taken Esteban outside in my backyard for ten minutes and he just walked around on the concrete. Is it okay for him to walk in the grass if he's so small? I tried getting him to eat lettuce but he refused. I cleaned him again (put him in water and let him soak), and put him back in his tank. I had to tape the sides up to his height with black electrical tape so he would stop trying to get out by hitting his head on the glass. I only taped around two inches high just to be safe. He can still look up and see outside, but he won't think about trying to get out that way again (at least I hope).

I don't know if any of this makes sense, but thanks for the help!
 

maiayns

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does anyone have recommended diet plans I can use a start until I get the hang of it?

Also, Esteban's been in his hideaway and won't come out. I hear scraping kind of noises like he's using his claws against the hideaway. That's normal right? Should I be worried about him eating the cypress mulch?
 

maiayns

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tyler0912 said:
Basking Area-90-95-100*F
Cool side-83-84-85*F
Hides-A humid hide with wet substrate init.
Humidity overall-75-80%
Lots of plants for him to hide...waterbowl big enough for him to get in and out
Feed him in a food bowl or on a plastic lid or a piece of slate NOT JUST STRAIGHT ON THE SUBSTRATE!
Here are some caresheets:
[read all of them they all give an overall account of diet etc... but some say different so waork out whats right with you]
http://redfoottortoise.com/generalcare.htm
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Redfoot-Caresheet--31353#axzz1WikB8E29
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilesturtles/p/redfoottortoise.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-footed_tortoise
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-redfoot.htm
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/si...d_Tortoise_Caresheet,_by_Darren_Langford.html
http://www.reptipro.com/care-sheets...ortoise-geochelone-carbonaria-care-sheet.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Raising-REDFOOT-Hatchling-to-Adults-Do-s-Don-t-s#axzz1WikB8E29
Have fun ;)

This helped A LOT!
 

TonkaLuv

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FYI, the needle type gauges for temp and humidity are
oftentimes inaccurate. If you are using those that may be
the reason you are seeing no change in the humidity level.
Digital gauges work much better (and last longer). They are
only slightly more expensive and are definitely worth it!
Good luck with little Estaban! That's a great name, BTW.
Post some pictures of him :)
 

terryo

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What kind of light are you using? Low light, high warm humidity, plenty of plants to hide under, and a warm humid hide, a water dish that he's able to sit in and climb in and out of. I never soak, unless they are sick or somethings wrong, and I never pick them up only to check and make sure they are OK. Right now he is scared to death and very stressed out going to a new home with a new environment. If he was mine I would leave him be and make sure to put his food in at the same time each day so he gets into a routine and knows what to expect of you. In my vivariums I use a heat emitter on the side where the hide is, and on the other side a long tube 5.0 UVB light. For the larger vivariums I use two heat emitters one on each side and the long tube in the middle. If you have a lot of plants, and cover the top of the viv. the humidity will be high. Just some suggestions and what I do when they are inside.
 

tyler0912

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maiayns said:
tyler0912 said:
Basking Area-90-95-100*F
Cool side-83-84-85*F
Hides-A humid hide with wet substrate init.
Humidity overall-75-80%
Lots of plants for him to hide...waterbowl big enough for him to get in and out
Feed him in a food bowl or on a plastic lid or a piece of slate NOT JUST STRAIGHT ON THE SUBSTRATE!
Here are some caresheets:
[read all of them they all give an overall account of diet etc... but some say different so waork out whats right with you]
http://redfoottortoise.com/generalcare.htm
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Redfoot-Caresheet--31353#axzz1WikB8E29
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptilesturtles/p/redfoottortoise.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-footed_tortoise
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-redfoot.htm
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/si...d_Tortoise_Caresheet,_by_Darren_Langford.html
http://www.reptipro.com/care-sheets...ortoise-geochelone-carbonaria-care-sheet.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Raising-REDFOOT-Hatchling-to-Adults-Do-s-Don-t-s#axzz1WikB8E29
Have fun ;)

This helped A LOT!

Glad to hear!
 

maiayns

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TonkaLuv said:
FYI, the needle type gauges for temp and humidity are
oftentimes inaccurate. If you are using those that may be
the reason you are seeing no change in the humidity level.
Digital gauges work much better (and last longer). They are
only slightly more expensive and are definitely worth it!
Good luck with little Estaban! That's a great name, BTW.
Post some pictures of him :)

I'll keep that in mind next time I make a trip to the store. And thanks! I'll post pictures soon!

terryo said:
What kind of light are you using? Low light, high warm humidity, plenty of plants to hide under, and a warm humid hide, a water dish that he's able to sit in and climb in and out of. I never soak, unless they are sick or somethings wrong, and I never pick them up only to check and make sure they are OK. Right now he is scared to death and very stressed out going to a new home with a new environment. If he was mine I would leave him be and make sure to put his food in at the same time each day so he gets into a routine and knows what to expect of you. In my vivariums I use a heat emitter on the side where the hide is, and on the other side a long tube 5.0 UVB light. For the larger vivariums I use two heat emitters one on each side and the long tube in the middle. If you have a lot of plants, and cover the top of the viv. the humidity will be high. Just some suggestions and what I do when they are inside.

Right now I have a 100 w nocturnal heat lamp and a 75 w basking spot lamp. They're in a mini dome thing that fits two bulbs. The basking spot lamp emits uva rays and I realize I need one that emits uvb rays (I took him outside in the sun today, so he can catch some rays from the sun until I get a uvb light). Should I use all three at once or how does that work? I keep the nocturnal heat lamp on at night right? I keep them on one side and the light still reaches the other but not completely because I read that one side should be cooler than the other. Is that correct?

Can I put home grown plants from my sunroom or are there certain kinds of plants that are recommended? Also, should I put him in a smaller hideaway where he's somewhat visible because the one I currently have makes it impossible for me to see him. It's a cave shape (http://www.petco.com/product/115407...ideaway.aspx?CoreCat=MM_ReptileSupplies_Decor) and he always goes back in there into the far back whenever I take him out to try to feed him (which has only been twice since I've had him for two days). Or is it normal to not be able to see him? I just get really worried because he's awake and making scratching noises which he did at night. Another question: I get not putting the water directly under the light, but is it okay to put the dish full of food under the light? What about the dampness of the cypress? How can I tell when it's too wet?

I know it's a lot of questions, but even a tiny bit of help is greatly appreciated!! :shy:
 

terryo

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This is my favorite site for plants. I use it for my Box turtle vivariums too.
http://www.africantortoise.com/edible_landscaping.htm

I used to use a natural wood hide, but now I just put some artificial plants mixed with real plants and sort of hang them over to make a hide. Inside I put long fibered moss. I wet it with hot water, and squeeze it out and fluff it up. I just changed it, today. They love it in there. When mine go in there I can't see them at all. Just leave the food there and I'm sure that he'll come out on his own.
This is the hide I use now. It's more like a cave. I don't have a hot or cold side. My whole vivarium is at around 80 - 85 degrees now. I don't wet the substrate any more....one of them got shell fungus from a wet substrate....I just water the plants in there pots and mist the tort and the plants.
080-3.jpg
 
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